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Survival-Horror Revolutionized

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

THE GOOD: Fantastic presentation; revolutionary action gameplay; unforgettable enemies; top notch audio and visual; lengthy adventure and unlockables make for high replay value

THE BAD: Not as scary this time around; some questionable and scripted hit detection

DIFFICULTY: Medium-to-Hard

Well, it's obvious the folks at Capcom were just about as tired as the rest of us when it was clear where the RE frachise was going with mediocre spin-offs that basically offered the same clunky gameplay over and over. They heard your complaints and suggestions, and basically outdid themselves this time.
Resident Evil 4 was origionally released for the Gamecube a year before the PS2 version, and its absolutely revolutionary gameplay, incredible graphics, memorable enemies, and constant on-your-toes challenge made this in most publications the 2005 game of the year.
The PS2 is a very near identical port of the GC version, and with the new extras thrown in, may make this the better of the two games... in some aspects.
The storyline is pretty straightforward, you are Leon Kennedy of RE2 and on a government mission to save the president's daughter in the outskirts of Europe (most likely Spain, since everyone speaks spanish). It stands on its own for the most part, so newcomers who've been living under a rock and never played any of the first 3 RE games will be pretty safe here.
Now, the first thing people will love about this one is the new over-the-shoulder camera perspective which gets rid of that annoying static camera and clunky "tank" player control of the original titles. You always have a fresh look on everything and with the new laser sight enemy hit detection system, it makes pulverizing your grunting, dirty, virus-infected human monstrosities all the more fun... so fun in fact that the unlockable "Mercanaries" mode which offers ONLY the pure, balls-out head exploding action that will have you replaying this time and time again (this isn't even mentioning the other 2 Ada missions, one of which is a PS2 exclusive and offers a new 6-7 hour adventure). Besides the action, the puzzle aspect of the game still lies within, though not anywhere near as thorough as the original RE games had it. This is a good thing, no more collection annoying crests to open doors and whatnot. The game controls very much realistic as well, Leon isn't able to strafe or do all out Devil May Cry style death-defying jumps to avoid enemy hits, it's all very accessible and though isn't as tank-like as the early games, it still feels a bit limited which better balances the horror on-your-toes action. The game will also keep you on your toes mainly through the cut-scenes, which don't offer a break like other games, no. In most instances you'll have to quickly hit a series of 2 different button combinations to avoid attack in split-second timing, if you don't, you either get hurt pretty bad, or die. Some are so intense you'll find yourself staring at the tv eyes wide, sweat beading down your forehead, holding your breath, fingers tense and ready - it's VERY exciting.
Now, though most aspect of the Gamecube version are great, the aiming system feels a bit touchy mainly because the PS2 controller isn't very good for first-person shooters which require fairly precise aiming. Also, the hit detection, though a great addition - which makes enemies react appropriately to which area of the body they are hit - can sometimes be off and feel scripted rather than real. About a quarter length into the game, you'll find that blasting an enemy's head off will result in his inner "monster" to start waving a very dangerous whip blade at you, which makes the combat even tougher. So generally you'll try and start shooting them elsewhere. Still, the game sometimes forces you to fight these annoying monsters, so even though you'll hit an enemy square in the stomach, his head will magically blow off. This becomes annoying especially when trying to control a huge crowd of foes. One final minor complaint is with the atmosphere in the game. Though the battles and fear of getting killed are scary, the atmosphere that made the first RE games so scary just aren't here anymore. This is partially because the game is very action-oriented, and though the environments look beautiful, they aren't very scary.
That's about enough with the negatives.
One great positive is how the game forces you to fight. In older games, if you didn't have enough ammo you could simply run past enemies. In this game, the vast majority of enemies will leave behind money, weapons, and health power ups which are necessary for later in the game. The money aspect is a very welcome addition. Generally, in many parts of the game you'll come across a mysterious guy who you can buy and sell from. New and upgradeable weapons, along with the more realistic and strategic inventory system, bring a great RPG element to this game which can also greatly enhance the replay value (should I trade in this shotgun for this other one? Are buying these treasure maps really worth it?) It's enough to warrent another playthrough just to see what other weapons and power-ups you can upgrade and how it'll alter the challenge.
Graphics and sound are a grand showcase of their own. Every shot, every kill, every explosion, every scream and moan just oozes inspiration and hard development work. And the graphics, oh man the graphics, are SO gorgeous at times that I found myself simply stopping just to LOOK at it. It's amazing the PS2 was even able to pull this off.
There are simply too many positives which make the PS2 version of RE4 worth an instant purchase - fast enemies (no more zombies in this one), split second reactions, incredibly fun hit detection, lengthy adventure, strategic inventory, gorgous graphics, GOOD voice acting, and involved story make this easily the BEST Resident Evil and easily the greatest game of 2005.

