Resident Evil 4 (Nintendo GameCube, 2005)

This game is totally different from the rest of the series in so many ways. The other games were slow paced and involved segments of action that were few and far between. Resident Evil 4 changes the series because it's not a puzzle solving game with the ocassional monster popping out at you. In this game, you'll be fighting hordes of zombies and monsters non-stop. There are a variety of creatures to fight, including large monsters that make for great mini-boss battles along the way. While there are the ocassional puzzles that make you think, this game really is a survival horror with new dimensions. Some of the other improvements made to this game include the ability to aim your gun - in the older games, you could only point it straight, up or down. Now, you can shoot enemies wherever you want. Shoot them in the head and blind them (or blow it off), shoot them in the leg and knock them on the ground...also, if you shoot an enemy and stun them, you can do close combat moves like kicks and suplexes. Also, you can upgrade your weapons and purchase other items from the arms dealer who you will run into randomly through out the game. To earn cash, you can collect treasure that will be scattered about the levels - some really hidden and some pretty much out in the open. Also, inserted in some levels is a mini-game where you can collect trophies. While the mini-game isn't vital, it's still challenging and fun to play. The other difference here is that you will also have to protect the president's daughter in real time. If you don't protect her, she can be carried off by the enemies. The good thing is that you can tell her when to stop and go, she can hide in certain places...but she's basically helpless. The enemies in this title are better, there are a wide variety of new creatures to battle - some have their own little tricks you have to figure out in order to defeat them. The zombies are stronger, come at you in larger groups and can wield weapons like guns, bows and arrows, chainsaws, etc. The graphics are amazing, the music doesn't clash with the style and mood of the game and the story is great. The story follows many of the similar elements from the previous games, but with a huge twist. This game is also very long - two discs worth of play. There are some unlockables at the end when you beat it, so the game does have an above average replay value. Phew! After all that, it's no wonder GameSpot voted this as game of the year! Any fan of the series will enjoy this. Fans who hated the original games due to their slow pace should really give this a try because it's a completely 180 compared to the other games. This game alone is worth the price of a GameCube!

Even if you are not a fan of the Resident Evil series, this game is an absolute must play. Forget everything you knew about the previous entries in the series; the clunky conrols, the cursed game ribbon saves, and awful inventory system. It's all been tossed out and completely overhauled.
The story (while not believable) gets the job done, and generally the voice acting is a solid improvement over the previous games.

You play as Leon Kennedy, the hero from Resident Evil 2, on a mission to save the Presidents missing daughter. The games setting is somewhere in rural Spain, which we can discern by the language of the villians Leon encounters. It seems the Umbrella corporation from the past games has ceased to exist, and the zombies that Resident Evil is know for have been replaced with crazed Spanish villagers all under the control of a new evil influence.

The static images of the past have now been replaced with beautifully rendered fully 3-D scenery , and Leon is controlled from an over the shoulder 3/4 view that has become very popular (ahem, Gears of War).

There are no more game ribbon saves, although the typewriter is still there. Thankfully, they are quite plentiful in this game and you never have to start far behind if you die. Instead of merely finding weapons, now Leon purchases them through hooded "merchants", which thankfully are also plentiful.


The inventory system still uses briefcases, and occasionally you will have to make some tough choices as to what items/weapons you will want to keep, until you're eventually able to upgrade to the largest one. By then you'll be blasting away baddies pretty much any way you want to.

Did I mention the amazing graphics? Ok, well I will again. Yea, I know this game has been surpassed in the 2 and half years since its release by games like Gears of War, Oblivion, etc, etc, but this is still one fantastic looking game for a last gen title. Intricately detailed environments are everywhere you look here. Shoot a hanging oil lamp, and watch it crash to the ground and explode. Gaze at some really beautiful shimmering, reflective pools of water or amaznig looking molten lava with heat distortion effects, or even take the scope on your rifle and zoom in and look at maggots feasting on rotten meat. The fire effects in this game have yet to be surpassed by any next gen game. The flames look completely real. Character animations look wonderful too, like the movement of the villians as they creep toward you, and watching Leon reload his weapons.

The sound in the game compliments the graphics wonderfully. All of Leons weapons have convincing sound effects and feel very powerful, and the explosions sound great. Though the dialogue can be hammy at times, it is a vast leap forward for the series. Leon sounds pretty darn cool. Only the moments where you have to escort Ashley can be a bit on the annoying side.

But honestly, there is so little negative I can say about this game. Once you are through the quite long single player adventure (15-20 hours for first timers) there is an awesome and challenging survival mode, and a great Ada Wong side game. If you have the Wii or Ps2 version, you get 2 Ada side quests.

All around, Resident Evil 4 is an amazing , exhilarating action adventure game that shouldn't be missed by anyone into video games, or even anyone who isn't. ;)

This two disk game will provide you with hours upon hours of gaming delight. This game features elements which are consistent and true to the prior Resident Evil games, however, offers many improvements. But perhaps most importnatly, it's addictive and just plain old fun to play.

