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Resident Evil 4 for the PS2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 110 / 138
Date: October 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Wow was I amazed! Try it, even if you do have the gamecube version. To me, this is worth the money and time.

Leon S. Kennedy is back and it's been six years later. The president ordered him to rescue the president's daughter from a religious group. This is most likely a survival horror game mixed with action and stategy.

The graphics on the PS2 is a little different. The texture isn't as good and it looks more darker. Still it's pretty good compared to the gamecube version.

The controls is excellent. It may be a little hard to get use to especially if you played the gamecube version. It gives you behind the shoulder look of Leon so you know where to shoot better than the other RE games. The laser device is nice as well because you can shoot at different parts of the body. You can also use knife attacks and kick your enemies as well. Make sure you find the weak spot!

You can't even relax during the cutscenes! You might have to either dodge, sprint, or somehow get out of trouble. Besides killing all of these ganados (Spanish villagers), you have to protect Ashley from getting killed or captured. If so, game over. You can also buy weapons and other items from a mysterious merchant and can upgrade as well. Too bad there is no weapon swap. The ganados have different ways to attack either with a scythe, dynamite, axe, or choke you to death! There is even chainsaw ganados! Many more enemies are introduced later on in the game. The bosses also are challenging and better than ever! There are some puzzles introduced to advance the plot. There are no typewriter ribbons. There is probably more things to point out but we need to talk about the extras!

Extras in the game such as Separate Ways. Which you play as Ada Wong and you play the same time and same place as Leon. There is no switching to characters but that's ok. There are more cutscenes and few more hours for you to enjoy. The new grapple gun is introduced which is a nice feature. It helps you get around to out of reach places as well. New weapons are here such as a laser gun which can kill enemies pretty easily and can stun them. The costumes are useful and pretty cool to say so myself. Leon looks like a detective and looks mysterious like. Ashley has a suit of armor which is a good thing. It can protect herself from gunshots or get killed in any other way. These extras can be obtained if you beat the game once. Extras from the gamecube version are also on here. The Mercenaries where you have to kill enemies to score points and unlock characters. You can even get an unlockable weapon. The Handcannon in the main game! There is also Assignment Ada where you play as Ada Wong collecting five plaga samples and mostly avoid enemies instead of shooting them. Heavy item managment is a must. There is no knife attacks so use guns! More costumes, unlockable weapons, professional mode where enemies are challenging than normal mode. Another round where you have all of your possesions from the previous file. Last but not least, a movie browser where you can view cutscenes from the game and Seperate Ways.

Overall, it's a great game. Especially for the PS2. Play it, even if you have the gamecube version. Since there is more features into this. Great job to Masachika Kawata and the others. If you don't have the gamecube version, here is your chance! I played the game through about 20-25 hours including the extras.

Elizabeth

I'd go for some overtime with Ashley unlike that punk Leon.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 57 / 63
Date: March 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I don't care for the Resident Evil series at all. I was raised on the Alone in the Dark series- the father of survival/horror games, and they are the foundation for scary games. I played the first Resident Evil when it came out almost 10 years ago, and didn't care for it. 'played the second, and didn't care for it. 3 and Code: Veronica didn't do much for me either. So when 4 came out, I had little interest in it. But it kept getting rave reviews EVERYWHERE, and I became interested over time. When I finally gave the game a chance, I was amazed- it was a great game. Me? Enjoying a Resident Evil game? Who knew? Everything about this game was fantastic. The camera angles, control scheme, ambiance, graphics, and even the replay. Resident Evil 4 does deserve all those Game of the Year awards that it got. It's -that- good. If you're one of the people that owns both the ps2 and GameCube, you've got to chose between better graphics, loading times and controls or more extras/replay value. It's a win-win situation. Myself, I'd go for the ps2 version here, as I'm a sucker for extra bonuses (ie- getting the most for my buck). Either way, the point is that Resident Evil 4 is an amazing game, and is 100% fun. Not part fun and part frustration like some of the others (read- stupid puzzles).

Resident Evil 4 is more of a side-story in the series, not really having an impact on the main story line, but that doesn't mean it's going to suck. You play as Leon, a special agent out to rescue the president's daughter from a hidden village. Things don't go over too well when he makes it there, and discovers one of the officers that escorted him there impaled on a bonfire. Yeah, these people obviously hold equal rights for everyone. The villagers all host a parasite known as Las Plagas, which makes them violent. Having no luck finding Ashley in the village, Leon must go through tons of different areas before he can even see her. Taking on massive man-eating fish, giants, zombie dogs, and more. And when he finally does find Ashley, it's not like the villagers are just going to let him leave with her. Nope, a whole other story kicks in involving a cult lead by Lord Saddler, a man who's trying to make the world follow him via the Las Plagas. I guess he thinks that using the president's daughter as the key host in America's going to really spread that fast. Now you've got to put an end to Saddler and his followers as well, and deal with even more monsters, double-crossers, and old friends. For once, we get a Resident Evil with a nonlinear plot, and it's a nice change.