BOTTOM LINE: If you own a PS2, and don't own this game, you don't deserve your PS2. Stop reading and click that "add to cart" button NOW.

Am I missing something?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 12
Date: January 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

While I certainly respect the opinions of others that have reviewed this game, I must be missing something because I found this game to be incredibly lame. While the off-center camera angle is an improvement over the infamous and quite hideous angles from previous releases in the RE franchise, it doesn't make it good either. The aiming feature is dismal and half the time you miss your target completely. It also doesn't help that you can't move when you are shooting which is ridiculous in an action/horror survival game. The controls are not well thought out at all and while the sound effects are fine, the voice acting sounds wooden. Shooting the same villagers over and over and picking up herbs just isn't my idea of a good time to be honest. I will point out that while it does have improvements over some of the previous Resident Evil games, it also lacks the charm. I played the older RE titles when they were out a hundred years ago and frankly, despite the horrid controls, disjointed storylines, irrelevant puzzles and disgusting camera angles, I liked those better. Like I said, I must be missing something.

The BEST PS2 Game Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: November 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Simply the best game for PS2 Ever. If you are a fan of the genre, you probably already have this. Fans of Madden etc. who have not tried this type of game, This will show how much more there is to gaming.

This game is creepy, exciting, challenging and very rewarding. I can only play in 1-2 hour spells because I find myself actually shaking from the adreneline!

Graphics, sound and story are all without equal on any system.

You must buy this now!

