Resident Evil 4

It's been a while since I last played a console game, much less finished one. Bringing me out of my console gaming hiatus was the fourth (actually, it's the sixth) installment of Capcom's Resident Evil series, the series which virtually created the survival horror video game genre. And it was definitely worth coming out of my hiatus for. I'm talking about Resident Evil 4.

Let me say it first. Resident Evil 4 is the best survival horror video game I have ever played, and I have played almost all of them. It takes the franchise's great story and characters, adds the perfect balance of action, thrills and suspense, ease of play, and tops it all off with incredible graphics and sound. Easily the best Resident Evil game ever, and arguably the best of the genre.

And I almost never got to play it. Initially it was only announced for the Nintendo Gamecube. Like 90 million other console gamers in the world, I have a Sony PlayStation 2 instead. Capcom fortunately had a change of heart and made the game available for play on the most popular gaming console today. Lucky for us PS2 owners, or else we would have missed out on this game which I seemingly cannot describe without using superlatives. It's just that good.

In it, former Racoon City police officer Leon S. Kennedy (of Resident Evil 2 fame) is assigned to rescue Ashley Graham, the President's daughter, who was kidnapped by a radical religious cult bent on taking over the world. While there are no zombies in the same vein as it predecessors, there are zombie-like enemies everywhere, the product of carrying a genetically engineered parasite making them highly susceptible to mind control. Unfortunately Ashley, and you later on, are both infested with the parasite as well. So, not only do you have to find Ashley, you also have to find a cure for the infestation, find the last remaining sample of the T-Virus, and find a way to escape, at the same time deal with potential allies and new and old enemies alike. Of course, almost everyone is trying to kill you. :-)

On the PlayStation 2, the graphics are awesome, though admittedly not up to the higher standards of the Gamecube. Compared to earlier Resident Evil games though, it sets a new bar for realism, no doubt made possible by advances in technology (the first Resident Evil was for the original Playstation). If you have a Dolby Pro Logic II compatible audio decoder, the surround sound audibly immerses you in a eerie soundscape, complete with ambient sounds, eerie chants and sound effects, and a soundtrack which automatically changes to reflect the situation you are in.

With regard to gameplay, the control system is vastly improved, and the point of view is now from a third person chase view, compared to the varying viewpoints from the earlier games in the series. Laser sights and scopes now make weapon aiming a lot easier, and weapons can now be bought and upgraded. You can now also find and sell treasure as well, to pay for those weapons and upgrades.

Despite some changes (for the better), this is still, unmistakeably, a Resident Evil game. The puzzles are still there, same with the typewriter as a means of saving your progress. The multicolored herbs are still there as well. The magic box is now gone in favor of a more realistic attache case though.

Faults? There aren't many. The dialogue is a bit cheesy at times, but it's not that big a deal. If there's a fault worth noting though, it's that the game only has about 20 hours worth of gameplay. While that's longer than most other games, that's far too short for a game as good as this. :-)

If you're into survival horror, or a fan of the series, I advise you to pick up a copy of this game. You won't regret it. Xbox owners need not apply unfortunately, as this game is limited to Gamecube and PS2 versions only. I've heard on good authority though that the upcoming installment, Resident Evil 5, will be coming out for the Xbox 360 as well as the PlayStation 3. Now that's certainly something to watch out for.

Now if they only release Resident Evil Zero for the PS2 as well. :-)