Resident Evil 4 (PS2/PS4) - Video Game Review

As we approach the release of Resident Evil 8 (aka Resident Evil Village), I thought I'd continue my way through the Resident Evil series and review the undisputed rock star of the entire series. I've probably beaten this one four or five times at this point. To spice things up, I finally tried this on Professional Difficulty for this review, but I'll keep my thoughts restricted to the regular version of the game. I forgot how much fun learning Spanish can be when you're trapped in a village filled with homicidal maniacs!

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Where You Can Find It: I played this on PlayStation 4 as a remastered port, but I have also played the PS2 and PS3 versions. It is also available on nearly every modern platform to include PC via Steam, Nintendo GameCube, Mobile (IOS/Android), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Wii. Apparently the Nintendo Wii version is very unique, so if you're a die-hard fan and still have your old station, I'd recommend it for a change of pace.

General Information
Resident Evil 4 is a survival horror game that was developed and published by Capcom. It was first released on 11 January 2005 and is the last main Resident Evil game to feature series' creator, Shinji Mikami's direction and guidance. Despite its title, this is actually the thirteenth full game in the series (I refuse to count the Java game, but if you feel inclined it is technically the fourteenth then). Another important distinction is that this is the first in the main series to not take place in Raccoon City. Although it wasn't really considered a reboot at the time, one could observe it ushered in an entirely new generation of Resident Evil games as the main canon changed, while the standard fixed-camera angles and tank controls were replaced with over-the-shoulder third-person action. It is widely considered to be the best Resident Evil game of the series, and many also consider it to be one of the greatest video games of all-time. Almost all of the game's critical reception has been met with high praise as it boasts a 96 Metascore on Metacritic (for the PlayStation 2 version).

The game's creation is a really fascinating story to get into as there were actually several attempts to make it, which ended up resulting in the creation of an entirely different franchise! According to Marrujo, development of Resident Evil 4 began in 1999 with a push by Capcom to make the fourth installment even bigger and badder than any of the others before it. New styles and aesthetics were tried (as we can see in the finished product), however some of it was a bit too edgy for the franchise, so Capcom made the Devil May Cry series out of the genetic soup that would also produce Resident Evil 4. Considering its age, one might think Resident Evil 4's story is over, but a remake of the game has been in development since 2018 and it is expected it will release in 2023. I'm not particularly excited about the remake, but I am certainly curious to see what the modernized version will look like.

The Story
A good chunk of time has passed since the horrific event of Raccoon City and in that time Leon Kennedy (from Resident Evil 2) has joined the US Secret Service. Leon's on a mission to track down the the president's daughter, Ashley Graham, who was kidnapped and last seen somewhere in rural Spain. The ex-cop's investigation quickly brings him face-to-face with some nasty locals, who are totally not zombies, that have ties to a strange cult.

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Leon and Ashley are in for a rough vacation in Spain

One will quickly notice as soon as the game starts that quite a bit has changed from the standard Resident Evil formula. Looking solely at the story, the characters are meatier and there is a frightening amount of different locales that players can sink their teeth into. If one were to compare Resident Evil games to films, I would argue that the first game is more akin to Romero's Day of the Dead and this would be closer to Die Hard. It's a strange comparison, but it makes sense when you look at it as a whole. This game's horror qualities are a bit lesser when stacked against the original games, as it's more like a cheesy action movie than a zombie film. This comes complete with one-liners and set-pieces galore. Despite the turn from the series' spooky roots though, this all works incredibly well!

Something that I also genuinely love about the game's plot is its momentum. Like all (good) stories, the momentum ebbs and flows when it needs to, but it does continue to push the character along so that new locations don't feel particularly forced. There are certainly areas that defy logic and reason, but the game embraces these over-the-top moments with glee. All-in-all, the story isn't deep, but it's fun and engaging from the beginning to the very end, and it synergizes perfectly with the play style it has on-hand to offer.

The Gameplay
The fixed-camera angles and tank controls of yore have now been replaced with a third-person perspective that enables the players to make aimed shots and better examine their environments. This is a major shift from the series' original formula, so this jarring change could alienate some of the older fans, but it surprisingly works well (to the point of where I might argue it's better). Although there's still some version of the old tank controls, character movements are much more fluid than before and there's a nice blend of additional actions Leon can pull off such as melee strikes on dazed enemies and climbing through/over obstacles. Seeing Leon roundhouse kick a chainsaw-wielding crazy man is something spectacular to behold.

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Sadly, I have still yet to master the whole "dodging-the-tree" trick

Another Resident Evil series trope, conserving ammo, is still present, but ammunition is more plentiful as enemies now drop items on a frequent basis. Inventory management is now done via Leon's briefcase (I don't want to know where he stashes it as you can't see it on his person in-game), which gives players a lot more room to carry more items and customize how they want their inventory to look (OCD personalities will love this). Beyond these elements is a new merchant mechanic where Leon can buy/sell items from a mysterious cloaked man that pops up throughout the game. This new factor gives players the chance to save up money and plan out an ideal loadout along with looking at potential upgrades for the weapons that they already have.

Looking beyond Leon, the other NPCs and enemies are incredibly varied and really help this game feeling fresh from beginning to end. Without spoiling too much, Leon will team up with Ashley fairly early into the game and players will not only have to fend off the evils of rural Spain, but also make sure Ashely doesn't die or get carried off by some flunky (it's game over if either happens). Escort missions in video games rarely work well, but Resident Evil 4 keeps things simple and I never really had an issue with protecting Ashley (although, her constant whining leaves something to be desired). Protecting someone else adds an extra layer of challenge and tension for the players and it's much appreciated.

