Resident Evil 4 (PS2)

(Capcom)

When Resident Evil 4 slashed its way onto the Game Cube earlier this year in overseas markets it was met with an astonishment that is extremely rare in our time of regular blockbuster titles.

Almost perfect in every way, the chances of the game coming across as well to the PS2 edition were doubted by many. Even Shinji Mikami, the game’s director apparently said he would cut off his own head before seeing RE4 be ported to another platform.

But it is here.

I have reviewed many, many games over the years, and I can say without doubt that this is one of the finest titles to ever grace the PS2. Both technically and in gameplay it is simply a masterpiece of programming and design. Resident Evil was always crying out for a 3D experience beyond the pre-rendered screens of earlier Resident Evil titles. Capcom have not just delivered the next title in the series, they have raised the bar for everyone who follows.

From the start of the game you (as Our Hero, Leon) are thrust into a village of angry, angry residents. They have pitchforks and there is an even angrier guy with a bloody rusty chainsaw. Needless to say they don’t want you to leave, and they don’t want you to stay in one piece.

They aren’t zombies, but they aren’t quite human either.

Thus the central conceit of the game rears its bloody head. The mystery will unravel while you fight through hordes of villagers and mutants. This time around Leon has a full arsenal from sniper rifles to rocket launchers but make no mistake, this is no Quake style shooter. It is much more of a thinker than a shooter, with loads of atmosphere and tense moments. You can upgrade weapons with trades along the way and when you get all the weapon upgrades special weapons exclusive to the PS2 will be unlocked.

This game is brutally addictive, and next to impossible to put down. Beyond the main storyline there is an alternate mission involving a character you might recall from Resident Evil 2, Ada. She was quite mysterious back then and a few of her secrets will come out this bonus mission, a very nice inclusion for Resident Evil fans.

The world you guide Leon through and explore makes plenty of sense and you will not be frustrated at having to backtrack or left with only one way to go (well, not too many times). There is plenty of opportunity to think laterally in order to survive. Doors can be shot to pieces or kicked open, or might be smashed by a bloody villager when you lease expect it. It can be advantageous at times to block up a door or two with a nearby table or other part of the environment. Areas of the game will let you hit the X button to interact with objects, but there are plenty of other options that you can miss, like shooting a cart filled with explosives and letting it sail down the hill into a group of enemies.

The gameplay is a frighteningly addictive blend of exploration, sniping and blasting enemies while rescuing and then leading the president’s daughter (your main mission is to save her). The fear is real and always present, but not in the offscreen-something-is-coming way earlier titles in the RE series presented, but in a headless-woman-with-a-chainsaw-after-you way (I hope I’m making sense). There are so many brilliant moments, like being holed up in a little shack while creatures pour in the window and door, or sniping from a distance at the black robed fiends who are trying to snatch the president’s daughter. I can’t even begin to describe the tension that oozes from the game.

Play this one in a thunderstorm at night with the lights down and a good sound system for the perfect scary experience.

The graphics aren’t quite as amazing as the Gamecube version, but have been tailored to the PS2’s capabilities outshine everything else I’ve ever seen on my PS2. Just wait until you see the bosses – you can only gape at how Capcom made the big bosses look so damn good. It’s really beyond anything that the PS2 has ever seen. Likewise the soundtrack is gorgeous and perfectly fitting for the game, sound effects are realistic and chilling (like the chainsaw wielding chainsaw). Any gameplay shortfalls are very minor and aren’t worth talking about. There is a limited amount of slowdown, but considering how good everything looks I really would have expected a whole lot more.

Buying Resident Evil 4 will be the best purchase you make this year. No ifs, buts or blood curdling screams about it.

Rating 5/5

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