Resident Evil 4- Wow, just... wow.

[Silverflame]

There I was, trying to hold off the swarm of homicidal villagers in a small hallway on the second floor of a house. Behind me, a window where villagers kept throwing up a ladder attempting to climb up. In front of me, villagers approaching, including a giant man with a chainsaw. I took my recently obtained 12-gage shotgun and blasted away the guys in front of me, then quickly spun around and threw the ladder down. But when I turned back, there was the chainsaw guy in front of me. I picked up my shotgun, aimed at him and- no ammo. I was soon a headless person, blood splattering everywhere, with the words "You Are Dead" forming on the screen.

Man oh man is this game so incredibly awesome. That encounter with the chainsaw was just 15 minutes in the game. This is a 20 hour survival-horror adventure, with almost no backtracking or other cheap devices developers often use to make the game feel longer. Although I only got to play two hours due to schoolwork, it was an amazing experience. Two friends who were watching part of the time said it was like watching a movie. The game is that good. And the game is just going to get better from here.

I know a lot of you have the perception, no matter how I try to argue otherwise, that the Gamecube is a kiddie system. Try telling that to Resident Evil 4, which, in all of its glory, is a Gamecube exclusive. Yes, there is a PS2 version coming, but that will be nearly a year from now, and it's doubtful that system will even be able to run this game. If you have a Gamecube, there is NO excuse not to buy this game. None. In fact, it's almost worth getting a Gamecube for this game alone.

What's that you say? Too similar to previous Resident Evils? Well, then you know absolutely nothing about this game. There are no zombies, no T-Virus, no Umbrella. Gone are the tank-like controls and dark cramped mansions of previous RE's. This game gives an over-the-shoulder perspective, precision aiming anywhere on the target's body, and homicidal villagers that are neither humans nor zombies- but still have brains. They will throw their sickles, they will surround and try to stab the player with their pitchforks, they will do whatever means possible to kill their opponent, even if it takes their life. Why have they become this way, I do not know, but is actually just the tip of the iceberg of the story's plot, according to the reviewers.

Speaking of reviewers, both IGN and Gamespot got their harshest editors to review this game (Matt Casamassina and Greg Kasavin, respectively) who never let hype influence their decision, and both gave extremely high scores almost unheard of by either of them- IGN gave 9.8, Gamespot 9.6. Greg Kasavin may be the harshest reviewer at any major site, and he is the same guy who pissed off a ton of Halo 2 fans with his 9.4, and gave an 8.7 to MGS 3. That really shows what a great game Resident Evil 4 must be.

Most of you have not read what's above, so let me repeat- There is absolutely NO excuse for not buying this game. Even those of you who are still skeptical for whatever reason, I think Greg Kasavin put it best-

Essentially, if you've been entertained by any other mature-rated action game recently, then chances are you'll be blown away by this one. It's that good.

 

[Fetus4188]

I only like FPS on PC, I'll get it if it comes out on PC.

 

[Silverflame]

It's not a FPS, nor does it play like one. It's a survival horror. The camera was placed over the shoulder instead of making it first-person for a reason- gives off a claustrophobic feeling. The lack of strafing and the ability to move while shoot actually adds to the suspense and tension in the game. Like with the chainsaw encounter, I always found myself reloading at the wrong time, and it cost me.

Chances of this game coming to the PC are pretty much nil, and I honestly don't see why anyone would want to play this on a PC. The mouse would ruin the game, all you'd be doing is clicking heads. Then again, go ahead and call me biased against PC games, because I am.

 

[Lord Draegon]

My friend has it and says the villagers say funny things, like im going to make you into a taquito or some other kind of food. he also says its imposible to run out of handgun ammo. the villagers carry bullets but they dont have guns. what are they doing with them, are they going to throw them at you or something?

 

[Martacus]

Well, as the game takes plaice in Spain, they do say things like "Detras de ti!" or "mate lo!" ("behind you" and "kill him" respectively). As for dropping bullets, most enemies won't drop anything, but there is a chance that they will drop either ammunition (9mm bullets, rifle bullets, or shotgun shells), healing items, or most likely, money (they're still using Pesetas!). And yes, you won't have to worry about running out of ammo for a while, not until later in the game, when it really does become scarce and you're just praying that someone drops a few of those valuable rifle bullets that you so desperately need. And even without having to worry about ammo, it is very easy to get killed. Not only do all enemies do large amounts of damage, but the chances to get killed instantly are numerous; the previously mentioned chainsaw guys are just one example. Enemies are plentiful and can get tough to take down, especially as the game progresses. And actually, the controls are still very much the same, if you think about it. But the over-the-shoulder camera makes it a more natural fit. All in all, I'm impressed with it. Haven't finsihed it yet, but I'm nearing the end.

 

[Silverflame]

Well, I finally finished the game just a few minutes ago. And wow, this game is just spectacular. I had set my expectations almost impossibly high, and yet somehow the game managed to even surpass them in several aspects. I had so many favorite parts that it's hard to just pick one.

Of course the game wasn't perfect. There's quite a bit of clipping in the graphics, the puzzles are rather pointless, and the storyline wasn't as developed as I would have liked. But these minor issues aside, this is seriously one of the greatest games ever made.

If you have a Gamecube, go do yourself a favor and GET THIS GAME. Even if you don't have a Gamecube, this is one game that's defintely worth picking one up for. It's that good.

My ending stats can be seen below. I'm a wuss, so I saved a ton (102 times), and my death count is rather high. But the fact that such a coward like me who generally hates anything horror can be in love with a game this much really shows the sheer awesomeness of Resident Evil 4.