Audio/Visual
Having played both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 4 versions, I can say that the original game still looks great and the newer console versions provide an extra HD upgrade that enhances nearly everything visually. Character models look good across the board (especially Leon's) and it's impressive how much Capcom was able to do with the technology they were limited to when it comes to how much is going on in-game at a single moment. Beyond character appearances, the surroundings are breath-taking as players will get to experience everything from creepy old villages and castles to military bases and swampy marshlands.

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Try not to lose your head while taking in the scenery

If the graphics have aged, I can proudly say the audio remains topnotch. There's a ton of different background music that remains subtle but oh-so-satisfying. Like its predecessors, the safe room theme is great, and everything else simply enhances every experience from beginning to end. Outside of music, the enemies look/sound terrifying, and I applaud Capcom for making most of the speaking enemies actually use Spanish (although they use a Mexican dialect from what I'm told). The use of English is pretty darn good too (especially when compared to the previous games) as all the dialogue is well-performed and well-written, with Ashley being purposefully shrill and annoying.

Multiplayer

This is a single player-only title. I must admit that it is fascinating though that we wouldn't get another single-player only Resident Evil until Resident Evil 7, which came out over 12 years later!

Micro-Transactions/Downloadable Content
Thankfully, there are no micro-transactions or DLC for this game, although later versions of it (like the PC and PS4/XB1 versions) sport updated graphics.

Replayability
There's plenty of reasons to replay this game once you finish your first playthrough. Beating the game unlocks new weapons/costumes, as well as a New Game+ mode that lets you go through Leon's story again with all the weapons and equipment you found from the first time around. Additionally, there's a Professional Difficulty, which adds a nice bit of challenge to the main campaign without going overboard like Resident Evil 7's Madhouse Difficulty. You can unlock even more stuff by playing Mercenaries Mode, which is a timed horde mode where you have to kill off waves of enemies. This one is a bit different from Resident Evil 3's version of Mercenaries, and is arguably more accessible.

A massive addition to the game's content is Assignment: Ada and Separate Ways! In Assignment: Ada, the player must complete timed objectives as Ada Wong, which take place across Leon's campaign. It's a fun little extra game where players can go all-out without worrying about conserving ammunition. On the other side of the spectrum is Separate Ways, which is a secondary campaign where players experience Ada's story that runs parallel to Leon's campaign. It has some of its own boss fights and puzzles, which makes it a blast to check out!

The Best of the Best: Leon suplexing a zombie.

The Worst of the Worst: Ashley screaming in your ear while you're trying to fend off cultists.

Calhooey Score: 10/10 - Outstanding

Would I Recommend?

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Throw your hands up for this one!

I'm aware that it is popular to say this, but Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece that I would recommend to any gamer that is okay with mature themes. It's not a particularly terrifying game, so those that don't like horror will still like this. Those that like action will also really enjoy this as there are plenty of set-pieces to keep you entertained. Considering the low price this is at nowadays, you're missing out if you don't at least give this a shot.

Recommended Let's Play Channel:

I've recommended him in the past, but Alonzorion has a fantastic first-time playthrough of this one on his channel. The episode where he fights Krauser is the best.

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----------------------------------------------------Spoiler Comments--------------------------------------------------

• I'm trying to imagine how ordinary life at the Salazar Castle would work. I'm envisioning someone needing to use the restroom in the middle of the night but having to ride the little rollercoaster cab back to the first castle so they can track down all of the keystones. No wonder Ramon resorted to terrorism...
• Krauser is a lot easier when you realize that he is incredibly weak to knives. He dies really quick even on Professional Difficulty when you simply slash him.
• Is Ada supposed to be one of the good guys? Since she got the sample, I'm wondering if she's indirectly responsible for all of the war crimes Wesker pulls off in Resident Evil 5.
• Leon should've left Ashley when she fell off the jet ski.
• Also, fuck the jet ski segment. Imagine dying at that part and then having to replay the entire Saddler boss fight.
• For those that are curious, Professional Difficulty seems to mainly make enemies deal more damage while also giving the player less ammo spawns from defeated enemies. In exchange for less ammo though, players can expect more money. By the time I finished my playthrough, I had maxed out all of the upgrades on all of my weapons and still had room to spend more.

----------------------------------------------------References--------------------------------------------------

(1) SanMadJack. (2006, October 16). Resident Evil 4 game cover image. Retrieved from: https://www.mobygames.com/game/ps2/resident-evil-4/cover-art/gameCoverId,71525/.

(2) Bailey, K. (2020, April 13). Leon and Ashley image. USGamer. Retrieved from: https://www.usgamer.net/articles/resident-evil-4-dated-remake-opinion.

(3) Wood, C. (2020, April 1). Leon and El Gigante image. PlayStation Lifestyle. Retrieved from: https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2020/04/01/resident-evil-4-remake/.

(4) Strange Dark Stories. (n.d.). Leon and Ashley in castle image. Blogger. Retrieved from: www.strangedarkstories.com/p/report-resident-evil-4-in-handgun-only.html. 

(5) Elise. (2019, April 2). Leon suplexing a zombie gif. Tumblr. Retrieved from: https://seasonofthebxtch.tumblr.com/post/183886161076/i-feel-like-this-gif-perfectly-sums-up-re4.

(6) Alonzorion's Blind Let's Plays! (2017, August 29). Resident Evil 4 gameplay [video]. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiLu6gStBGw&t=1s.