16
Danielle Bowns
O
riginally released
in 2005 and
widely ported in subsequent years, Capcom’s
Resident Evil 4 came
to the latest generation
of consoles on August
30. Aside from slightly
updated graphics, the
game on PlayStation
4 and Xbox One is essentially a re-release
of the HD and special
editions published in in
the intervening years.
However, with all
the content the game
boasts and an inexpensive price tag of
£16, that isn’t necessarily a problem.
After all, Resident
Evil 4 is widely acclaimed as the best
entry in the Resident
Evil series so far and
originally graced our
screens 11 years ago.
It’s therefore difficult
to make many changes without a complete
overhaul, and the main
concern regarding this
release is whether the
game stands the test of
time.
The answer, generally, is yes. There are
some flaws present in
Resident Evil 4, which
require consideration.
Directing the protagonist Leon Kennedy in
his quest to protect the
President’s daughter
can be challenging,
with controls that are
frequently
unwieldy
and mechanics that
can be a source of frustration.
The
third-person
camera, while innovative on release and
the inspiration for many
future game camera
styles, is often inaccurate and irritating. Although weapons can
be fired from a greater
distance, the camera
must swing around
each time to face enemies. This is problematic, since enemies are
far more mobile than
in previous Resident
Evil installments. They
can come from all directions, sometimes at
speed, meaning it’s
easy to become overwhelmed especially as
it isn't possible to fire
and move at the same
time.
Despite these limitations, Resident Evil 4 is
an outstanding game.
The player is quickly
thrown into challenging
action and although
there is a definite and
steep learning curve,
the difficulty is refreshing.
With the difficulty
level starting at normal
(at least for the Xbox
One download), limited inventory space
and saving as a function reliant upon infrequent typewriters,
Resident Evil 4 isn't the
kind of game to hold
your hand. Add to this
a dark colour palette,
foreboding
environ-
ments and an intense
musical score and the
result is an effective
combination of horror
and action that some
modern horror games
could stand to learn
something from, even
if later sequels didn't
reach the same calibre. With no ability to
crouch or hide, enemies that are heard before they are seen and
fantastic pacing, the
game easily manages to keep you on the
edge of your seat and
leaves a lasting impression.
The main campaign
is of decent length and
with the opportunity to
play as Ada for a few
episodes in ‘Separate
Ways’, New Game
Plus and Mercenaries
mode, Resident Evil 4
definitely offers value
for money and an enthralling and genuinely tense experience.
If you haven't played
this game before and
can handle a steep
learning curve or have
played before and
want an opportunity
to play it on another
console, it's definitely recommended. This
re-release leaves the
core of the game untouched and that's for
the best as even after
11 years Resident Evil 4
is a thrilling experience
and a fine example of
a horror game done
right.
8.0/10