As far as improvements...you no longer have to continually find a storage box to manage your inventory - you now carry it all with you in an attache case. Any number of weapons can be bought from "merchant" vendors and may be upgraded at your discretion. The puzzles are not as tedious nor do they (or any part of the game) involve you going back and forth and around and around in circles over the same areas. This game in much more linear and is a true platformer. The zombies and other badies are much more animated and not so campy - making it so much more meaningful when you blow their head off. The mid-level bosses are completely new and unlike anything seen in this series before. Valuable items are easy to spot and you will have more than enough ammo if you are even the least bit conservation.

The story is simply "save the girl" so you don't have to put up with this mindless Umbrella conspiracy - T-Virus gibberish - although you still find the occsional pointless "report" laying about. Who reads those anyway. This game may be considered challenging by some, but I never felt frustrated or that technical flaws were to blame for my demise. This is one of those games that after you've played it for six or seven hours you begin to realize just how different "where you are now" is from "where you started" (creepy village, to gothic castle, to retro army base...etc). And finally, every single area within Resident Evil 4 is satisfying and unique. So whether you're being chased by a truck full of zombies, riding and sniping bad guys in a gondola, finding your way through a courtside maze, being stalked by a blind prisoner with razor sharp claws, or having dynamite thrown at you from a hilltop - you're sure to be experiencing hand cramping well into the night.

I received this game on Christmas from my younger brother where he purchased it for $35 dollars at eb games used. I opened the game and started to play and was blown away. I was first blown away by the amazing graphics and detail of the game.
Some other things that were great about the game were the storyline. The story of this game was amazing. It had good voice actors good story and good action. Another cool thing about this game is the zombies. The zombies in this game was the thing I liked best about the game. Unlike other resident evil games in RE4 zombies can shoot at you with bow guns and machine guns. Other zombies have chainsaws, axes,dynamite, knives dynamite and axes can be thrown at you. The zombies can also weave in and out to avoid getting shot by you and are a lot faster than in other resident evil games. Another cool feature in this game is the view that you play in. Instead of playing in the 3rd person view like all oft the resident evil games you play in a third person view looking over the main chracter Leons shoulder which makes the game a lot of fun while shooting. The game includes some new weapons with an array of many guns to choose from. You can also upgrade these guns to become more powerful. This game also includes some very tough puzzles you must solve and adds some fun strategy to the game. This game also takes a very long time to complete I have just recently completed this game and it took me 26 hours to complete the longest game that I have ever played. There are also cool bonus features in this game. A little mini game called project ada and another minigame called the mercanaries which has appeared in previous resident evil games.
There although a few things that I dislike about this game. One is some of the puzzles, some puzzles are very hard to figure out and the game gives u no clues on how to solve them. Another thing is not having the ability to run when u shoot you must stand still while shooting. The last problem that I have with the game is the feeling of repetition. The feeling of repetition occurs because in every area that you enter the zombies seem to do the same thing and you get to learn exactly what they are going to do although they look different they all do mostly the same thing.
In conclusion I belive that this game is worth 30-40 dollars and is a must buy for anyone into scary games. If you havent played any of the other resident evil games you must try this one it is the best of them all by far.

Resident Evil 4 by Capcom for the Nintendo Gamecube is simply put one of the greatest video games I have ever played. From the beginning, you are dropped into the middle of a isolated European village filled with crazed, blood thirsty, chainsaw wielding villagers; and the action never lets up. Whether you are walking through a brightly lit hall or a dark-blood-soaked sewer, the feeling of dread and terror is constant.

Although the game is called Resident Evil, it has very little in common with the previous games. Gone are the static camera angles, the frustrating controls and the lame zombie enemies. They are replaced with an over-the-shoulder camera which puts the action extremely close and hair-raising. The controls have been streamlined and are incredibly easy to master, the only fault is that you have to enter the menu everytime you want to equip something, I sometimes consider this a good thing; the action and terror are so intense that pausing to take a breath is a good thing. The enemies are no longer mind-less zombies, but intelligent assailants who communicate with one another, devise deadly traps and strategies. Luckily you have one hell of an arsenal to dipatch these foes; knifes, 9mm's, .45 magnums, sub-machine guns, sniper-rifles,grenade-launcher​s, shotguns, rocket-launchers and grenades. But it's not just about the weapons; The main character, Leon S. Kennedy from RE2, is back and he is a total badass. When you discover yourself out of bullets, just switch to your knife and finish up with one of Leon's many melee attacks, be it a roundhouse sending a group of enemies flying or a swift kick to the face shattering their skull or an awesome suplex where Leon grapples with the enemy and with a reversal comes down exploding the ememies head into the ground, spattering brains and blood everywhere; yes the game is extremely violent and graphic; it's great!

I could go on and on, but the point remains the same, RE4 is the greatest game of 2005, this generation, and maybe all time. 10/10, 5/5 A+....Perfect