Way to go Capcom!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: November 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This review is going to be a bit different than perhaps what you'd expect, especially from me. I'd like to analyze Capcom's strategy here for a moment, as my feelings about this version parallel the GCN version quite closely... but before I do that I would like to congratulate them on making this game as close to the original as they did. It may not look quite as good as the GameCube version, but its close enough that most people may not notice a difference without having it pointed out, and being that the PS2 is a technologically weaker system than the GameCube pulling this off must have been a nightmare, especially in only nine months.
Ironically Capcom corporate ordered Production Studio 4 to port this over. It was not something series creator Shinji Mikami wanted done. He made very clear that Nintendo was his system of choice when he declared that he would rather cut his own head off than port the game to another console. Once more the corporation trumps the desires of the artist, much to the delight of PS2 owners everywhere... who incidentally aren't buying this port.
The GCN version was expected to sell over a million copies, and during it's first three months it seemed that it would, but then something unexpected happened. Though the game debuted at # in January 1 on the sales chart and stayed there until the middle of March Capcom's premature announcement of a PS2 version with added content shot the sales of the game in the foot. Capcom's idea was "despite what our artists want we can make more money on the PS2". A Capcom representative posted in a blog I read that "Capcom has had enough of loosing money on Nintendo" and so the game came out to PS2... only to debut at #3, and to slip to # 4 in its sales. Why? Has the PS2 lost it's love for Resident Evil? Probably not, but let's examine the strategy.
1. Announce the game as an exclusive for a platform capable of realizing the artistic vision of the director.
2. Force said director to port it over to a system he is well known to hate, and force him to add additional content against his will.
3. Announce that a "better" version will hit said weaker system later on.
4. Be perplexed that people are now going to hold off on the purchase of said game until the "better" version comes out.
5. Launch the "better" version on a dying, weaker system just before the launch of a super powerful new Xbox 360, as well as an onslaught of highly anticipated new titles for Xbox and PS2.
6. Be surprised that the game isn't having strong sales...
Let's take a look at what Capcom did wrong, shall we?
1. Never announce a directors cut 2 months in advance of the release of the original game.
2. Never launch said directors cut on a competing system without offering the original system and it's fans an alternative with the same features.
3. Never launch a port of an "older" game against the launch of a shiny new more powerful console.
4. Wouldn't have made more sense to have ported this to XBox 360, or even PS3 with improved the graphics, and sound, and then put in all the additional content on a version that could be universally improved? I imagine, were that done, and if the game were announced, say 5 months after the game debuted on the GCN, then perhaps Capcom could have the blockbuster hit that this gem of a game deserves to be for multiple platforms.
Regardless, I am highly impressed that the PS2 version looks as good as it does, I must confess I was skeptical of the system's ability to handle it, and while there is more aliasing, weaker, muddier textures, fewer polygons, cut scenes that have been converted to FMV rather than running off the game's engine, poorer lighting effects, and fewer particle effects the game absolutely still holds up the to GCN version, as these minor details are indeed minor differences, and the PS2 version offers a true Wide screen mode (removed from the GCN version at the last second so that it could be a PS2 exclusive feature). Thankfully the GCN version does still offer progressive scan mode, and if your TV can zoom in while in progressive scan you won't notice any disadvantages compared to the PS2 version. Additionally I have the old PS2, the original unit that does not do either wide screen or progressive scan, so the PS2 "upgrades" do me no good.
In closing great job on the port Capcom! Awesome job! Nevertheless, I do feel ripped off not having Separate Ways for my GameCube, and I am perplexed as to why PS2 would receive the port and not the more logical choice of having a fully and truly enhanced experience in a "directors cut" launching with the Xbox 360 rather than on a dying platform.
Update: RE4 for PS2 is continuing to decline in sales and has dropped to # 9 in the US.
Update: The PS2 version has fallen off the top 10 in the sales charts just about a month after its release.

I DIDN'T THINK I'D LIKE IT BUT.......................ITS AWESOME!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 30, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Ok I came into this game thinking what game could be soooooooo good that it had all these awards and praises. There have been plenty of games like this I have not liked (Ex Splinter Cell) as I have little time to play and want to get into games fast. At first I did not like the controls much but they became intuitive pretty soon after the first couple of tries. The story was really good, the graphics great, and the suspense factor high. This game really does deserve all the credit it got. I hated Resident Evil 3 and quiy playing after that. This makes me look forward to the next one. Also, the bonus features are very cool.
Drop what you are doing, get off the fence, and give this a try!

I salute you Capcom

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Keep in mind the last time I visited the Resident Evil Franchise was with the release of Code Veronica for the Sega Dreamcast. Years later, it only took playing the game for ½ an hour on a friends GC to rekindle my interest in the RE universe. And this game is a far cry from earlier games in the series in the best ways possible. They've finally perfected the game controls and as much as I loved the old games this was a huge issue.

I was also sold on the return of Leon S. Kennedy. He was always a favorite of mine and what makes this game endearing is the fact that Leon remains the same good-natured bloke at heart.
However, much to my [pleasant] surprise in this game we witness him fully transformed from the naïve, dorky rookie cop featured in Resident Evil 2 to full blown confident, sexy, and badass top US secret agent. And emphasis on sexy. This is the most sexy installment in the RE franchise to date for many reasons, Leon of course included. Overall, you will find that the game allures to the senses on many levels thanks in part to interactive game play that thrust you right into the action. You become less of a passive player staring at long cinematic sequences and/or mashing buttons. I can tell you at times the adrenaline rush experienced while playing this game rivals that encountered on a rollercoaster ride. And it's actually FUN! You do realize a lot of games just fail to be fun anymore, right? Yet we tend to spend hours upon hours playing because we somehow feel obligated to finish things we've started. In the case of RE4 you will probably have a desire to complete the game multiple times.