I can't stress how well-done RE4 is. There are never any slow or boring moments. The cut scenes appear on a regular basis, but they're never too long- they actually move along the plot, and some of them require your attention in order to continue with the game. Remember the QTEs from Shenmue? They've been used here, only you pretty much HAVE to do them properly in order to survive. Some that take place during cut scenes have Leon in a fight for his life while others from in-game gameplay have you turning levers, dodging boulders, and other hazards. Some of them may take a few tries before you get the hang of it. The item system here is also a vast improvement over the previous installments- allowing you to upgrade your carrying case several times, allowing for mass item carrying. On top of this, the weapons are all a hell of a lot better too. You're not limited to one handgun, then a magnum later on, and then the obligatory rocket launcher. Leon will find weapons through the adventure, buy some kick-ass ones, and can now upgrade them as well. Upgrading isn't required to complete the game, but it sure helps. Firepower, firing speed, capacity and reload times can all be upgraded, and all the weapons have their own unique bonus once they're fully upgraded in each category. For example, the Red 9, a handgun, can get a 5.0 firepower rating, which is just slightly weaker than the first shotgun you get. 'not bad at all. And if you upgrade a weapon all the way, but want to buy a better one later on, sell that puppy for tons of cash and use it towards more upgrades. Yes, there's money in this game: obtained by collecting it from fallen enemies or selling jewels and other treasures found in crates and barrels. This makes the game a little bit easier since it allows you to buy First Aid Sprays instead of finding them at random, but hey- the choice is yours. Boss fights in this game aren't much different from previous RE boss fights, but they require a little more attention. Halfway through the game you'll take on what's basically the X-Man Wolverine, only blind and wearing armor. He charges around the room, slashing all over the place, attacking where he hears any sound. On the sides of the room are bells. You see what I'm getting at? That fight took me a good 15 minutes before I finally got it instead of trying to shoot the weak spot on his back, and only that. Then again, boss fights here can be very easy if you simply buy a rocket launcher from a merchant. They're fairly cheap, and you can buy one from every merchant. One shot from those babies, and almost every boss is gone in an instant. The enemy AI isn't the best on regular difficulty, but it's better than most mainstream games' these days. The villagers and monks will often attack in groups, but this actually makes it easier to take them out with a shotgun or rifle blast, or especially grenades.

Visually, the game looks great for when it was released, and it still does. There's rarely any slowdown, great textures, fantastic lighting, and some of the finest attention to detail I've ever seen in a game. Zoom in on El Gigante's face after you kill him for the first time, and you'll see his eyes slowly closing, and his eyebrow twitch. When Leon gets into a knife fight near the end of the game, he gets a scar on his cheek, and it stays there. Here in the ps2 version, the lighting effects and textures aren't as good as the GameCube's, and there's jaggies (as usual), but it's system limitations. I mean c'mon, the ps2's almost 6 years old now. It won't matter much though- enjoy the game. The only complaint I'd have doesn't have as much to do with the visuals themselves as it does with lazy programing- the villager and monk characters all have maybe 4 or 5 variants. You end up killing the same ones after you just killed them. Heck, one time I had 3 of the same guy attacking me in the village. It was weird. As for the audio, the voice acting has finally attained tolerable status. Leon's great, Ashley's ok, Ada's outstanding, Krauser's a jerk, and the merchant is a pervert. I love 'em. But then there's Lord Saddler, the main antagonist. His voice could've been either more normal, or more menacing. Instead, it's just weird. The ambiance and sound effects kick ass here, so if you've got a surround sound setup, go nuts.

Once the game's over there's still plenty to do. You could try out Assignment Ada, a small side-quest in which you play as heroine Ada Wong for about an hour, trying to retrieve 5 samples of the Las Plagas for a higher power. While short, it's fun to play as Ada for a while, and trying out some of her moves. The Mercenaries is probably THE reason to get this game even if you have no interest in RE4, I know it was for me. Once I beat the game, I spent days playing this addicting mini-game. The Mercenaries has you run through one of four levels as Leon at first, killing everyone in sight while picking up time bonuses and items, racking up kills to get a high score. After you reach a set score, you'll unlock a new character- there are 4 to unlock: Ada, Hunk, Krauser and Wesker. My god, is this game addicting. This is one of the few times where I -wanted- to top my previous high score. And each character has their own unique abilities to get them through the stages. Actually, it's more of their action moves and weapons...like Wesker's Thrust Punch which sends enemies flying 10+ feet, Hunk's neck breaker, Krauser's ARM OF GOD WHICH KILLS EVERYTHING IN ONE HIT WITH THE PRESS OF A BUTTON, and Ada's great weapon selection. Yep, you're going to spend a lot of time here. And once you get 5 stars with each character in each stage, you'll unlock the Handcannon for the main game. Side note- it's worth mentioning that Krauser and Hunk's themes from The Mercenaries are ripped straight out of Capcom's lesser-known GC game: P.N. 03. I thought it was odd that they'd just recycle music from a game nobody played, and almost found it to be lazy of them. But the music still rules, especially Wesker's theme (I had to mention that somewhere in here). On top of these which were all the GC version had to offer, the ps2 port gets additional costumes for Leon and Ashley, extra weapons and pratically an entire game in its own: Seperate Ways. You play through the game as Ada, but from start to finish this time rather than a small portion. It's fun to see how much she helped out Leon without him, or us realizing it. And hey, you get to control a hot woman in a red dress with weapons. Need I say more?

