Resident Evil 4 GameCube

Resident Evil 4 Product Details

Released on 18/03/2005

• Resident Evil 4 Preview

  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
  

  Published: 20/01/2005

• Resident Evil 4 Review

  Jonny's not a big fan of the series that popularised survival horror. Well, he wasn't...

  I've never been a Resident Evil man. I tended to find that the two or three genuinely thrilling frights and entertaining b-movie story you got from the earlier titles were not enough of a reward for sitting through hours of interminably dull backtracking, logic-defying puzzles, jerky character movement and those bloody door animations.

  Yep, Resident Evil had become a bit long in the tooth it has to be said - Doom 3 was scarier, Manhunt more violent, Eternal Darkness smarter and Project: Zero more creepifying.

  Resident Evil 4 however, like Capcom's other recent release, Devil May Cry 3 - is easily the best in the series so far, and marks something of a reinvention for the series. No, it's more than that - it is, quite simply one of the finest games ever made. Gone is the sluggish gameplay of earlier titles, replaced by nothing more complicated than serious hardcore action from start to finish.

  Resident Evil 4 is the embodiment of brutality.

  This is immediately apparent upon playing through the first few minutes, as wondrous discoveries are made in this horrific new playground with childlike glee. Protagonist Leon Kennedy (he from Resident Evil 2) can hurl himself out of any second story window to the street below... it's never particularly important that he does so, as there are always perfectly serviceable stairs, but nonetheless he can. He can now also nail or even decapitate stunned assailants with a vicious roundhouse kick, while shaking off assailants who have actually got hold of him is far more violent, and satisfying than the lame-ass shrug manoeuvre he used to have.

  Also immediately apparent is the splendour of the visuals on offer - having finally finished the game I'm still not convinced it hasn't fooled me into just watching an exceedingly long cutscene. Nothing on any console looks this good - no, nothing on any console even comes close.

  be a good zombie
  

  There has been a lot of talk about the lack of zombies in the game (they're mostly possessed Spanish peasants this time around) but for all intents and purposes it doesn't make a difference to the gameplay. They're still slow witted, numerous, shuffling, blank-eyed and begging to be riddled with hot lead like any good zombie.

  Other assailants are frighteningly fast, or practically indestructible, or, best of all, absolutely gargantuan. Up until now, it would be fair to say that the Zelda series has been the king of the giant boss battle - now that crown belongs emphatically to Resident Evil. You've no doubt seen the stunning screenshots or the movie footage of the terrifying lake monster or that huge troll thing - while later battles against even bigger and more terrifying baddies really up the ante. I'm itching to rave about a particular battle involving some lava but don't want to spoil one of the most sublime moments of any game you've played before you see it yourself.

  Another noteworthy gameplay facet is it's use of Shenmue-like Quick-Time-Event-style moments. These (where you have to hit certain indicated buttons at a second's notice to evade peril) are infused to add cinematic action into both cut scenes and gameplay and are very welcome - especially a superb nod to the only "decent" scene in Paul Anderson's appalling movie adaptation.

  Many of the finest games of recent years have been blighted by 8-12 hour playing times - so it's a relief that not only does Resident Evil 4 take considerably longer to finish once, but that there is considerable replay value, not to mention bonus missions which are unlocked by finishing the game.

  the new standard for visuals, for set-pieces, for bosses and for action

  Oh it still has its problems. Creaky dialogue abounds (Leon's shouted insistence that "You can't even compare insect life to humans!" is particularly funny) and isn't helped by the occasional line which is blatantly translated wrong from the Japanese. And the stupidity of the bad guys (who leave memos lying around with such titles as "Our Secret Plan" and "How To Get Into That Room No-one Is Supposed To Get Into") defies belief. Leon's inability to sidestep will infuriate during the beginning stages of the game (though you will soon learn to compensate) and it's annoying that there's no quick-change for weaponry (it's a shame to break up action of such calibre for farting around in your backpack) - the inventory system itself being an unwelcome hangover from earlier titles in the series.

