Resident Evil 4

Capcom sparked the survival horror franchise many years ago by introducing Resident Evil, but the genre has become tiresome. The fourth chapter is a phoenix of sorts.

Don`t get me wrong; survival horror is my favourite gaming genre. It seems, however, that with Silent Hill, The Suffering and Ties that Bind as benchmarks, many copycats have fallen very short.

Even Resident Evil seemed to lose the plot. Take Codename: Veronica and Resident Evil: Outbreak for example. After tons of zombies and mutants (victims of the Umbrella Corporation`s T-virus), gamers had their fill of blood and gore, which they`d received countless times before.

In an attempt to keep it feeling fresh, the developers introduced different elements to the game, but these did not have the desired effect.

These desperate times made Capcom go back to the drawing board. It emerged with a gem - Resident Evil 4 (RE4).

There`s more action, fewer puzzles, a fresh new sinister storyline and no zombies - thinking and reacting enemies have replaced them.

I`m a little sad to see the horror (and zombies) go out of the game, as this was what attracted me to it in the first place. The game mainly focuses on the survival aspect now.

RE4 takes place six years after Resident Evil: Outbreak and the government has closed down the Umbrella Corporation.

Leon Kennedy (RE2) is no longer a Special Tactics and Rescue Service member and is now part of the Secret Service. His first mission is to find the president`s daughter, Ashley Graham, who is missing somewhere in Spain.

Upon arrival in a small Spanish village, Leon is attacked. He decides to stick around and see what`s going on in this little backward town.

Leon has to work his way though dangerous territory, with traps and angry villagers at every turn in order to get to get to the bottom of this curious situation and find Ashley.

RE4 has changed the camera angle slightly; no longer is the view that of a third person - the gamer now watches the action from over Leon`s shoulder. This allows intuitive movement throughout the full 3D game environment.

The camera also zooms in, allowing Leon to get a more accurate aim on his opposition. The gun`s laser site will ensure any shot taken will count.

I`m glad to see RE4 has done away with the annoying "ink ribbon" save system. Now players can save anytime they want without fear of running out of saves (like in previous games).

Save points are scattered throughout the game as typewriters. It`s a blessing I say! I can`t explain how much I hated holding onto ink ribbons like they were the next Messiah.

As Leon ventures further into this twisted tale, he is exposed to enemies which behave very differently to previous Resident Evil adversaries.

They are more intelligent and more of a challenge than a brain guzzling zombie. They run, dodge, throw dynamite, climb ladders, jump through windows and some even wield chainsaws.

The game pushes the boundaries of realism by giving enemies realistic "hit zones". If shot in the leg they`ll drop or stagger, shoot their arm and they`ll drop whatever weapon is in that hand, shoot them in the chest and they`ll stagger backwards, or shoot them in the head to see it explode.

Leon can kick or punch a stunned enemy; this will help to preserve bullets (as they are scarce).

Luckily if ammo runs dry Leon has his trusty knife that can be used at any moment.

Disappointingly, the villagers seem to be repetitive in design, and even, dare I say it - dull?

Breaking boxes to find money, health and items got boring quickly. I feel this has been done so many times in previous games that developers could have come up with something different.

Money (found in boxes or on dead villagers) plays a key factor in RE4, as it can be used at merchants throughout the game to purchase health, ammo or new weapons. Upgrades to weapons already in Leon`s possession can also be bought, making them either more accurate, or able to carry more bullets.

This is an excellent development, giving the game a RPG feel. The effect makes the player feel Leon is actually advancing and getting a little stronger as the game progresses.

The graphics are almost identical to the Game Cube version - only subtle differences being apparent on comparison. The game utilises the power of the PlayStation 2 and creates breathtaking images that are incomparable to any game at this time.

The backgrounds are stunning and help set the mood. They give the game that creepy feel I`ve grown to love over the years. The textures are rich and full of gloom.

The sound adds to the feel of the game, and gunshots and explosions left me with a fat smile on my face. The voice acting, however, was a little weak, especially the foreign accents, which were particularly badly done.

All in all this game isn`t the typical shock horror that everyone is used to. It is more psychological this time round. I loved the zombies from previous games and I think it`ll be a while before I let my love for them go.

There`s just something scarier about brainless, fearless monsters than angry mutated villagers - but that`s just me.

Even with that said, this game is worth its weight in mutilated villager bits, and scores a satisfying 7.5/10. Go and get it - you won`t be sorry.