LogFAQs > #943528035

Resident Evil 4
https://i.imgur.com/g8Yw2Bi.jpg
Leeeeeeoooooooooooooon! Ashley Graham

It is said that when God created the universe, he asked each Resident Evil game if it wanted to be a horror, action, exploration, QTE set piece, serious, schlocky, spy, military, conspiracy, political commentary, apolitical, Devil May Cry, Tetris, B-movie, anime, funny-bad, funny-good, well-translated, poorly-translated, midget-bashing, redneck zombie cannibal, medieval knight, Napoleonic warfare, advanced sci-fi, Umbrella lore-light, Umbrella lore-heavy, or tactical gun customization game. While all of the other REs deliberated, RE4 slammed its fists onto the table, frothed at the mouth, and screamed only one word: Yes!

Resident Evil 4 is all things to all people. Its not just the ultimate video game, it also cured my cancer and brought peace to the Middle-East. When the sun consumes Earth seven-billion years from now, humanity will use the last of its power to launch a copy of RE4 into space. Aliens will find it, play it, and sing an eternal celestial dirge in our honor, for they will know that we had lived as gods.

The best REs all have something in common: a creative vision. At every step of the way, the RE7 team knew they were making a game about wacky rednecks and creepy little girls. At every step of the way, the RE2R team knew they were making a serious game set in a wacky police station, and that the villains would be really pathetic scientists. And at every step of the way, the RE4 team knew they were making a game about everything. You play something like RE6, and it just drags on and on because so much of it is just the routine that has to be there. Want to know something about RE4? The entire castle section could be cut, and youd lose almost nothing. That castle is like 40% of the game, but the only important story things that happen are the introduction of Ada and the death of Luis. But because the developers knew they were making a wacky castle with monks chanting MORIR ES VIVIR, they had such a strong creative vision that the game never seems to drag.

When I say a game about everything, what I mean is that RE4s greatest strength isnt the combat or the story. Its that it is throwing weird new things at you, nonstop, and you never question any of it. The progression of Leon investigates a house to Cult leader pops a glowing eyeball out of his mouth on a military base thats also a secret monster laboratory never at any point feels unnatural. In the span of about two hours, youll fight through a castle against medieval priests, sneak through a dungeon chased by a butler, travel through the excavation of an ancient tomb, battle chainsaw-wielding mutants in an Indiana Jones minecart ride, get chased by a giant mechanical statue of a midget, ascend a tower guarded by Donkey Kong barrels, and kill Napoleon Bonaparte.

So, Hideki Kamiya (who made RE2) said We made five games about zombies, were zombied out at this point, lets make RE4 where Leon has a sword and does stylish action moves. And Capcom said Thats too not-Resident Evil-y. Heres the money to make Devil May Cry, well just make a new RE4. Then they made an entire prototype game where Leon wanders a spooky 19th century mansion owned by the founder of Umbrella, and chucked it for being too boring. Then they made a prototype game where Leon wanders around a castle while infected by a hallucination virus, and chucked it because the GameCube couldnt handle the effects. Then they made a prototype game where Leon fights more zombies, and they chucked it for being too formulaic.

Then someone said, actually, lets do the stylish action moves anyway, but its not zombies, its weird guys. You know the weirdest and lamest legacy of RE4? Its that this game decided not to use zombies because it wanted to use cannibal Spanish rednecks, so every subsequent game uses not!zombies, who always behave exactly like zombies and arent screaming UN FORESTERO at you. Like, RE4 has a very clear reason for not using zombies it allows the enemies to use weapons, operate catapults, be part of a wacky religious cult, etc. The not!zombies in later games either behave exactly like zombies, or behave exactly like zombies but can use assault rifles.

Everyone knows that this is where the series goes balls-to-the-wall action, which is fine. But it still manages to be a creepy horror title. During the village, theres always a creepy oppressive atmosphere. During the island, the regenerator sections are still a bit spooky. Like, the game never manages to be genuinely scary like RE1R or anything, but theres still always a recognizable cord of unsettling horror running through it. Even though the first thing that happens in the game is the famous village fight, which is designed to tell players This isnt your grandpas Resident Evil, were action now, the game is still full of scary moments.

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Not changing this sig until I decide to change this sig.
Started: July 6, 2005