Now the graphics on the PS2 version in comparison to those on the GC are inferior. But the game as is looks great and there are some bonus features that make it a worthwhile purchase even if you already own the GC version.
I understand Capcom scrapped 3 previous versions of RE4 before settling on this final incarnation. I applaud them for attaining the perfection that is RE4.

No other game could hold a candle to it

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I got this for game for Christmas. First, I was a little less excited by it. It seemed kind of corny. I played it, thought it was alright. Never could get past the village in the beginning. When I did, it started to ge very interesting.

Nowadays, when I go into a store, say Wal-Mart or Target, I look in the video game section. I look at all these games. I then think:
"None of these could hold a candle to Resident Evil 4".

It's been six years since the destruction of Raccoon City, and special agent Leon S Kennedy has been dispatched into a dark part of Europe, in a countryside of villages and farms, to look for the president's missing daughter, who was kidnapped on her way home from a college in Massachusetts. Armed with merely a standard 9mm handgun, some extra ammunition, and a First Aid Spray, Leon moves into the villages. After an ugly encounter with a man in a cabin, Leon realizes this was not what he was looking forward to.

This game is packed with SO MUCH STUFF. Here's a little list. . .
>Giant fish
>Rolling boulders
>Chainsaw people and chainsaw ladies (they have bandages o their heads for some reason. I don't know why.)
>Trolls
>Dynamite-tossing zombies
>Electric tripwires
>Luckily, a traveling merchant who's stocked up with ammo
>Beartraps
>Mutant werewolves with tentacles
>People with strange squishy heads
>A Spanish Policia, who has been captured by these zombie-people
>A "lady in the red dress"
>Lazertraps
>A lift in the mountains
>Comets
>Giant bugs in the sewers
>People who are dressed in armor with blades coming out of their arms (I call them X-men)
>Zombies with sheilds and maces
>Some Target Practice
>Blue medallions you have to destroy
>A villain who looks as though he's only six years old
>Knights
>Occuasional puzzles
>Fire-breathing dragons
>Roller-coaster rides
>Bulldozer rides
>A monster known as the "Right Hand"
>Spikes that come down from the ceiling
>Rolling trucks
>A giant walking statue
>A giant flower monster
>Machine gun people
>People with Gas masks and lightsabers
>Walking dead things called "Regenerators"
>Laser-traps
>A monster they call "it"
>A villain who is actually an American soldier, with a weird arm
>A rescue helicopter who helps you for a while
>A strange cult/plague
>A jet-ski ride to get out of a collapsing island

With all that, I still think I left something out. I have beaten it four times, and let me tell you some things about when you beat it.

When you beat it for the first time, you win an infinite rocket launcher from the merchant, plus a new menu with bonus features and games:
-Seperate Ways
-Assignment Ada
-The Mercenaries
-Movie Browser

Seperate Ways is where you play the lady in the red dress, armed with a Blacktail Handgun, and an awesome shotgun. Five missions:
1.Ring the Church Bell
2.Rescue Luis
3.Retrieve the Sample
4.Stop Leon's Assassination
5.Obtain the Sample
When you beat it, you win a "Chicago Typewriter Tommy Gun" for your next round of Resident Evil 4.
You start in the village, shooting zombies, then getting the "Insignia Key" to open a door and get to the church. There's a way to get inside the church, but it involves to relatively easy puzzles and one chainsaw lady.