  But these issues are irrelevant. I don't care about them and neither will you, because Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece from start to finish. It's the new standard for visuals, for set-pieces, for bosses and for action. More than that though, it is the embodiment of brutality. No game before has conveyed the physical impact of being on the receiving end of extreme violence to the player like this does. You'll actually panic - big time - during the hairier moments. You'll physically flinch as you feel each blow, while death can come from out of the blue in so many sickening ways - afterwards you'll often be left staring slack-jawed at the screen in awe and horrified disbelief of what you've just seen.

  So as I was saying, I'm a bit of a Resident Evil man, me...

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Those graphics!!!
  • The bosses - oh my...
  • The new word in brutality.

  

  • No quick weapon change.
  • Inventory management plays a bigger role than it should.
  • Lack of a sidestep is slightly annoying.

  Review by: Jonny Austin
  Version Tested: GameCube
  Review Published: 24.03.05

  Published: 24/03/2005

• History of Resident Evil Series

  "You are now entering the world of Survival Horror..."

  Few videogame series can claim to have reinvented a genre. Capcom's Resident Evil can, several times over. Coined by the first game in the series, the term Survival Horror has become synonymous with shocks, scares, and a web of intrigue so convoluted - and gaming dialogue so utterly cheesy - that you can't help but be sucked in. There have been pretenders, and several spinoffs (including Capcom's own Dino Crisis), yet none have managed to replace Resi as the first series of Survival Horror.

  A big part of that success has been a willingness to innovate. The first game was one of the PlayStation's first immersive 3D Action-Adventures. The second was lauded for its four scenarios, interlocking stories and huge replay value. The third for its heightened action. The series then abandoned Sony hardware and opted for raw power: Sega's Dreamcast got the incredibly polished Code: Veronica; GameCube got an eerie Resi 1 remake and the character-swapping prequel Resi Zero; and then Capcom tore up the rulebook entirely, trading the obscure puzzles and slow-paced trawl for the action masterclass of GC Resident Evil 4.

  In this in-depth retrospective, we look at how the series evolved, the key plot points, and prepare for the all-conquering return of Survival Horror in Resident Evil 5.

  
  

  The Mansion Incident - Resident Evil
  (PSone, 1996) (Ports: Saturn, PC, GC, DS as Deadly Silence)

  July 24, 1998. The Arklay Mountains on the outskirts of Raccoon City. Reports of cannibalism see Raccoon Police Department's Special Tactics And Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) despatch their Bravo Team. When contact is lost, Alpha Team, including the two playable characters Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, plus Barry Burton and their commander Albert Wesker, are also despatched. Attacked by vicious mutant dogs, they take shelter in the nearby Spencer Mansion Estate - and the nightmare begins.

  

  The release of Resident Evil on Sony's original PlayStation was greeted with praise, but also reservation. Critics gushed that this was the most eerie, immersive and downright scary game of early PSone software. Combining hand-drawn backgrounds and 3D polygon characters, Resident Evil gave us some of gaming's most memorable scenes. Few gamers will forget that initial zombie encounter, or the first time a Cerberus shattered through those windows.

  But Resident Evil was also laughed at for its stilted dialogue ("Here, take this lockpick. I am sure that you, the Master of Unlocking, will make use of it!"), and the oddities of design. Owing much to old-style Point 'n' Click games, the Spencer Mansion was one huge puzzle, with players needing to find, combine and use the right keys, gems, discs and obscure clues to progress past locked-doors and head-spinningly abstract puzzles. They also had limited inventory space, needing to make use of magically linked boxes to place their overspill items, and could only save at typewriters dotted around the labyrinthine building.

  

  Still, the player's journey into Umbrella's secret lab - fighting vicious Bioweapons, being betrayed by a blackmailed Barry and rescuing Bravo Team's Rebecca Chambers as they went - was made more compelling by the diaries and notes left lying around by the slowly dying Umbrella staff, revealing the secrets of their terrible creation, the T-Virus. All of which lead up to the game's pivotal moment, when Chris and Jill were betrayed by Wesker - who had set the whole scenario up, in order to gain the combat data for Umbrella's new bioweapons.

  However, before he could steal it for his own ends, he was attacked by the ultimate B.O.W., the Tyrant, and presumed dead. With the lab's self destruct armed, Chris, Jill, Barry and Becca hurriedly defeated the Tyrant and were airlifted to safety by a S.T.A.R.S. chopper as the Mansion erupted in flame, burying the evidence of Umbrella's evil along with it.

