Resident Evil 4 is another game that requires little introduction. I will be the first to say that I am not really a fan of Resident Evil. So being honest, I view this just as any other game. You could take the title out of it and I would have just liked it for what it was.
Lets start by saying that I liked the play style. Over the shoulder was kind of new to me, but I really liked the feeling of being in the world. First person can start to feel very flat, but the 3rd person point of view made you watch your feet, and gave you a sense of space. Nothing was worse than finding yourself fighting enemies and then notice they are behind you. However when you would look down your sights you were unable to look behind you. Meaning something could grab you without you ever knowing.
The story was really great, even if it was a bit generic. The puzzles were just challenging enough, but didn’t slow you down. The game made sure you had a sense of direction, but didn’t really give you the answers to how to play. My fiancé even enjoyed watching me play because of the story. The voice work was well done, and the gameplay mechanics just felt fluid. Only thing that bugged me was the flying bugs, those things just felt like a way to make you waste ammo.
The game saw several rereleases, each upping the graphical fidelity. I of course played most of them, throwing my hard earned money at the same game over and over. I wish they would have taken the resources and remastered the cut-scenes though. These were really the weak point for the game. The game really aged well all things considering. I mean, it started on the gamecube. Not a lot of horsepower there.
On a closing note, this game has literally made me jump and nearly cry. Anyone who has played the game knows the creature above. When it would enter the fray you would hear the specific music and terrifying breathing or whatever it did. Specifically the card key monster that is a little darker than these ones. I remember it fairly vividly. I’m in my room, lights off, playing on the gamecube. I’m on a foot stool in front of my bed. I am on my first playthrough so I have no idea what I’m doing. I shoot off one of its legs and its wigging around. I try to run passed it, when it JUMPS up and bites me. I screamed like a baby, falling backwards off the footstool and I toss the controller. I was 15 years old, and I felt like a child. My mom hollers across the hall wondering if I’m okay. I turned the game off for the night. Shows what happens when you’re really in the zone.
EK Creates 