In Assignment Ada, which is relatively easy, except for Krauser, you're Ada, the woman in the red dress, on the island, your mission objective being to collect five Plaga samples, you have no kife and you are armed with a Blacktail, TMP, some grenades, first aid spray and Semi-Auto Rifle (which is good for the machine gun people). There are three machine gun people in all. When you beat Assignment Ada, you win a "Chicago Typewriter Tommy Gun" for your next round of Seperate Ways.

In the Merecenaries, you start as Leon, with the handgun, a riot gun, and some other various thngs. There are three locations:
-The Village
-The Castle
-The Battlefield of the Island
-One area on water that wasn't in the game
The idea is to kill as many Gannados (zombies) as you can before your evac chopper arrives. But each location has it's toughy. The village has the chainsaw ladies. The castle has the "X-Men". The Battlefield of the Island has the machine gun people. An dthe waterfort area has what seems like all combined, a rather large man with a "double-chainsaw", so to speak. Double-bladed, I mean. When time runs out, you get your results. If you get a 4-star ranking, you can unlock a new character. When you're Leon, you have four characters to unlock:
-Ada, with red grenades, the Punisher, TMP, and a Semi-Auto Rifle, with the Fan Kick
-Krauser, who has a Bowgun, some grenades, and that strange arm, which can destroy ANYONE. He has a double-kick.
-Hunk, a gas-masked soldier with a modified TMP and grenades. He has an awesome "neck-breaker" move, which twists peoples' heads completely around in a perfect 180-degree turn.
-Wesker, a rich guy in a suit with a Handgun/w-Silenecer, Semi-Auto Rifle, nd Killer7. He has a Thrust Punch.
After unlocking all of them, you have to find a way to get all of them a 5-star ranking. What happens when you do? I don't know yet. With some cheat-codes, I might, but not yet. I think it might be how to get a lazergun I've heard of in the intro and on the back of the box, the PRL412 Lazercannon.

There's also Movie Browser, a navigation to watch all the mini-movies spread through out the game.

I don't know much about the Resident Evil movies. All I know is. . .when they make the movie for Resident EVil 4, I hope they make it exactly like the game in every way.