  Resident Evil was remade several times, most notably for GameCube with vastly improved visuals, reworked puzzles and new super-fast 'Crimson Head' zombies, and is a must-play for series fans.

  The Raccoon City Outbreak - Resident Evil 2
  (PSone, 1998) (Ports: PC, N64, DC,GC)
  

  Never ones to rest on a potential franchise opportunity, Capcom quickly got to work on Resident Evil's second chapter. Like any good sequel, Resident Evil 2 upped the ante considerably. Set two months after the first game, it placed newcomers Claire Redfield, searching for her brother Chris, and day-one rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy, in the heart of a T-Virus infected Raccoon City.

  This time, the outbreak could not be contained. That much was made clear as players, controlling either Leon or Claire, worked their way towards Raccoon Police Station - which, much like the Spencer Estate, turned out to be a converted mansion, joined via sewer tunnels to a mysterious underground Umbrella lab.

  

  Rife with obtuse puzzles, Resi 2 extended the central gameplay of an item fetch quest, this time wrapping it around a far more detailed conspiracy. The story's main thread detailed the reason for the viral outbreak. Umbrella's head scientist, William Birkin, betrayed Umbrella, who sent a squad to eliminate Birkin and reclaim his new G-Virus. Dying on his lab floor, Birkin injected himself with the G-Virus, mutated, and slaughtered all but one of the team who had attacked him. In the chaos, smashed T-Virus samples were spread to the water supply by sewer rats, turning Raccoon into a zombie paradise.

  Ingeniously, Resident Evil 2 assigned Leon and Claire's first and second scenarios distinct pieces of the whole narrative, meaning players had to complete the game twice as each character to get the full story. The official version of these events see Leon stalked by a Tyrant-like figure throughout the game. Along the way, he meets Ada Wong; a woman posing as the girlfriend of an Umbrella researcher, but actually a spy sent to retrieve the G-Virus sample - who, after apparently dying, reappears long enough to aid Leon in destroying the Tyrant for good.

  

  Meanwhile, Claire uncovers the truth behind Raccoon Police. Their chief, Brian Irons, is on Umbrella's payroll. Yet he is not her only concern. Early on, she meets Sherry, daughter of William Birkin. However, the pair are soon separated, and Sherry infected by her mutant father. Eventually, Claire manages to locate and cure Sherry after coming into contact with a dying Annette Birkin - mortally wounded by a claw swipe from her now monstrous husband.

  With Sherry in tow and the Tyrant defeated, Leon and Claire board the train exiting Umbrella's underground lab - but Leon has one more battle to fight. Eliminating Birkin - now a writhing, mutated blob - for the last time, the train speeds into the sun as the facility explodes. The pair are safe... for now.

  

  Where reaction to Resident Evil had been mixed, Resident Evil 2 was a widely regarded triumph. The dialogue was still inherently over-the-top, but the deeper conspiracy, more gruesome monsters, satisfying replayability and the cult unlockable 4th Survivor mode, where players controlled surviving Umbrella extraction operative HUNK, make it considered, even today, a high point of the series.

   

  Last Escape - Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
  (PSone, 1999) (Ports: DC, PC, GC)

  With the next official chapter in the Resi narrative planned for Sega's new Dreamcast console, Capcom had a problem - they were still signed up to produce one more Resident Evil for Sony's aging grey box. And so, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was born.

  Starring Jill Valentine of original Resident Evil fame, Nemesis was a more action-focused instalment that had players guiding the ex S.T.A.R.S. member through the infected city, pursued along the way by the titular Nemesis - another variant on the Tyrant, sent by Umbrella specifically to target S.T.A.R.S. members.

  Where Resident Evils 1 and 2 had taken place largely in mansion-like environments, giving them a sort of hub feel, Nemesis eschewed the indoors vibe, taking Jill and Umbrella mercenary Carlos Oliviera on a jaunt through Raccoon's streets, offices, parks, sewers, and finally, an abandoned Umbrella factory, where the Nemesis was destroyed for good using an experimental rail cannon. Jill and Carlos escaped just in time, as a nuclear strike rocked the city - another explosion ending another Resi instalment.

