Resident Evil 4

As published in the University of Virginia's Cavalier Daily

Resident Evil 4 delivers gruesome survival-horror action in Capcom's best title in the series to date. RE4 combines all the elements of the genre's heart-racing atmosphere and story with blood-pumping new, over-the-shoulder shooting action. Great gameplay and graphics make RE4 a must-have title for both long-time Resident Evil fans and newcomers alike.

The story of RE4 is simple but effective. The main character, Leon, is investigating the kidnapping of the president's daughter in a small European village. Trouble arises when the Spanish-speaking natives of the village -- wielding pitch-forks, axes, knives and chainsaws -- mob Leon inexplicably.

Using fairly standard Resident Evil puzzles, Leon must navigate a variety of creepy locations swarming with these crazed enemies. RE4 emphasizes gun fights between puzzle-solving more than the puzzle-solving itself. Unlike other Evil games, the crazed residents of the town are not zombies, so part of the mystery is finding out what sent these people over the edge.

The story itself unfolds through beautiful cinematic sequences and written notes left around the towns and countryside. The voice-acting is well done -- the dialogue is curt, but not dry.

Unlike many games that rely on cut-scenes, RE4 balances its duration with the speed of the rest of the gameplay so that cinematics don't interrupt the action --- short cut-scenes come during the heat of combat while longer ones come during lulls in the fighting. Some of the more action-packed cinematic sequences have trigger events, in which the player presses a combination of buttons that appear on screen during cut-scene to avoid imminent danger.

Capcom has also revamped the gameplay for the latest edition in a number of different ways. The in-game camera is fixed over Leon's shoulder for first-person shooter style aiming and there's more ammo available than in previous games. A laser sight allows players to aim with more precision, though Leon's unsteady hand, gun recoil and enemy attacks affect his accuracy.

The sheer number of brutal enemies often surrounding Leon give a sense of the threatening situation, but switching weapons requires a pause menu, which interrupts the game's flow. Action commands also appear when Leon shoots or knifes an enemy, knocking them off balance -- the "A" button pops up when Leon can physically attack the enemy to conserve ammo. Both useful and gruesome, these physical attacks often result in roundhouse-kicking an enemy's head off.

Even though there's more emphasis on combat than ever before, RE4 still requires thoughtful strategy. Some levels need to be re-played a number of times to form a winning strategy -- whether victory requires barring Leon in the corner of a house or finding a great vantage point from which to take out distant enemies. The player also decides how to spend Leon's money and manage his limited inventory.

The boss fights in RE4 are nicely varied -- winning doesn't come from laying out a rain of bullets but rather requires strategy, fast reflexes and, oftentimes, problem-solving skills.

RE4 features excellent visuals, ambient sound and atmospheric music. When these are combined with extremely fun gameplay, GameCube owners not already immersed in Capcom's Evil world can't resist the cult of Resident Evil 4.