When I got the Gamecube last year I got it mostly for two reasons. One would be the new Legend of Zelda game that's coming out later this year and the other would have to be Resident Evil 4. I had never played a Resident Evil game before this one(I saw the movie, but that doesn't really count) cause I heard people would constantly struggle with the controls and camera angles. Then came RE4 which looked so much fun in the previews and such that I felt I had no choice but to pick this game up whether I was to struggle with the controls or not. So how I'd like my first Resident Evil game? I think the answer can be summed up in saying that this is one of the greatest games that I have ever played. Starting off with the graphics which are very nicely done. However I do have a problem with the fact that Leon, the main character in the game, kind of looks like Macaulay Culkin in the opening cut scene. Still the main focuse for the graphics is of course in the effects with heads blowing up, enemies knocking down a door piece by piece and just the boss creatures themselves are so gross and hideous that the graphics are really well done. Next moving on to the audio which was also well done, the voice overs for characters like Leon and Ashley are incredible. They got good actors and a great script however the main focus for the audio has got to be the music which really sends chills up your spine sometimes. Area can start off completely quiet then all of a sudden music starts picking up and you know that somethings out there looking for you. So the audio is great even the gunfire and explosions are a nice touch. Now the gameplay, very nicely done the big thing about the game play is the fact that since pretty much all your guns have a laser sight you can shoot them wherever you want, and it makes a difference. Shoot them in the leg and they'll fall to their knees. They have a weapon, shoot it out of their hands. They throw the weapon at you and you can shoot it down mid air before it hits you. This is important as every so often you will have to escort Ashley around and every so often she will start to be carried away from some of the enemies and you need to hit them just right to make them drop her, but keep her unharmed cause she also has a health bar to worry about. Also the enemies are difficult, they'll team up on you, duck out of the way of a shot and there is also a nice variety, from lowly villages to wolves and insect like creatures that can not only go invisible but can climb walls and ceiling. Not to mention creatures able to regenerate themselves after being hurt. They're called Regenerators, bet you didn't see that coming. Even these other enemies to really mix things up like villagers that carry around chainsaws and can kill you with one hit if you get close. Now of course the bosses are massive in size and no walk in the park by any means it'll take a lot of patience to get through some of them so hopefully you have a lot. Now an interesting part of the gameplay, which if any of you are fimilar with the game Shenmue you'll know what I'm talking about, where during moments of boss fights or even during cut scenes certain buttons will appear on screen and you have to press them quick or else in a lot of causes you'll end up dead. One of these moments seems to be taken right out of the Resident Evil movie where Leon has to go through a laser grid or else be sliced in half(unfortunetly he doesn't actually end up sliced in half, what a bummer). Now for probably the most important part, the scare factor. Resident Evil series is known to be one of the most scariest series of all time and how does handle up. I say very well, the fear in this game comes more from "edge of your seat" then "out of your seat" Walking into a new area you hear someone yelling or the music pick up and you're looking aroun everywhere to see where the enemies are coming from and then when you become surrounded and they just keep coming towards you it really kicks up the suspense. However don't be followed several times I did jump out of my seat as an enemy seemed to appear out of nowhere behind me and take me by surprise. I don't normally like being scared but here I didn't mind at all. Now the one thing that to me was a flaw in the game was a couple problems with collision detection, where every so often at a locked door or such enemy's weapons will end up clipping right through it and although it really doesn't change the gameplay any it's just one of those simple things that could have been fixed and that's it. I had no other problems with this game. I haven't even talked about the story yet, but if I do you'll end up reading this review forever so let me just say that the story is great and it'll be one of the reasons why you feel you need to complete this game all the way through. This is probably one of my favorite games of all time and I'm really unfimilar with anything else in the series. After I beat the game I ended up going a second time through the game when normally after I beat the game I just move on to the next this game got to me that much. If you have a Gamecube you have to have this game it's not even a questions it's more of a requirement. To have a Gamecube you need to have RE4, it's as simple as that.