  

  Resi 3 was well received, but unlike past games, contributed little new to the conspiracy at the series' core. Gameplay also differed significantly; players could now dodge, quick-turn, shoot explosive barrels and collect chemicals to create their own ammunition, and the introduction of the Nemesis gave the third instalment a more urgent, arcade-like sense. The action slant also allowed for a time-attacking high-score Mercenaries mode; which Capcom would revive a few years later.

  Moreover, this side-story was the shortest in the series thus far. Playtime weighed in between six and ten hours, which was applicable to the first two games as well - but, importantly, Nemesis was Jill's story, and lacked the replay value attached to a second main character. The Raccoon City setting in was also starting to wear thin. Resident Evil 3 was a decent game, then, but at its conclusion, fans felt the need for the story move forwards - or see the series risk stagnation.

  Family Ties - Resident Evil - Code: Veronica
  (DC, 2000) (Ports: PS2 & GC as Code: Veronica X)

  And move forwards it did, into by far the largest - and arguably the best - of the traditional Resident Evil games. Unlike the first two titles, Code: Veronica focused on one main character from the off, Claire Redfield. However, unlike Nemesis, half way through the focus switched to Chris Redfield, who became playable for the rest of the game. For the first time, we had two character's stories, running in sequence in one extra-long adventure.

  Chris's return was fitting, because at the heart of Code: Veronica was a tale of sibling rivalry, pitting the Redfields against two remaining members of one of Umbrella's founding families.

  Set three months after Resi 2, C:V's opening sees Claire captured infiltrating Umbrella's Paris HQ. Gameplay picks up after she's transferred to Umbrella's under siege Rockfort Island Facility. The T-Virus released, she dodges zombies and sets about finding a way off the island. Together with fellow prisoner Steve Burnside, an erratic, emotional teenager, she manages just that - but not before coming across the base's commander, the clearly insane Alfred Ashford.

  

  Escaping Rockfort though proves just the beginning. Steve and Claire are soon diverted to Umbrella's Antarctic Facility - where the true evil is revealed (and we don't just mean Alfred's cross-dressing).

  Alexia Ashford, once thought dead, has been hibernating in cryostasis for 15 years; adapting to a new virus named T-Veronica. Emerging from her slumber to see her twin brother die before her (thanks to Steve), Alexia unleashes her wrath on the escaping heroes, and everything goes dark...

  And then, seeking his sister, Chris arrives on Rockfort. Stumbling into the aftermath of yet another Umbrella Facility self-destruct, he soon meets the leader of the team that attacked the base - the returning Albert Wesker! Back from the dead and working for a company rivalling Umbrella, the yellow-eyed Wesker now boasts super-human strength and speed, leaving Chris just about breathing as he pursues Alexia to Antarctica.

  

  Following the trail to the pole in one of Alfred's jets, Chris eventually finds Claire - cocooned behind the staircase in a remarkable recreation of the Spencer Mansion foyer. The pair are soon separated though, and while Chris battles Alexia, Claire finds a now Virus-infected Steve - who horribly mutates before her eyes. Narrowly avoiding death by axe, Claire sees Steve's humanity return just long enough to tell her he loves her, before dying in her arms.

  With that, all which remains is one final battle with the ever-mutating Alexia. Using a new experimental weapon named the Linear Launcher, Chris destroys the insectile evil genius, ending the Ashford bloodline once and for all. Cue another self destruct sequence, a breakneck Harrier jet escape, one huge explosion, and a vow to finally bring down Umbrella.

  

  Incorporating full 3D backgrounds, the action of Nemesis, the twisting narrative of Resi 2, popular characters from the original, plus a time-attacking Battle Mode, Code: Veronica was a real Resi magnum opus. Sadly, the Dreamcast version didn't sell so well, and so a re-edited version with more Wesker-centric cut-scenes, and a plot hole-filling DVD named The Wesker Report, was later released on PS2 and GameCube. Named Code: Veronica X, it's the most complete adaptation, and highly recommended, if you can hunt it down.

