Every person not infected by a parasitic mind-altering virus should buy, rent, borrow, or steal this game.
Fans of the series may recognize the main character, Leon Kennedy, from Resident Evil 2, where he successfully contained a zombie outbreak. He retires from police work and eventually lands a job as a government agent when he is abruptly dispatched to a small European village to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter. The community is thoroughly displeased with Leon’s presence in their village and violently assaults him, despite an obvious proficiency with a 9mm.
The setting alone may not be the most terrifying, but the constant sense of impending danger more than makes up for it. Despite their complete indifference to survival, the villagers are eerily coherent, capable of communication and very capable of organizing attacks. They are not particularly fast, but they compensate with varied weapons, exceptional durability, and extreme persistence.
Don’t get me wrong: the environment is fantastically disturbing. Within the first few minutes of the game, you’ll find a woman stapled to a wall via pitchfork—through her face. The arenas you will find yourself struggling to survive in are not necessarily original, but still offered in a way that is fresh and creative.
Even the characters that present themselves as allies have an unexplainable mystery to them. Some sit back and turn the events into a bizarre business venture, while others will assist you against the overwhelming odds only to run off for a reason they never fully clarify.
So, you’ve killed a few dozen infected Spaniards—time for an expository cut- scene and a breather, a moment to rest your blistered fingers and jangled nerves, right? Not a chance. Resident Evil 4 does an excellent job of both keeping you in the game and maintaining a challenge. Where most cut-scene-heavy games temporarily take you out of commission (cough) Xenosaga (cough), RE4’s relentless cinematic style and context-sensitive mechanics keep you immersed in the action.
With all the attention to graphical detail and character design, you may overlook the superior audio elements. Everything from the crackling fire to the authentic Spanish insults to the weapons in Leon’s arsenal sound authentic. Hell, by the end of this game, you will know what a tentacle erupting from a head sounds like.
The story, score, visuals, and gameplay are all flawless. Every person not infected by a parasitic mind-altering virus should buy, rent, borrow, or steal this game.