If you go down to the woods today...
It's fair to say that our expectations for Resident Evil 4 are somewhat higher than most
other games coming out this year, but not without good reason. The series has always been
met with high hopes, and this is no different - although potential for something
ground-breaking was only really realised about a year ago, when the game had been in
development for around two years already.
Indeed, the concept of Resident Evil 4 has changed somewhat over time. When first
announced and showcased, the game was penned to be the closing chapter of the long-running
series - a final, ultimate assault on the Umbrella headquarters starring Resident Evil 2's
Leon S. Kennedy as the lead role. The content looked good, the premise was compelling; it
was pretty much what every Resident Evil fan had expected the final game to be since walking
away from the Spencer Mansion eight years ago. People were understandably excited.
An entirely new game
Then, over a year later, the game - or something claiming to be the game - was shown
again.
What a difference a year makes. Resident Evil 4 not only introduces a new premise; it
also brings what looks and feels like an entirely new game to the table. It will be a
revelation to those who formerly deemed the previous games in the genre to represent the
pinnacle of survival horror. There's no more Umbrella Corporation, or even zombies. In fact,
from what we've seen, there doesn't even appear to be a hint of T-virus-related antics to
speak of? although we're expecting a plot twist or two to reveal everything we're
speculating about, or possibly confuse us further. Those who thought the original ideas were
astonishing will wet their pants over this.
A revelation to those who formerly deemed the previous games in
the genre to represent the pinnacle of survival horror.
As expected though, Capcom remain tight-lipped with regards to the finer details of the
story, but what is known is that since Resident Evil 2, Leon has joined the Special Forces
and is now working as an operative for the United States Government. It's been six long
years since Racoon City was nuked and Leon, who must finally be coming to terms with life
after Umbrella, is sent to a remote location in Europe on a mission to rescue the
president's daughter from?well, we don't know. But we're sure to find out at some point.
In many ways, this represents a new beginning for the series and a welcome change for
those growing tired of the lack of new ground being broken in each successive game. In fact,
those who previously shunned the series [I'm looking at you, Mr. Austin] because of its
shortfalls and irritants will find a lot to love about Resident Evil 4. For starters, the
dreaded, excruciating door animations that annoyed so many have finally been vanquished.
Just think: no longer will you have time to boil the kettle while you wait for Leon to enter
a new room, or scale a flight of stairs. Your inventory, which could previously hold no more
than eight items, is now capable of holding a lot more, reducing the need to worry about
item swapping.
Severely revamped
The combat has been severely revamped and feels a lot more action-orientated. The camera
hovers pleasantly behind Leon as he wanders through the village, only for it to pan to an
over-the-shoulder view when he draws his gun. It instantly feels a lot more natural than the
previous Resident Evil games and allows a lot more interaction from the player - enemies now
have specific hit-zones, allowing you to manually target weak points to aid you in the
fight. For instance, shoot someone in the leg and they'll hobble towards you. Shoot them in
the head and you're pretty much guaranteed an instant kill - useful for preserving ammo for
the stronger enemies later in the game.
Curiously though, Capcom have opted to stick with the exact same control scheme that has
been implemented in every other game in the series over the years, albeit with the valuable
addition of a quick-turn assigned to the C-stick as in Resident Evil and Zero. Granted,
things are now made a lot easier by the addition of a context-sensitive mechanic which
allows Leon to perform a heap of actions at a simple press of a button, which sees the
series stalwart able to jump fearlessly through windows, or push over ladders to prevent
those pesky villagers from reaching you on the rooftops.
Those who thought the original ideas were astonishing will wet
their pants over this.
Yes, those pesky relentless villagers. Far from the brain-dead masses that littered the
previous games, these crazed locals are smart. No, we mean they're smart. You see, they have
mastered the art of opening doors, climbing structures and working as a team. No longer will
running away into a different room halt their progress - they'll just pile in after you,
hacking away at your appendages with a variety of garden utensils until you lay waste to
them. And despite their seemingly human appearance, they appear more terrifying than the
rotten, groaning zombies we've blown apart on countless occasions before; their menacing
speed and dominance inducing panic on a scale not realised when dodging the cumbersome
undead.
Cavernous jaws
Other types of enemies you should expect to encounter include what can only be described
as an oversized, shaven gorilla who will attempt to crush you much in the same way King Kong
liked to handle naked ladies, and an underwater beast which you'll have a go at harpooning
from a rickety old boat as it attempts to devour you with its cavernous jaws. Both look
mightily impressive thanks to Capcom's graphics engine, which sees the series drawn in full
3D for the very first time - something you'll come to appreciate as you begin to take note
of the finely-detailed environments.
Those reading who have valiantly stuck with the Resident Evil series over the last eight
years may have their reservations - I certainly did when I first heard about the changes -
but by the time you get their hands on Resident Evil 4, you'll have to wonder just what you
were anxious about in the first place. There's not long to wait now.
Preview by: Scot Bennet