While there are more special additions in the ps2 version, giving it more replay over its GC brother, both versions are great. The GC one has better visuals, controls and loading times...while the ps2 one gets more bonuses. I actually found it funny that the GC's controller worked better for this game, but then again, it makes sense since RE4 was made for the GC first. The analog stick is more responsive and smooth than the d-pad for the GC, and both the analog stick and d-pad on the ps2. In the ps2 version, I often found myself using the d-pad over the loose analog stick, but even then, sometimes I'd have trouble getting a perfect shot. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 is an outstanding game, and one of the best that this decade's had to offer so far.

You'll Only Wish You Were Fighting Zombies In This Thriller

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: February 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Man, are all games like this or have I just set the bar really high by making Resident Evil 4 my first adult video game?

This game is fun, scary, exhilarating....It's awesome.

I finally got my first gaming system (PS3) last month. The only cool looking adult PS3 game is Resistance: Fall of Man. So before I crack that open, I'm thinking: "I liked the movies, the movies are based on the games, so why not try out RE4 to get started?"

So, I pop open a cold one, sit down with my new RE4 game and proceed to have a heart attack from the terror it causes. No, not really. I'm old, but hopefully not that old.

The game starts you (Leon) out in the woods in front of an old house on the outskirts of a Spanish speaking European village. You're a third person controlling Leon. The graphics are 3D and there's Dolby sound.

As you walk through the spooky woods towards the house your footsteps in the leaves are clear. Upon entering the house you are immediately attacked by a crazed local that doesn't seem to be a zombie. Based on the movies (and previous games from what I hear) you expect zombies. As you exit the house you are attacked by more locals (that will viciously kill you unless either you do them in first or safely make your way past). Zombies would have been a welcome adversary versus this unexpected enemy.

A map is provided for you to follow to your chapter destinations. There are typewriters scattered sparsely through the game where you can save progress.

As you make your way to the target destinations, you are introduced to a variety of enemies that will try to stop you at every turn. As you are successful in doing so you are rewarded with the opportunity to explore areas that have a barrage of items that will be useful for you to take. A word to the wise, however, clear any area of enemies (if possible) before going exploring!

The main objective is to rescue the daughter of the President of the United States. But I'm miles away from that at this point. After 3 total hours of play I just got through the main village and the farm to chapter 2. And that's a good thing. Because this is dog-gone fun. The day I finish--if I ever finish--this game...it will be a bittersweet moment.

Combine some red herb with some green herb for better health, then sell a Dirty Pearl Necklace and some Spinals to the Merchant so that you have enough pesetas to add Resident Evil 4 to your Amazon cart.

P.S.--Is there a rule about writing game reviews prior to actually finishing the game? Certainly that's not something I'd do with DVD or my other item reviews. This is my first real game review, and the rules just seem a little different. If I had to wait to finish a game before I reviewed it...well, I question whether I'll ever be able to "beat" a game. Your comment would be greatly appreciated.

Amazing PS2 title. A must buy.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 17
Date: November 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

To put it simply, this game is amazing.
It offers great gameplay and areas not seen in any game ever made.

From the ultra cool list of characters, to the numerous fun guns, and to the difficult and awesome boss battles, this game has it all.

The cut scenes are done wonderfully and the story slowly unfolds its plot as you wind through it. The voice acting is also well done though some of the games lines are super cheesy.

Buying new guns, upgrading them, and unlocking secret weapons is so simple yet highly effective. Each weapon has its own personality and strengths and make them all unique and fun to play around with.

And the extras included with this version can easily give you 10-20 more hours of gameplay after you unlock them. There are two seperate scenarios that include Ada and one mode thats like a huge deathmatch. And you cant forget the awesome new costumes and unlockable Tommy Gun...

This is one of those games that only comes around rarely. The style, gameplay, weapons, and levels, are all top notch and must be seen to appreciated. If you own a PS2 you must own this game. Its that simple.

Resident Evil 4 - An action game that defines top notch action games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: April 30, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Resident Evil 4 is a sequel to the infamous Resident Evil series. This game completely changes the way that so many Resident Evil fans were used to. This is a good thing, however. This is the Playstation 2 version. While the graphics aren't as good as they were on the Gamecube, it more than makes up for it in the extras. That being said, let's proceed to the actual review.

Warning: The following contain spoilers for the game

Graphics 10/10

The graphics in Resident Evil 4 are absolutely phenomenal. This game has some of the best graphics the PS2 can offer. Some of these examples are that the there are many forms of trees in the game, and they are so different that you'll think that you're seeing a new tree each time. Each and every enemy has a detailed body. The blood splatters from the enemies, and Leon has at least fifteen or more ways to die. Leon is very detailed and almost any scene or cut-scene is photo realistic. They have an extreme amount of detail in each cut-scene. The environments are also awesome. Some very memorable environments are the lava room, the castle, the military base, and more. With a wide-screen HDTV and some component cables with progressive scan, These are some of the best graphics in video game history.