  Wrath of the Leech King - Resident Evil Zero
  (GC, 2003)
  

  Not yet ready to release the next chapter in the series, Capcom instead created the first. Resident Evil Zero was a GameCube-exclusive prelude to Resi 1, following Bravo Team's rookie field medic Rebecca Chambers before The Mansion Incident.

  July 23, 1998. the Arklay Mountains on the outskirts of Raccoon City. Reports of cannibalism see RPD's S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team despatched to the scene. Their helicopter malfunctions, crashing them in the forest. Uninjured, they discover an overturned military transport truck with two dead officers, and split up to track down the culprit.

  Coming across a train mysteriously stopped on the tracks, Rebecca boards the Ecliptic Express to investigate. She soon discovers that it's infested with zombies, and teams up with the military convict, Billy Coen. Together, they battle mutated passengers, oversized leeches and even a giant scorpion; eventually diverting the Express towards an abandoned training and research facility.

  Originally an N64 project, Resi Zero released on GameCube using the Resi 1 remake's graphics engine, making for the most atmospheric original Resident Evil yet. It also delivered a first for the series; "partner-zapping" gameplay, which allowed players to switch control between Becca and Billy in real-time. Many of the game's puzzles were actually based around separating the two and using their individual skills, including Becca's small size and chemical mixing kit, and Billy's larger frame and ability with heavy objects. Item boxes were also gone; with players now able to drop items, which were marked on the map screen.

  

  Entering the abandoned facility, Becca and Billy battle mutated researchers, spiders, primates and more; eventually discovering the fate of Umbrella's third founding member, James Marcus.

  Betrayed by his two head researchers; William Birkin and Albert Wesker, under orders from a paranoid Spencer, Marcus fused with his pet queen leech during his death, creating a new type of terror. It was therefore Marcus, now king of leeches, who unleashed his wrath on Umbrella, releasing the T-Virus into both the Ecliptic Express and Spencer Estate.

  With that revelation, Billy and Rebecca have but to defeat a now enormous, leech-like James Marcus, and escape the facility before the self destruct kicks in. Managing to do just that, the pair stand on a hill overlooking the Spencer Estate and go their separate ways; Billy to freedom; Rebecca into another awaiting nightmare.

  Despite the innovations, Resident Evil Zero felt somewhat stale. The visuals impressed, but the slow-paced puzzle template was now all-too familiar, and the story really needed to move past Raccoon City and its immediate surroundings. Luckily, a Resi revolution was just around the corner...

  Shoot Or Die - Other Resi Games

  Before that, though, it's worth noting the franchise's other games, including a host of spinoffs of various gamestyles. Here's the pick of the bunch:

  • Resident Evil: Survivor 1 & 2 (PS2, 2000/02): First-person lightgun games where the player controls their own movement. The first Survivor saw agent Ark Thompson sent to Sheena Island to destroy an Umbrella B.O.W. facility. The second was inspired by the events of Code: Veronica.
  • Resident Evil: Dead Aim (PS2, 2003): Another lightgun game, this time with a third-person perspective for movement, and a first-person shooting view. US anti-Umbrella agent Bruce McGivern finds himself fighting T-Virus infected on board an Umbrella-owned ship, and later, an Umbrella island facility.
  • Resident Evil: Outbreak: Files 1 & 2 (PS2, 2004/05): The first online multiplayer game in the series, Outbreak gave up to four players a choice of eight characters to control in escaping the T-Virus infected Raccoon City before a nuclear strike wiped it out. File 2 added more Survival Horror style scenarios and improved online functions. The servers were closed in March 2007.
  • Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (Wii, 2007): By far the best lightgun Resi game yet, Umbrella Chronicles offered up lightgun versions of Resis Zero, 1 and 3, bonus scenarios based on Resi 2, and side stories where players controlled Wesker and Rebecca Chambers. Pivotally, it also featured Chris and Jill's assault on Umbrella's last B.O.W. Facility, and filled a lot of the gaps in the story about Wesker's ambitions to acquire Umbrella's legacy.

  The Kennedy Report - Resident Evil 4
  (GC, 2005) (Ports: PS2, PC, Wii)
  

  2004: Six years after the destruction of Raccoon City. Following the nuclear strike, the government suspends the business practices of the company responsible. Umbrella is dead.

