3. Resident Evil 4

 

Developer: Capcom
Release: Jan 11th 2005
Metacritic Score: 96
Format: PS2, Gamecube, Wii
Sales: 6.5 Million

Simon Flatman: The removal of the undead from the Resident Evil series was probably the least significant change, despite the outcry from fans. Not only was the survival horror genre given a much-needed kick up the posterior, but RE4 set a benchmark that has never been surpassed.

Replacing scares for fast paced action, RE4’s greatest asset was that it was never afraid to be a videogame. It had little regard for geographical consistency and shoehorned the player from one magnificent set piece to another. And those set pieces are amongst some of the finest in our mediums history to which the opening village is testament and presents ample choices. Should you take to the bell tower, the Ganados will bombard you with petrol bombs, should you take to one of the secluded houses for cover one of the bag headed chainsaw wielding enemies appears, threatening to saw Leon Kennedy’s head off in one swoop. These scenarios, although scripted, certainly create the tangible illusion that RE4 has many methods of progression.
 

 

The list of memorable moments in RE4 is endless: The siege in the house, the struggle in the lake with the Del Lago, Salazar’s right hand, It, the mine cart ride, the El Gigante, the terrifying trawl through the sewers with the invisible…errrr…things, the hedge maze with the dogs, Baghead; hearing the chainsaws whirrs immediately makes you stop dead to check where he‘s coming from. How many other videogame enemies produce such cautious play? “Not enough cash!”, the cable cars, the regenerators; easily one of the most fearsomely designed enemies in the survival horror rogues gallery.   

Bosses are cartoonish compared to the series’ past, beret donning dwarves and beardy old men have replaced the more enigmatic icons in previous series entries. Never the less, they all act as gate ways to inspire more of those excellent set pieces, and ultimately that’s what matters. What’s even more impressive is that even at twenty hours long, there is no lull, no sense of repetition, RE4 manages to stay fresh and invigorating throughout its tenure by introducing new environments, gigantic bosses and new weapons.
 

Perhaps the only black mark on its history book is the reinvention of the quick time event, a staple that has become another lazy method for less creative developers to bombard titles with more cut scenes.  Though as expected RE4 handles it gracefully, in fact, a fight with an old nemesis (no pun intended) that is entirely constructed out of QTE’s can be added to that list of memorable highlights.     

RE4 shifts from a chase from a gigantic statue of a dwarf with a beret to a manic mine cart ride within minutes. It sacrificed the series’ trademark convoluted storylines and realism for tongue in cheek action and over-the-top theatrics. RE4 just doesn’t care and it’s the better game for it. RE4 is an absolutely superb title that deserves its place in this list and is likely to be the benchmark of the genre for some time to come. Inevitably RE4 has to end at some point. You know the journey will climax, that the set pieces will run out and that you will never be able to repeat the same feelings of anticipation that you felt on the first play through. It’s a genuine feeling of both loss and accomplishment when the game finally says, “farewell stranger.”     

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