Gameplay 10/10

The gameplay is extremely different than the previous resident evils in a very good way. Some of the differences are: there is no longer a camera that is switching views, the new camera is positioned over your shoulder and you can control it with the right analog stick. You can save at the many stationed typewriters in the game and you can have up to 20 saves for the game. You can use the knife at will, and the camera, instead of taking you into a first-person perspective, lets you control it from a third-person perspective. You also have an attach? case that you put your guns in. You flip and flop things so that everything fits. You can also purchase extensions to you attach? case from the merchant. You find pesetas and those are your form of currency and money that you can use to purchase things from the merchants. Merchants are found throughout the game and let you sell your items, buy items, and you can even custom tune-up your guns. There are some types of guns. Some of these types are handgun, shotgun, rifle, magnum, grenade, machine gun, and special. Tuning them up ranges from increasing their capacity, upgrading their firepower, reducing their reloading speed, and increasing their fire rates. Once you upgrade a gun fully it has an exclusive. All but one gun, the killer7, has an excusive. You can't purchase ammo from the merchant, so use your ammo wisely. Most guns have a laser targeting system, and rifles and rocket-launchers take you into the firs-person perspective. There are 3 types of grenades, flash grenades which allow you to temporarily blind your foe, Incendiary grenades which set your opponent(s) on fire, and regular grenades that blow stuff up. Some of the cut-scenes are now interactive, and you use the [ ] and X buttons/ the L1 and R1 buttons to dodge certain things, hang on to or climb ledges, cut/stab things, etc. Thanks to the new aiming system, if you shoot enemies in the kneecap, they crouch so that you can suplex them, and if you shoot the in the head they also crouch so you can kick them. These features are only useable by the protagonist of this game, Leon. You can also do different things with different people. Another great feature that this game introduces is combining health and treasure items. Also, this game has the puzzles that made the previous Resident Evil games so respected. There are also a huge variety of things you do in this game. You ride a jet ski, a mine cart, a boat, and you fight as sea monster, battle with gigantic monsters, fight with a 10 foot Ganado, fight blind prisoners with claws, fight regenerating monsters that have specific parasites that you need to destroy to kill that enemy, gigantic mosquitoes, protect Ashley while she does things, and more.

Story 9/10

The story isn't as deep if it were compared to a game with a story that was a masterpieces such as Metal Gear Solid, but it is still very enjoyable. Basically, you play as Leon Scott Kennedy, often referred as Leon, is the main character and was also in Resident Evil 2. The story of Resident Evil 2 was that 6 years ago, a virus broke out and happened by a company called Umbrella. The U.S. Government decided that it didn't want this information to go public, so they fired off nuclear missiles and Raccoon city and its epidemic were finished. However there were some survivors. And Leon Scott Kennedy just happened to have survived the incident. Now, he's a government agent and his mission is to rescue the president's daughter, Ashley Graham. Will he succeed? You decide.

Sound 9/10

The sound in this game is also excellent. The sound is also very realistic. The crows crow, the wind makes the leaves blow, the ganados shout out Spanish cries, you can hear the chainsaw reving up, etc. etc. You also tend to depend on the sound to see where and when the enemies will attack you.The voice acting is also very professional. They have the voice talents of Paul Mercier as Leon Scott Kennedy, Carolyn Lawrence as Ashley Graham, Sally Cahill as Ada Wong, Jim Wardlngrid as Jack Krauser, Salli Saffioti as Ingrid Hunnigan, Rene Mujica as Ramon Salazar, Jesse CortiJack as Bitores Mendez, Michael GoughAlbert as Osmund Saddler, Richard Waugh as Albert Wesker, and Carlos Carrasco as the Villagers/Zealots. This game also supports dolby digital 5.1 surround sound.

Replay Value 10/10

This game has a huge amount of replay value. You can unlock an R.P.D. Police Uniform by beating the game. Ashley also has a pop-star outfit that you unlock after beating the game. The infinite rocket launcher also becomes available when you beat the game and it costs 1,000,000 pesetas. There is also a handgun that you can purchase called the matilda and it costs 70,000 pesetas. You also unlock Assignment Ada, a mode that is non-canon and covers the later part of the game and lets you play as Ada, and Separate Ways, a mode that is canon and lets you play from the beginning to the end of Ada's mission. Beating Separate ways lets you buy the Chicago Typewriter, a SMG mostly used in WWII, for 1,000,000 pesetas. You can only buy the Chicago Typewriter on a second playthrough. It has infinite ammo. Also, if you beat Separate Ways you get the Mafia gangster oufit for Leon and the indestructible knight outfit for Ashley. Ashley can't get carried away in this outfit and Leon can do a special hat trick if he has the Chicago Typewriter equipped. To do this trick, reload 4 times consecutively and he will do the hat trick. If you beat Assignment Ada you can buy the Chicago Typewriter in Separate Ways for 300,000 pesetas and it is only available on a second playthrough. There is also a mode called Mercenaries, and that lets you kill enemies and try to get a high score of 60,000 or above points to get five stars. This game is so fun, it could be a game in itself! There are five characters, and they are Leon, Ada, Wesker, Krauser, and Hunk. They all have unique abilities. There are also four maps and they are the village, the castle, the military base, and waterworld. Getting five stars with all of the characters on all maps allows you to purchase the handcannon for zero pesetas. You can upgrade it and its exclusive is that it can have infinite ammo. There is also a pro mode that is unlocked after beating the main game. After beating pro mode, you can buy for zero pesetas, the P.R.L. 412. The P.R.L. stands for Parasite Removal Laser.