  Resident Evil 4 sees Leon S. Kennedy, now a government agent, return as a playable character. This time, he's pursuing the President's kidnapped daughter into a rural Spanish village, where a new type of evil awaits...

  Resident Evil 4 did away with the old template, opting for an action-focused approach which revolutionised the series. Gone were exploration, strange puzzles and a hub structure that forced players to backtrack. In their place were linear progression, over-the-shoulder shooting, Quick Time Events, an odd weapons salesman and an arcade-style armoury, plus set pieces that set a new standard in action game design.

  With Umbrella gone as the main antagonist, there was also an opening for a fresh bioterror. Step up Osmund Saddler; leader of the cult Los Illuminados - and, more specifically, the Las Plagas parasite he uses to control the villagers, collectively labelled Los Ganados. Captured early on and injected with this very organism, Leon faces a race against time to remove it, find Ashley Graham, and make it out alive.

  

  But Leon soon learns that he is not alone. First, he meets Luis Sera - a former Los Illuminados researcher, who helps him before being killed by Saddler. He also comes face to face with Jack Krauser - a former member of Leon's government training group. They battle on two occasions, and despite a mutated Krauser quite clearly possessing an advantage, Leon wins out.

  The most impressive revelation, however, is the return of Ada. Thought dead after Resident Evil 2, the sexy spy survived with the help of Wesker, who had since tasked her with retrieving the Master Plaga parasite. Indeed, Wesker is seen on several occasions in Resident Evil 4 pulling the strings of both Ada and Krauser - though he and Leon never actually come into contact.

  Leon heads from the first village across a lake, towards a creepy church, where he finds Ashley, and meets Saddler, who intends to use the girl to infect the Whitehouse; giving the cult leader control over the greatest power in the free world.

  

  Luckily, he and Ashley escape - only to have her retaken by Saddler's flying minions as the pair explore an ancient castle, which itself turns out to hold the origins of the Plagas parasite.

  After defeating the castle's leader, the Plagas-infected Ramon Salazar, Leon and Ada head towards Saddler's hi-tech island facility. After battling hordes of Ganados, overcoming several B.O.W. experiments, and killing the parasites within himself and Ashley, Leon faces Saddler one last time - ending the cult leader's existence with a well-placed rocket from Ada. However, the sultry spy takes the Master Plaga sample, later handing Wesker a fake. With that, Leon and Ashley escape on a jet ski as the island crumbles behind them.

  Owing more to explosive modern shooters than traditional, tense Survival Horror, Resident Evil 4 was a risky departure. And yet, while a few hardliners accused it of violating the franchise, the wider reception was euphoric. Tremendous sales, universal acclaim and near-unprecedented numbers of Game of the Year awards introduced the series to a whole new audience, while the new-look Mercenaries mode proved popular amongst hardcore gamers.

  

  A PS2 port later that year added Separate Ways, a six-hour Ada Wong adventure; and further PC and Wii versions also followed, solidifying the game's legend. However, Resident Evil 4 raised more questions than it answered; about the fallout of Umbrella's demise; about Ada; about Wesker; and about the other characters we'd come to love over the years. Questions only a sequel could address...

  Fear You Can't Forget - Resident Evil 5
  (X360, PS3, PC, 2009)

  The biggest question, of course, is how do you follow up the most acclaimed action game of all time? In answering that, Capcom have taken few risks. Resident Evil 5 takes the Resident Evil 4 formula and runs with it. Those hoping for a return to wide-scope exploration and abstract puzzles will have a right to feel slightly let down; but everyone else will be elated to know that the new-style Resi is here to stay.

  That's not to say Capcom haven't continued to innovate. Indeed, Resident Evil 5 evolves the franchise with a series of key additions. Chief amongst them is the introduction of a second character, which builds upon Resi Zero's "partner-zapping" by offering player two the chance to control newcomer Sheva Alomar, while player one takes on the mantle of the returning Chris Redfield.

  Available either splitscreen or online, this will add a new dimension to a series always famed for a feeling of isolated terror. Together with an inventory screen which doesn't pause play, and the constant balancing of weapons and ammo between the two characters, Resident Evil 5 will be the most cooperative, frenetic game the series has yet seen.

