--Lord Osmund Saddler, Resident Evil 4
"You don't seriously think a conservative mind can chart a new course for the world, do you?"
--Jack Krauser, Resident Evil 4
Historically regarded as one of the greatest and most impactful video games of all time, Resident Evil 4 evolved not only its own franchise, but also gaming as a whole. It was games like Resident Evil 4 that popularized quick-time events. Resident Evil 4, furthermore, was one of the games that pioneered the over-the-shoulder camera that has become so common in contemporary shooters. While the dialogue can be outright disastrous to the point of hurting the narrative's execution, the atmosphere and combat remain excellent examples of how to craft a survival horror game. Capcom made the clever move of having the story focus on something other than the Umbrella Corporation, and the story fares well conceptually because of it. The concept of a European religious cult using a parasite that allows for mind control is rather unique, the group having abducted the American president's daughter Ashley as part of a plot to demonstrate its power to the West. As with the Xbox One remasters of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, the Xbox One version of the game includes all of the bonus content.
Production Values
This game is responsible for the massive transition of its series from a fixed camera to a third-person camera. Only a handful of other games, such as Metroid Prime and Super Mario 64, truly changed the gameplay format for their own franchises so dramatically. Like these other titles, Resident Evil 4 succeeds in making its transition. Its shooting is vastly improved by the new camera style. The graphics are definitely dated and look like they are from a past console generation--which is unsurprising, since Resident Evil 4 was first released in 2005 on the GameCube and PlayStation 2--but they are sufficient when it comes to upholding the playability of this classic (meaning the animations are still smooth and clear).
Dull grays mean that vibrant colors are nowhere to be seen for much of the game, though this can actually reinforce the dark tone. Textures also appear grainy from time to time. However, the fact that the graphics have held up as well as they have across various ports and remasters is worthy of attention and praise. As might be expected, the script is outrageous at certain points. Leon Kennedy, the character controlled by the player, literally calls one of the primary antagonists "bro" at one point. Despite significant problems with the dialogue, the atmosphere is glorious, emphasizing the isolation of Leon as he rescues the president's daughter from a deranged faction. Only in the later parts of the game is the atmosphere weakened, when the horror elements are not as prominent.
Gameplay
--Campaign
One of the gameplay's greatest strengths is how it unites survival horror and action without diluting the effectiveness of either. There are periods of genuine vulnerability or uncertainty (at least upon an initial playthrough), but there is also plenty of ammunition to scavenge between most fights. You still have to ensure that ammunition is used in conservative spurts, of course, as there are otherwise some moments where there might be great concern about having leftover bullets after an encounter with a horde of villagers or priests. The controls are not the easiest for newcomers to adapt to, since Leon cannot aim his weapons and walk around at the same time. This means that players must be strategic with where they aim, since they are open to attacks from other directions and cannot dodge them. Once someone adjusts, though, the controls are mostly manageable, although precision aiming at boss weak points can be challenging. Miscellaneous quick-time events vary up the gameplay during boss fights.
To make surviving fights easier, one can upgrade the fire rate, damage, ammo capacity, and reload speed of each main weapon at certain intervals using pesetas. Pesetas (abbreviated to PTAS in the game) are easy to obtain, since enemies regularly drop varying amounts upon dying. Ironically, the peseta was not even a currency that Spain, the country where the game is set, still used as of 2005 (the year of the game's original release), but that does not stop its use from working well inside the secluded world of the story. The currency can be exchanged to a mysterious seller called the Merchant for upgrades, new weapons, and healing items. The Merchant's wares can make the game a much more bearable affair!
None of Leon's upgrades can help when players are forced to control Ashley for a brief segment of the game, however. It is here that the player's vulnerability is at its peak, since Ashley cannot use firearms, having only the ability to hurl scattered lanterns at approaching enemies. Thankfully, this section is very short, and Leon is playable once more. The only times when Leon's weapons do not easily overpower individual enemies are the boss fights, as Leon meets several enemies that have been granted special physical abilities by parasites. These bosses can be quite difficult, but I found that RPGs are highly effective against Salazar and Salazar's "right hand" and that knife attacks are the best way to repel Krauser (in the early stages of the fight with him).