Conclusion

Buy or rent, that is the question. I say buy because it has amazing graphics, gameplay, story, sound, and replay value. It will probably last you forty to fifty hours.

Overall 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/13/2006

Leon Help!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: November 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Next to San Andreas, Resident Evil 4 happens to be the biggest game ever to appear on the Playstation 2... which makes it one of the largest games ever developed. If you are looking to play survival horror, then RE4 is the new scream queen. RE4 breaks from convention like no other game has done to date. This is a huge leap from the traditional Resident Evil that we knew. No longer is there the Metal Gear Solid style running around a room with set camera angles. Instead we are given true 3D with a twist - a semi-first person third person integration that has never been done before. U.S. agent Leon Kennedy has been tasked to look into the abduction of the President's daughter and his investigation has led him to a mysterious location in Europe. As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out what is behind the terror. RE4 boasts three huge level designs - a village, a castle and an island. Each level contains a vast network of areas that are all unique gaming environments including farms, valley camps, water works, kitchens, tunnels, cemeteries, storage areas, waterways, lakes with monsters, caves, churches, foyers, prisons, sewers, mazes, dinning halls, servant's quarters, hives, clock towers, mine entrances, furnaces, ruins, cathedrals and radiation labs. Several memorable scenes include laser grids like in the movie of the same name, a chopper shootout and a radiation lab with mutated monsters that can regenerate damaged tissue. RE4 has roughly seven hundred and fifty monsters to defeat with numerous boss guys, puzzles to solve and pieces to collect, including money that you can steal from the local village goons and spend on buying weapons and upgrades from a mystery hooded salesman that can be found near the various typewriter checkpoints. Like "God of War" and "Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy" RE4 uses mini-games (button combinations to perform unique moves at specific intervals) even during the cut sequences. It has an approximate playing time of 17 and half hours at the minimum. The way the gun is controlled makes aiming less than steady and so accuracy is hard to obtain without lots of practice. This is a good thing because it means that when a hoard of villagers are making their way towards you it is hard to get the kind of headshot placement that you need and so the blast reactions of the zombies ranges from toppling over, being blown aside, catching fire and of course, loosing their brains when you eventually get that headshot on target. It terms of headshots, RE4 redefines it. It must be seen to be believed. Also when a zombie is on the ground you can close in and perform a round the house kick that can crack open a few craniums. You can shoot down boulders from a cliff to crush bosses or blow up booby traps or a truck loaded with dynamite to take out a village lane cram packed with zombies. RE4 is quite graphically gory. Where previous entries in the series required you to actually perform hard manoeuvres like climbing ladders or jumping gaps these are instead replaced by action sequence and so make the game more fluid from start to finish and thus more enjoyable. The load times have been significantly reduced from the almost unbearable waiting periods that Resident Evil: Outbreak turned up with. It is hard though to say that Resident Evil has ever died. Capcom have always delivered. RE4 is maybe the best instalment in the whole series... if not one of best games ever made. 3D survival horror is here to stay.

Pros:
- Immense Game
- First Class Level Designs
- Headshots
- Story
- Multiple Characters

Cons:
- None

Thank god its not GC exclusive!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: December 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

A few years ago, while I was reading my favourite Playstation magazine, I came across an article on Resident Evil 4. Yes!! I am a massive fan ever since I played the original. There were a few pictures and brief insight as it was very early news. I was all worked up and excited! You play as Leon Kennedy! He was great, almost an equal to Chris Redfield! The next month I was devastated. My trusty magazine had just informed me that it was to be Nintendo Game Cube exclusive! Nooooooooooooo....!!!!

But then, on the 4th day in November, I collected my copy for the PS2 from the Royal Mail Office (It should have been posted through my letter box but I won't go into that now, read my "10 things that annoy me" review to find out). It seems Capcom didn't forget about its fans after all....

Resident Evil 4 gives a very warm return to Leon S Kennedy, the rookie cop from Resident Evil 2. It is six years since the Raccoon city incident and the notorious Umbrella Corporation has been destroyed. Now he is a government agent assigned to rescue the President's daughter, Ashley Graham. Information leads him to a small village somewhere in Europe. Leon arrives escorted by three local policemen.
Walking down a narrow path through the trees, Leon advances towards a small cottage. Inside there is a man with his back turned poking at a fire. Upon approaching him, the man picks up an axe and starts walking towards Leon. The latter has no choice but to open fire on the assailant. Leaping out of the window Leon finds that there are more armed attackers waiting.
Welcome to Resident Evil....

Changes
------------------------------------
There have been a lot of changes to the latest instalment of the Resident Evil series. All of them are a massive improvement!
How annoying was it in the previous games when you knew there was a zombie around the corner, but you didn't know if you were shooting it due to the fixed camera? Admittedly, the fixed camera did help to make the scary atmosphere as you couldn't see what was around the next corner, and it did mean that hi-resolution backdrops could be used. Well, forget pre-rendered backgrounds, this beauty is in Full 3D! That's right; the camera is now close-up behind Leon, so you see what he sees. There is still the tense feel of the old camera as it is easy for enemies to sneak up from behind or the side as the camera is so close.
It now means that aiming can be used fully. With each weapon (except the rifles) a red tracer laser shines out of the gun, a tiny circle at the end indicating when a target is locked on. It also makes it possible to have sniper rifles (Yes!).

