Resident Evil 4 came out in 2005 and I wasn't hyped for it because none of it interested me. The manliness of it all. Until I tried it, and I can tell you one thing. It's THE BEST THIRD PERSON SHOOTER OF ALL TIME! But its certainly not the best Resident Evil or the scariest game of all time (was the franchise ever really scary beyond the REmake? I don't think so.) it certainly is fun and awesome. 2 years later I played it on the PS2 and despite ups and downs its still the same good video game. I got it for Christmas on the Nintendo Wii in 2007. One of the best investments I ever had. I spent many summer months, winter months, blasting through the Las Plagas, Soldiers, and Cult elitists. RE4 is unbelievably epic.
STORY
The story is very basic for a video game. You are the very handsome Leon Scott Kennedy and you must save the President's Daughter. You uncover a not so deep conspiracy that a cult has her and is going to make her join via parasite. It's a very shallow story with little emotion. But there are some nice charming characters.
The setting grew on me as a I progressed through the game. Spain is not trying hard to pull you in. But immerses you slowly through it's malaise and morose.
GAMEPLAY
So being on the Nintendo Wii you have many advantages. You can now point your wiimote on the screen and blast away with precision and it works real well as all the weapons feel great and so does the impact. The knife is very weak.
Lets go through the gameplay to and how much of it is there. Now you may think that because this is a TPS this will get repetitive but ultimately it never does as the Survival Horror elements still largely stick. You have an limited inventory and health. But no where near as limited as the previous games.
In RE4 you have many levels to explore though linear feel robust and atmospheric. You can find many items hidden about and get money to buy things off the black market from a creepy guy who goes "Whatcha Buyin'" AKA Merchant. Hes cool. He appears ever where you are without any transition to show you.
The camera hangs behind you over your shoulder for that perfect shot.
There are moments in Resident Evil 4 where you must solve puzzles. The puzzles are rather simple but still fun. They are by no means brain teasers.
Resident Evil 4 Wii edition has goodies and alt modes. You can get different costumes and play as Ada Wong in Seperate Ways and play in Mercenaries mode. Mercenaries is a survival mode where you can contest on how well you kill bad guys. You can play as other characters in the game
-Hunk
-Krauser
-Adda
-Leon
-Fedora Leon
-RCPD Leon
It's so lit.
The AI is really pushing for the console. No longer are there dumb zombies with 5 code line data . The villagers can climb latters, gather around and shoot you. Things that bad guys couldn't even think of in 5 gen console games.
Speaking of bad guys. This game has tons of bad guys. You'll fight nights, village men and women, plague people, knights, shamblers, and worst of all..... COLMILLOS! I hate these things with every fiber of my being. They run up to you and jump on you and eat out your throat. They are giant wolves and have parasites pop out of them. Bring your most powerful weapon if you can. They come in packs and eyes glow red.
The bosses are diverse. Each of them have their own ability. To cut you into shreds to smash you and more.
Did I mention that the death scenes are so detailed and funny. Whenever Leon dies he lets out a Beagle noise. "ARRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" It sounds like Richard Nixon had a heart attack!
The levels are also diverse and transition into each other in 3 acts.
Village forest
Castle
Military Base.
Crafting in RE4 is a must. You can make things that will repair your health more or less depending on herb combination.
One big gripe of RE4 has to be the quicktime events. Yet they sure add to the excitement.
But the QTE and context icon come to the player's benefit. Leon can kick people's head off executioner style as they break into viscera or death.
You can even go on cart rides through the caves.
Really play RE4 for yourself. Its such a great game.
GRAPHICS
For 2005 these graphics where the most amazing thing on the Nintendo Gamecube and still amazing on the PS2 and Even the Wii knowing its almost just as limited. Though the textures are quite low resolution, things are pretty blocky, and the display is in 640 by 480 the game still holds up very well. Leon is rather handsome and high poly, environments are atmospheric and detailed as well as the items. Ashly is also pretty hot so is Ada. Everything is rather drab and foggy but it adds to the overall atmosphere RE4 is giving us. You'll go up to walls that have bump maps as the game progresses. It looks better the more you go on. The animation is also good. A big step from the cheap non-mocap REs of the PS1 days.
Resident Evil is super violent and would fall on everyone's list as the 8th or 3rd most violent game as the deaths are detailed. Shield the children. This game is for men like yours truly.
You will see detailed caves and items. Enemies are detailed to as they are smart.
Nowadays, you can get mods for RE4 and make everything look better or just plain zany and if you still have the rom. Tessellate it. There is no difference. It looks slightly worse as ropes on bridges appear as cocoons.
SOUND
Music in RE4 is rather sparse. It usually boils down to simplistic songs made for total mood and atmosphere to instumental orchestral techno music.
Serenity is the best song IMO it makes me feel so calm and lost like I'm in a different world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgnZ9w5ghwE
Las Plagas will yell out the most memorable insults in habla espanol. Lots of cheese ball dialogue. Even in 2005 with high budgets you cannot escape.
The guns are all unique and powerful sounding. Item sounds, iconic.
OVERALL
Resident Evil 4 is a great game. Especially if you take it for what it is. I played hours of it and couldn't stop.