  Helping you battle the undead hordes will be a Gears of War style control system which places movement (including strafing) on the left stick, turning on the right stick, and aiming and firing on the left and right triggers respectively. It's an addition which will bring the series up to date with modern action game standards - although Resi veterans will also be able to choose the control setup from Resident Evil 4, and two others besides.

  The setting too will be a first for Resident Evil. Western Africa's Kijuju region will play host to a rollercoaster ride that starts off in a sandy shanty town full of infected villagers,

  and will take Chris and Sheva, both members of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, deep into abandoned Umbrella territory. Hot on the trail of a contact named Irving, they'll face all-new B.O.W.s, a mysterious beaked figure and the enigmatic Albert Wesker, plus uncover the fate of Jill Valentine, before ultimately coming across the origins of Umbrella's original Progenitor Virus.

  Reinventing its genre once again, Resident Evil 5 promises fear you can't forget. Get ready for the scariest Friday 13th in living memory, with the triumphant return of Survival Horror.

  Article by: Mark 'S.T.A.R.S.' Scott
  Published: 10.02.09

   

• Resident Evil: The Story

  "The right to play God - that right is now mine!"

  
  

  Ten long years since The Mansion Incident. Since members of Raccoon City's Special Tactics And Rescue Service were betrayed by their commander Albert Wesker, defeated the ultimate bioweapon, the Tyrant, and escaped Umbrella's secret underground labs. Months after, Raccoon City itself was obliterated by nuclear strike, following a T-Virus outbreak which turned the city's inhabitants into zombies - and other, far more terrible creatures.

  Chris Redfield, former S.T.A.R.S. member and Spencer Mansion survivor, is now an agent of the Bioterrorism Security Asssessment Alliance - an organisation set up to deal with the fallout following the collapse of Umbrella Corp. Umbrella's Bio-Organic Weapons research has reached terrorist organisations, and fear is high that another Raccoon City cataclysm could occur.

  Teaming up with fellow BSAA operative Sheva Alomar, Chris heads to Africa's Kijuju region, to a rendezvous with a contact named Irving - only for the pair to find themselves confronted with an army of infected villagers. Beating back the bloodthirsty hordes, Chris and Sheva follow Irving's trail - and unwittingly stumble into a much larger conspiracy. Still haunted by the loss of his former partner, Jill, Chris will face a virus-powered Wesker, seek the truth behind Jill's apparent murder, and ultimately uncover the origins of Umbrella's entire research; the Progenitor Virus.

• Editor's Choice - Resident Evil: Revelations

  

  
  
  

  Resident Evil: Revelations

  Mutants, viruses and a nonsensical storyline? It can mean only one thing - Resident Evil is back, this time shrunken and stuffed full of 3D goodness on the Nintendo 3DS. But the questions is, can the series's big scares make the transition to the small screen?

  Set in between the stories of the classic Resident Evil 4 and the not-so-classic Resident Evil 5, Revelations packs familiar faces (take a quick bow Jill Valentine, in a skintight wetsuit, and that rugged fop, Chris Redfield) plus some new faces. As usual, the story is... well, all you need to know is that the wretched T-virus is causing mutated mayhem again, but now in a super-duper marine form known as - cue drum roll plus blood-curdling scream - the T-Abyss. Zoinks, Scooby.

  This means taking on a globe-trotting series of missions, including creeping round a deserted cruise ship as Jill on the hunt for Redfield, or exploring a mountain range, in the search of those all-important revelations. With the focus on both third- and first-person combat, expect plenty of shuffling zombie hordes plus some all-new critters to unload several rounds of ammo into, even while you're wetting your wetsuit underwater.

  What's surprising is just how effective the big chills are on the 3DS's small screen, offering up haunting visuals plus controls that won't make you want to throw your precious handheld across the bus in a fit of frustration. Revelations is also one of the first titles to be compatible with Nintendo's Circle Pad Pro, that adds another joystick for extra ease of movement.

  But never mind such additions; what's important is that Resident Evil still shines and, most importantly, still scares in its handheld form. And that's what we call a true revelation.
  

  

  Published: 24/01/2012

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