Who can forget those infamous door clips from the resident Evil series? (Every door you went through or most steps had a short intro, in the 1st person, of the character going through) Thought not... Well those of you who thought they were tediously annoying will be pleased to know that it has been scrapped completely! Most doors are opened by Leon in real time, while some have a short loading screen.
Leon opens the doors slowly when you click on them, but double click and he will burst through with a good kick! Nice little touch!

Another big change is the Inventory. The previous games allowed you to hold between 8 and 10 items (6 for Chris in Resi 1). It was always quite annoying because a key took up the same space as a shotgun!? Boxes were located around the game so that excess items could be stored until needed. Now you get a case with lots of little slots. Each weapon or item requires a different amount of space depending on the size. This means you can carry multiple weapons and herbs etc. Larger cases can be bought later on in the game.

It is now essential to find money (ptas), either hidden in crates or from killing enemies. The amount you find varies and will not necessarily be in the same place each time you play. For example you might find 900 ptas in a vase, then die and load back up, and the same vase might hold 800 ptas or ammo. The money is used to purchase weapons or upgrades, which brings me on to the next big change...

The item boxes have been scrapped as Leon can now hold much more. In its place is "The Merchant". This guy pops up all over Resident Evil 4, noticeable by the blue torches. There are three options to choose from, Sell, Buy or Tune Up.
Sell gives you the opportunity to make money from any treasure you have found. Also if you want another weapon and have no space left, you can sell any item including weapons. The latter can be bought back at a higher price if needed.
Buy lets you purchase weapons or rare items, such as treasure maps or larger cases. There is also the option to buy a First-Aid spray; there is only limited amounts so don't go thinking you can replenish whenever he's around.
Tune Up allows you to improve almost all your weapons, at a high price of course! There are four parts to improve, Shot Power, Firing Speed, Reload Speed and Capacity. These can be upgraded to a maximum of level 6, although some weapons cannot. There is also the possibility for an "Exclusive" upgrade to some weapons. This comes about much later on and costs heavily. The Exclusive upgrade has a special enhancement on the selected weapon; for example, the Handgun has a x5 chance increase of Critical Headshots, and the Shotgun has the same Shot Power from all distances!

The structure of the new Resi Evil is very different from it's predecessors. The old games were one big long level, divided into different places, but with no obvious level start and finish.
Now it has taken on a "Devil May Cry" type structure; although it is still one long level in a sense, it is divided by sub sections that are divided themselves, e.g. you could be on level 4 - 3. At the end of each section you are shown your accuracy, number of enemies defeated and number of continues taken. You are also giving the option to save the game.

Ink Ribbons have been removed totally. The typewriter is still there, but you can now save to your heart's content! This is a welcome loss, as it was so annoying when you wanted to save but didn't have an Ink Ribbon. And to make things even better there are excessive amounts of typewriters everywhere (OK, maybe not excessive, but still loads)

Enemies
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The main enemies of Resident Evil 4 (Surprisingly!!) are humans! Well, I say humans, but they seem half human and half zombie?!?
They talk (In Spanish I believe...) and they are intelligent to the extent that they dodge where your gun is pointing and sneak up on you. They also run! Which is quite terrifying when you need to reload! Also they climb through windows and open doors. But there is something not quite right with them. Remember the groaning zombie noise of the former games? Well it's back, but this time it's got more depth in the sound! (Don't ask me how but it just has!) And with it comes a quiet chant to themselves, so you can hear them before you see them.
If one spots you they will point and shout to their companions of your presence. Keep your senses alert as they can come from anywhere; off roofs, through windows and form the doors behind you.
They come with a range of weapons, from knives and spades to crossbows and even chainsaws! Some are protected by a wooden shield (a quick blast from the Shotgun should sort that out!) and there are others with a bullet proof helmet!
To deal with the monsters most effectively you have to get a Critical head shot to make their head explode. Blood spurts out from the neck which is quite cool close up! But be careful later on as something can sprout from the neck.........
Shooting the men/women in the legs causes them to fall to the floor, very good for when faced with multiple foes.
There are sections with new and different foes, but I won't give too much away...!

Interactive
--------------------------------
The Resi Evil world is now more interactive thanks to it being 3D. Crates and vases can be smashed and hold valuable ptas or ammo. Also there are treasures hidden throughout the game that you shoot to make them drop. Some doors and windows can be shot through, breaking them with each shot.
There are a lot of puzzles or objects that need to be shot in a certain place in order to progress, e.g. a drawbridge stuck half open, shoot the brackets on the wall to make it fall.

Graphics
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The graphics in resident Evil 4 are exceptional! Everything is so smooth and highly detailed with a great use of colour and lighting. The latter seeps through windows and cracks and looks misty from the dust. Even the caves in the game are packed with detail, the walls really look real! The animation and detail on the Bosses is the best I have seen in any game (Watching the endless body parts shoot out of a man's body will leave you in awe!).
The water is again amazing, with great colour and depth to it. The scene on the lake is jaw-dropping; it has fog and bits floating in the water, and it moves with excellent realism! Not to mention the creature that lurks beneath.....!!