--The Mercenaries
Upon completing the story for the first time, several bonus features are unlocked, including "The Mercenaries" mode. In this arcade-like secondary mode, Leon (or other characters) must kill as many enemies as he can before a two minute timer counts down to zero. There are ways to extend the time, and very high scores can unlock new characters. While Mercenaries is a nice diversion from the main story, it is very limited in scope by comparison to the content of Mercenaries in Resident Evil 5 and The Mercenaries 3D, a 3DS port of earlier Mercenaries maps that contained perks. The absence of perks in Resident Evil 4's version is very noticeable in hindsight.
--Separate Ways
Separate Ways shows Ada Wong's background involvement in many key locations and events in the main story of Resident Evil 4. For instance, she rings the bell that recalls the villagers when Leon is attacked by the farmhouses, starts the lift that Leon later uses, and so on. Pesetas are plentiful, but weapons cannot be upgraded, though they already have maximum damage when purchased. Overall, Separate Ways adds several hours more to an already lengthy game. The major weak aspect is the horrid quality of the cutscenes. They lack the clarity that those in the main game have.
--Assignment Ada
In Assignment Ada, the titular Ada must obtain five samples of the Las Plagas parasite before she leaves the island via a helicopter. Unlike with Separate Ways, there are no opportunities to save and load games; a death means the player must quit or restart. There are still checkpoints, thankfully. The beginning can be brutal, as Ada must face an enemy with a deadly weapon very early on, but the entire mode can be completed in less than an hour after some practice.
Story
Spoilers!
Leon Kennedy, a survivor of the Racoon City incident, is dispatched in 2004 to retrieve the president's daughter Ashley from Spain, where she was taken following her kidnapping. He quickly finds that a local village is inhabited by maniacal and murderous farmers. As it turns out, the villagers are being controlled by parasites called the Las Plagas, organisms that hijack hosts' nervous systems and break down their mental autonomy--and Leon is injected with the Las Plagas when briefly captured. After locating and freeing Ashley, Leon is confronted by Osmund Saddler, the leader of the Los Illuminados, who explains that his group abducted Ashley to infect her with the Las Plagas and send her back to America, where, as a puppet, she would inject the parasite into her father and help the Los Illuminados control the world.
Leon and Ashley are forced to escape from the villagers in a castle, one that is unfortunately presided over by an affiliate of Saddler named Ramon Salazar. It becomes clear that another outsider is also troubling Saddler. Ada Wong, working for the Umbrella Corporation, seeks to obtain a sample of the Las Plagas for Albert Wesker. Having killed Salazar, Leon is brought by Ada to an island where Ashley was moved. He overcomes every obstacle placed in his way by Saddler, including an enemy type with rapid regenerative abilities and an Umbrella agent named Krauser. Ultimately, he defeats Saddler, though Ada succeeds in obtaining a Las Plagas sample for Wesker, which allows for the events of Resident Evil 5 to occur.
Intellectual Content
The major emphasis is placed on survival and action, but the occasional puzzle, optional or mandatory, does allow for a brief respite from the shooting. It doesn't take long to solve the puzzles or find collectibles. I doubt that many players would even spend more than several minutes deciphering how to proceed. The puzzles are still there, nonetheless.
Conclusion
There is much to legitimately criticize about the way that the story is presented, but there is also much to admire about how Resident Evil 4 handles its atmosphere and gameplay. The latter elements win out over the former. Even 13 (almost 14!) years later, Resident Evil 4 is still one of the best offerings in its respective series, and it is still one of the best survival horror games. Since it is available on so many systems for such a relatively low price, gamers who have not played it yet should try to do so at the earliest opportunity.
In honor of the upcoming remake of Resident Evil 2, I hope to also have Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 reviewed by January 25. This is my first time to review three entries in the same series consecutively within the same month, but I aim to have five games from the series consecutively reviewed by the end of January. I eagerly await the remake!
Content:
1. Violence: A spectrum of grotesque creatures, from villagers controlled by parasites to El Gigantes to other deformities, must be killed in bloody ways via gunplay or quick-time events. Resident Evil 7 may be more graphic, but Resident Evil 4 can be a fairly violent game. Some of the death animations for Leon can be especially brutal, showing his decapitation.
2. Profanity: Several characters use the word "shit" out of frustration.
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