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Resident Evil 4

Published: Wed 9 Aug, 2006 | On:

Occasionally one gets the urge to rearrange one’s furniture. It’s not that there is anything particularly wrong with the current layout, but it’s become stale and stagnant; it's just too familiar for its own good. A little effort and a dash of indulgence later and a room can feel fresh and rejuvenated. Yet it’s still the same old furniture. No amount of feng shui is going to alter the heinous brown, a relic of 70’s decor, of one’s couch. Resident Evil 4, the last of the ill-fated ‘Capcom 5’, shares a similar fate.

Resident Evil was always the video game equivalent of a B-grade horror movie. Atrocious dialogue, scripted shocks, and buckets of blood were all present and accounted for. The latest instalment of the franchise augments this approach tenfold. The widescreen view, casting the point of view over the shoulder of returning protagonist Leon Kenedy, is highly cinematic. It also creates a feeling of unease; enemies lurk off screen, unseen dangers that are ready to pounce at any moment. But the effect is unfortunately spoiled by the decision to retain the archaic control method of the previous games. When the mood of the game so desperately cries out for the ability to nervously peek round a corner, it’s a shame that the game requires a player to walk into exposure and pivot to stare into the unknown. Combat is equally sloppy, almost cowardly. Metroid Prime was able to circumvent the flaws in this method, quite literally, buy including a lock-on option, where the player could circle an enemy while keeping it in view. Resident Evil 4, however, aiming is stationary and the game requires the player to shoot, run to a safe distance, turn, and then shoot again.

Of course this strategy is only required during the scripted sequences were the odds are stacked against the player. The exploration between these events never feels pernicious. The combat knife is the culprit. In previous games the knife was a last resort. Wielding it caused a feeling of nakedness and vulnerability, each passing moment it was relied on it brought a greater desire for ammunition. In Resident Evil 4 it’s overpowered and becomes the primary attack. The traditional zombies have been replaced with more dexterous foes, ones that can rush the player at alarmingly rapid rate. Yet the ability to wield the knife at any time, regardless of what weapon is equipped, means it’s all too easy to simply drop an enemy with a bullet to the kneecap and follow up with frenzied sweeps of the knife. A majority of the enemies will be dead before they arise, and the only time other weapons become mandatory is when the player is either outnumbered, facing a boss, or against the later enemies in the game. This allows the player to conserve ammunition, meaning that it’s always a matter of what weapon you want to use, not what weapon your forced to use.

Yet despite the flawed and pusillanimous combat, the game becomes more of a shooting gallery. While the wide, open forests at the beginning promise freedom and entice exploration, the player is constantly ushered down the linear path where new enemies await. Thanks to the excellent animation – gone are the Thunderbird puppets of the previous games – and the new aiming system it’s constantly satisfying to remove the head of an opponent with a well-placed shot. And with a plot that has more holes than the bodies of your enemies, a majority of the enjoyment comes from the action. It’s more Aliens than Dawn of the Dead.

Unfortunately, it is not only the sloppy combat that encumbers the game. There are sections of the game were Leon is forced to escort to the president’s daughter, Ashley. Playing the chivalrous protector is not always a chore; Ico has already proven this. Yorda’s complete dependency on the player was never a burden; it created a feeling of empathy where it was almost criminal to leave her, even when it was required. Ashley, on the other hand, is a hindrance, no thanks to her bovine AI. She’ll get stuck behind a window, unable to jump through unless the player moves into a position that puts her in a direct line of sight. In the heat of battle it’s a nuisance to constantly check on her position to make sure she’s in tow. And unlike Yorda, there is never a feeling of empathy towards her; at her most annoying it actually becomes tempting to shoot her.

It’s not entirely tragic news, however; there is a lot of fun to be had with Resident Evil 4 once the flaws are bypassed. There is a certain sick satisfaction to be had from efficiently executing the floods of enemies in the game. But thanks to the clumsy controls, the game never elevates itself beyond a glorified shooting gallery. Admittedly it’s a most impressive and fleshed out shooting gallery, but the basic puzzles and lack of intelligence means the game remains a glorified carnival attraction. If violence, explosions, and gore are prerequisites for purchase, then Resident Evil 4 certainly delivers, especially compare to the rest of the Gamecube’s catalogue. But ultimately the gameplay gets tiresome and, dragged down by the same flaws that have plagued the series since its inception, Resident Evil 4 often becomes an exercise in unnecessary frustration. Is it worth the price of admission? Yes. Is it essential? No.