Sub Missions
---------------------------------
There are a couple of sub-missions in the main game, most notably the Bottle-Caps. The Merchant runs some shooting ranges in the Castle; select your choice of weapons, either automatic or sniping. The idea is to earn as many points as you can to gain Bottle-Caps. There are 24 to collect and they can be viewed in the treasure menu. Click on them for a close up, and they even have a sound effect! A small, but fun little extra to distract you from the chaos outside...!

Weapons
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There are many new weapons in Resi Evil 4. I won't ruin any surprises by mentioning them all; instead I will give a brief description of a few earlier in the game:

Knife
It wouldn't be Resi Evil without the trusty knife. This time it has a greater use and is easier to use. Hold L1 and the knife is quickly taken out. Use it to smash crates etc to save on ammo.
+Advantages - Doesn't require ammo
-Disadvantages - Hardly any damage, can only be used at close range

Handgun
Small but effective, the 9mm handgun will be the weapon most used as there is a lot of ammo and is fairly easy to get that precious head shot. It only takes up 6 slots too.
+Advantages - Lots of ammo available, accurate
-Disadvantages - Lacks power

Shotgun
A must carry at all times weapon. Ideal for multiple enemies or when confronted by a stronger foe as it will send them flying backwards. Ammo is sparse so keep an eye on your supply.
+Advantages - Very powerful close range, excellent for dealing with multiple enemies
-Disadvantages - Not very good at distances, takes up a lot of space

Rifle
An old bolt-action rifle with a scope fitted allowing Leon to zoom in on far away targets. A more powerful scope is avaliable from the Merchant.
+Advantages - Extremely accurate, Powerful
-Disadvantages - Slow reload

Grenades
There are three types of grenade; Hand Grenade Large explosion), Flash Grenade (Blinds enemy) and Incendiary Grenade (Bursts into flame). Equip like a normal weapon and throw in the same way.
+Advantages - Large damage radius, helpful for blinding Bosses
-Disadvantages - Too many can take up a lot of space, can cause damage to yourself

Broken Butterfly
A powerful Magnum that comes at a high price. Get this in for those tougher monsters!
+Advantages - Extremely powerful, Size of a Handgun
-Disadvantages - Limited ammo, Expensive to upgrade, Long reload

Rocket Launcher
The ultimate weapon! Use this against the Bosses or any tough situations!
+Advantages - Kills virtually everything, large damage radius
-Disadvantages - Very expensive, only one rocket a time, Takes up a lot of space

Flaws
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The only real flaw to this superb game is that you cannot side step or move while aiming. It means that in order to shoot round a corner you have to run forward and turn, exposing yourself to the enemy. But then it may have been intended to keep the tension high as it is very difficult to see what is round the next corner, and you have to stay rooted to the spot while enemies lunge at you which is quite terrifying! So maybe it's not a flaw after all......
Another flaw is that at certain points in the game you find yourself running or dodging various attacks. This is fine in itself, but when running you are told to vigorously bash 'X' then have to press either the buttons or 'X' and square when prompted. It doesn't allow you much time to perform this action so your reactions have to be fast! The trouble is that I found myself constantly dying and it became a trial and error process. And sometimes the buttons change! It's not too bad a flaw, just gets a bit tedious after the 3rd attempt...

Summary
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Resident Evil 4 has a more tense atmosphere than it's predecessors. This is mainly down to the music and sound effects. When an enemy is present, the music kicks in and doesn't stop until they have all been eliminated.
The scariest moment for me was the small maze. You can hear the dogs breathing heavily but you have no idea which corner they lurk around! I jumped on more than one occasion when a dog has snuck up on me! Being able to hear the monsters before you can see them gets your heart thumping and every little noise gets your adrenaline going.
The enemy eyes are another big 'chill' factor; they are a dead red and close up their stare can be very intimidating! All the more reason to blow their head's off!
The infamous puzzles of the previous games have been reduced dramatically which thankfully doesn't slow down the games pace. There are some puzzles, but they are so easy you hardly notice them.
Amazingly there is hardly any returning to previous places. Other Resi Evil titles depended on this to extend the playing time, which could result in frustration. RE4 hardly suffers from this problem at all, thanks to the vast size of the levels. The maps are like a narrow tunnel, with barely any branching off, but it goes unnoticed thanks to the superb aiming system that fools you into thinking that you can play it how you like.
Capcom have done an excellent job redesigning the whole structure, and have pushed the PS2 to its highest peak!

Overall: 97%
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This game is a virtually flawless, action-packed, enjoyable masterpiece that is quite possibly the greatest game of 2005!
This will keep you entertained for a good few weeks, and when played alone in the dark will get your heart pounding and your forehead sweating!
The main game takes a good 15-17 hours to complete (Not including dying) and there are also some extras to unlock.
Most notably it has five extra Ada Missions that were not in the Game Cube version (Haha), expanding on her background and why she's there. It coincides with Leon's missions and shows just how she helped him out. And it takes about 5 hours to go through so it is a very welcomed addition!
There is also another Ada mission, and the good old Mercenaries, which has unlockable characters!
And if that wasn't enough, on completion of the game you also get a "Professional mode" for those of you who love a good challenge!
A must buy for all fans of the genre (and everybody else actually...) If you enjoyed any of the previous games, you will love this!

