Another Retro Flashback and this time we are focusing on one of my favorite video game franchises and not to mention is up there as one of my favorite games ever, being Capcom’s Resident Evil 4!

BACKGROUND

Resident Evil 4 is a third person shooter survival horror game that was developed by Capcom Productions Studio 4 and published by Capcom. While it may be the fourth game in name, but technically its the sixth game in the Resident Evil series at that point in time.

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Resident Evil 4 was originally planned for the PlayStation 2 as early as 1999. Resident Evil 4 went through many developmental issues, before actually seeing the light of day. The original first attempt of developing the game was game director Hideki Kamiya alongside with producer, Shinji Mikami. The game was part of a deal that was with Nintendo for the GameCube, that was called the “Capcom Five”.

Resident Evil 4 received much critical acclaim, from it’s narrative, gameplay, voice acting, and characters. It was announced as Game of the Year for 2005 by many critics and fans alike. It would be one of the first many third-person shooter games that would influence many others that came after from that genre. This was also the game that pioneered the “over the shoulder” third-person view perspective from many other shooting games that would come after it.

GAMEPLAY

Gameplay wise this particular Resident Evil significantly departs itself from other entries that came before it. The game starts Leon S. Kennedy, who the player can control from the third-person perspective.

Unlike the previous games from the series, you can only shoot straight, up, or down. Players can also shoot down projectiles, such as, thrown axes or scythes. The gameplay focuses more so on the action than it does on the survivor horror elements. For weapons in this game, there are no crosshair for firearms and every firearm has a laser light.

Something that Resident Evil 4 adds is context-sensitive controls. While it does depends on the situation, players can interact within the environment; examples being kicking down a ladder, jumping out of a window, or dodging an attack or executing a finishing move on weakened enemies. There’s also quick-time events where players press the buttons on-screen to execute attacks such as dodging a falling bolder, or wrestling an enemy to stay alive. These quick-time event are also incorporated into many boss fights where the player has avoid instant-kill attacks from the enemies.

The inventory system features a grid system by an attache case, that has each item take up a certain number of spaces. Throughout the game, the case can be updated many times. Weapons, ammunition, and healing items are kept in the case, while key items and treasures are kept in the menu. First aid sprays, weapons, allows for weapons to be upgraded and buys various treasures that Leon can find. The various that’s found throughout the game all have their advantages and disadvantages.

There was extra content added for the PS2 version of the game. The biggest addition being “Separate Ways” which was a mini game that focuses on another character Ada Wong and her involvement with Resident Evil’s 4 plot and her connection to the series villain, Albert Wesker. The “Ada’s Report” is a five-part documentary series that analyzes Ada’s relationship with Wesker and his role in this game. Some other unlockable content includes other mini games such as, “The Mercenaries” and “Assignment Ada” that will give new costumes for both Leon and Ashley, new weapons, and a cut scene browser.

GOING FORWARD

Resident Evil 4 is one of those games that has been ported many times over, and might be on every system, since the GameCube and PS2 era. The game has since made it to the Wii, the PlayStation 3, XBox 360, PlayStation 4, XBox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

Resident Evil 4 has become regarded as one of the most influential games from the 2000’s decade and influenced a number of games from the third-person shooter genre since then. Not only did impact a genre but also the Resident Evil series itself. The over-the-shoulder viewpoint has really became somewhat of a standard in both third-person shooters and action games from Gears of War to Batman: Arkham Asylum.

It also established the “precision aim” for other action series such as Dead Space, Grand Theft Auto, Ratchet and Clank Future, Fallout, Uncharted, Mass Effect, and the Last of Us.

While Resident Evil 4 has redefined the genre with the third-person shooter, and survival horror genre it also developed reflexes and precision aiming towards your enemies making their series broadened with it’s gameplay from the wider action genre.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Resident Evil 4 is definitely up there as one of my favorite games of all time. You cannot deny the influence that this game has over the third-person shooter genre. I still can’t believe that this game still looks good and holds up to this day! I’ve played both the original releases of the game on the PS2, and the GameCube, it’s hard to say which version of the game may actually be my favorite, but I may have to go with the PS2 version of Resident Evil 4. Also, I’ve liked the story behind RE4 compared to some of the other earlies games of the series. While it does gets a bit lengthy in some areas, it’s still got some great storytelling.

Shooting your enemies has never felt so satisfying. I’m not that big into shooting games, but Resident Evil is a series that pulls me into the shooting genre, which is a genre I’ve never been a big fan of depending on the series.

There’s very more few words I can go on and on about this game more than I have already. While yes, RE4 does somewhat step away from the horror elements in this game, it at least does it in the best way possible because of it’s limitations. Great and amazing storytelling, always tense and it does get scary in some moments. It truly deserves title, “Greatest of all time!”