Sincerely,
AJ Dalton

Survival To An Extreme

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Honestly, before I purchased Resident Evil 4 I did not expect much. I was not interested in going to Spain... and mutated peasant villagers, now? I was not too thrilled. But, I missed the old Resident Evil games. I wanted to play a new survival game, considering "Resident Evil: Outbreak", for some reason, just didn't do it for me.
Well, I think you will be surprised. This time you are not faced with making your way out of a horrendous mess, but making your way in. Never have I been faced with such an "ammo crisis". Throughout the entire game it was my top priority to conserve ammo. Whether you like the idea of that or not, is up to you. But, it was always a looming factor in the game. It will make you very sharp with your decision making and force you to virtually plan your entanglements against your enemies. More specifically I was coming to the point of determining quickly "I'll shoot him in the leg so he'll drop. That will give me time to finish off the wounded one. The I'll switch from my handgun to my shotgun and hit the remaining one in the head while he's still on the ground." It may sound a little humorous, but that was my situation. It was all about conserving. I loved that about the game. It added to the factor of survival. And MOST DEFINITELY it left me feeling like I ACCOMPLISHED something.
Perhaps the other reviewers can agree that there were several times where Mr. Kennedy is faced with an all out frenzy of action. There is a scene of which Leon is ambushed with 10, 20 enemy and we have no choice but to face the onslaught head on. Actually, it seems like there were many times when this happened. More specifically, I recall the battle while riding in a train of mine cars. This was such a great feature of the game. As this "frenzy" occurs I'm thinking "How am I going to make it out of this alive... I barely have any ammo and they're all over me?!" and when I survived I thought "How did I make it out of that mess alive?" But, you find a way. You get thrown into a deep, dark hole in this game many times, but you find a way out. It's amazing. In these certain times the enemy, multiple enemy, will have surrounded you and several of them will be literally three feet away from you. And because of this every single blast from your firearm will be SO satisfying. And that is such a vital point in survival. If you have enough ammunition that you waste it, that's not a challenge. If you are not feeling that state of utter urgency, then that's also not a challenge. It defeats the purpose of "survival".
Well, I suppose I could mention the movie cut scenes and the graphics and the laser targeting and all that. It has already been mentioned. I felt they were outstanding. And it was fun to "interact" during the cut scenes.
The negative points I would have to make are these: The games length, well.... it was both a blessing and a curse. RE 4 is a long game. It will give you your money's worth, but it eventually drags on. Facing the same boss several times was negative, to me, because the first time you face the boss, it's suspenseful and scary. The second time you face the boss, it's already lost it's charm. Such as the blind prisoner with the claws, (or should I say "Wolverine"?) The first face-off with him is very intimidating. But, when you face him again, and again... it takes the interest out of the game. Although it is a minor detail, it would have been more interesting (and realistic) if the enemies would lose their legs or arms. It is possible for the enemy to lose their head with certain firearms, (even the weaker handguns, if aimed correctly) but limbs are never lost. Maybe they could pick up the lost limb and hurl it at you. And one last thing to add to the negatives... the dialogue... ohhh, it's terrible! Every response Leon makes to the bad guy is an immature taunt. Okay, I understand that he is cocky and strong-willed, but the dialogue was something I scoffed at throughout the entire game.
Despite the negatives, I set a routine with this game and played it constantly around the same time every night. That is a sure sign that I liked the game, and that it has grabbed a hold of me. I would also like to mention that I purchased "Brothers In Arms: Earned in Blood" around the same time. I gave up BIA to play RE 4. And when I resumed playing BIA after I finsihed RE 4, I was utterly turned off by BIA. It was horrible compared to RE 4. The graphics, the gameplay.... I was raised to a higher standard with RE 4 and I could not view BIA the same way again. I guess that goes to show the impression RE 4 left.

Amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Wow! Truely an amazing game. I've played through it twice and I still want to play it more. Whats great about this game is that not only is it fun but it also has an amazing story line. After you beat the game a few extra features are available. You can play the mercanaries, a mini-game where you eliminate as many enemies as possible, and assignment Ada, a second story where you play as Ada, instead of Leon, the charecter in the original game. You'll fight numerous bosses and mini bosses, each and every one of them an interesting challenge.

Earlier I mentioned the great story line. You play as Leon Scott Kenedy, and you have been hired by the president to find his kidnapped daughter. You think you are just going on a rescue mission, but this simple kidnapping is a part of a huge conspiracy. You have a good selections of guns, hand guns, shot guns, rifles, and magnums. You can also buy a rocket launcher if you lazy and just want to blow bosses up, but I like to be challenged. After beating the game there are a few cool unlockables. Once you beat the game you can buy an infinite rocket launcher, which never runs out of ammo. Once you've completed assignment Ada, you can purchase the Chicago Typewritter, a poweful tommy gun which kills enemies in 1 or 2 hits(tommy guns are automatic). The PS2 version has a few extra features, but the Gamecube version has better graphics.

Bassicly, this game is flawless, and I hope the next one can compete with the fourth. I highly recomend, no matter what type of games you like, you should buy this game! BEST GAME EVER!

Fun Fright

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm a U.S Active Army Infantry Soldier (Europe) and my job is to shoot, move, and communicate: I consider myself as a hardcore gamer in life and play. RE4 is a fun and frightening game. I started playing this game on a Friday; I didn't beat the final board leader until the following Wednesday-- nearly 85 hours of game play later. Unlike other cool games Hitman: Blood Money, which took only 16 hours to beat. Fortunately, I was on leave so I had the game all to myself. RE4 will keep you on the edge of your seat and it has tons of puzzles and cool weapons. I promise you will not be disappointed with this one.

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