I know this was a long read, but it is such a good game that I had to put it all in! The game is worth it! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it :D

everything you can expect from resident evil.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: April 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Although the controlls take some getting used to, the gameplay is great. the good things about this game are the interactive movies, which I believe to be a new legacy in video gaming. no holding back with your ammo, I hate it in games when you have to conserve ammo, when you beat the game, you get the chicago typewriter, (tommygun) with infinate ammo, blast away! the games puzzles are challenging, but very doable. the storyline is compelling, the characters are interesting, and overall, this is a bad-a** game. if you own a PS2, you must give this game a try.

FINALLY!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 13
Date: November 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

It's about time they put this game on the PS2! RE4 is seriously one of the greatest games ever made, as it does away with the tiring and sloppy (and downright stupid) qualities that defined the whole RE series up until this point. it is faster, more action-oriented, doesn't have retarded walking corpses, doesn't have horribly crappy voice acting, the storyline is better (which is pretty sad), and the controls are so much more smooth.

Now I know that a whole bunch of GameCube fanatics are whining like little crybabies that Capcom "betrayed" the love of their life by making a port for the PS2, but I have one thing to say to them: shut up and grow up, pansies. Get over it. The fact is that this game is even better on the PS2. And it's not only because it has tons of extras added to it (read another review to learn the specifics, because I'm not going to waste time elaborating on already established information). The controller for said consol is much more simpler and easier to use than the GameCube's, which makes playing it all the more joyful. I could care less about the graphics. In fact, I couldn't even tell the difference between the GameCube's visuals and the PS2's - only when I stared at it one inch from the TV screen, but even then the difference was barely visible. So, if you don't notice it initially, then there's no point in whining about it, now is there, you dolts? What the heck is with all these people b*tching about how superior the GameCube is to the PS2 in terms of graphics? WHO CARES?! I CERTAINLY DON'T (which is why I'm not an Xbox or a GC fan)! What's the point in having cool-looking graphics if the gameplay is terrible? I play videogames to have FUN, not to marvel at the visuals (what a concept! Though it everybody went by this principle, Xbox and GameCube would long be extinct). I played RE4 on the GameCube and loved it, though the controller I thought was awkward (note: I only rented one, I don't own one). I played it on the PS2 and loved it even more. If you own a PS2, then get this game! It is fantastic. I won't go on and blab on about what makes this game so awesome or the whole concept of the storyline, but I will say this: shut up you feeble, whiny, bratty GameCube fans and quit obsessing over the difference in frames per second or amount of particle lighting effects. Maybe if you didn't look for every single miniscule disadvantage in graphics that the PS2 has compared to the GC (which are very small, by the way), and would just play the frickin' game, maybe you would actually have some good things to say. Stop desperately trying to slander the PS2 at every chance you get, morons. It's getting old and annoying.

Classic Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I must have beat Resident Evil 2 every day for about six months when I was 16. The game was addictive and I got so good at it that I could beat the whole game in less than 2 hours. The game was a classic and it is still one of my favorites. Subsequent additions to the series have not been so good. RE 3, Code Veronica, Zero, and Outbreak have all been sub-par additions to what was a great franchise.

Well my faith in Resident Evil has officially been restored with Resident Evil 4. RE4 reintroduces you to Leon Kennedy, the poor rookie cop who got to fight a city full of zombies on his first day on the job in RE2. Now Leon is sent to rescue the presidents daughter who has been kidnapped by a strange European cult who's motivatations are more sinister than they seem.

The gameplay in RE4 is greatly improved from earlier titles in the series. There is no longer a fixed camera. The camera has moved over Leon's shoulder and it makes for a much more immediate gaming experience. Controlling Leon and Ashley is easy and a beginner should have no problem jumping right in.

The presentation and graphics are pretty solid. The Gamecube version was absolutely gorgeous. The PS2 version falls just short of this, but their are no technical issues with collisions or glitches in the graphics to take away from the gaming experience.

The most striking thing about RE4 is the sense of impending danger that seems to be ever present. Right from the start, you are dropped off with a handgun and a few bullets to fend of an entire village of murderous axe and chainsaw wielding Europeans. The game keeps you loaded with ammo just enough so you can't turn in to Dirty Harry and start shooting everything that moves.

The boss fights are also amazing, the best i've seen in any game. Every boss fight is a challenge, and the game is structured so sometimes two bosses must be fought close to one another. As soon as you defeat one boss and deplete your ammo, you have to fight your way to the next boss. The tension is almost non-stop.

The puzzles were downplayed greatly from the other games in the series. There is no more searching for a car battery, to hook up to a statue that starts a car that opens a gate on the other side of the game. The puzzles in the game are challenging, but aren't the focal point.

Overall this game is highly recommended to hardcore and casual gamers. The game is fairly lengthy for an action title, so it is definitely worth your money. The PS2 version also has an interesting Ada Wong side mission called Seperate Ways. So this is a must buy.

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