It’s barmy from the start, never taking itself too seriously, and means Leon feels well-placed to deliver camp jibes to enemies in cutscenes just as he sends bullets to all their squishy parts. That’s the type of writing akin to a child’s superhero fantasy comic, but for some reason, it works. True this is Capcom, so no one is expecting Shakespearean depth, but you literally have to rescue the President’s daughter. His mysterious manner and fantastic accent kept Leon in weapon upgrades and healing items throughout his adventure.Īnd that adventure shouldn’t have worked for how simple the story was. Upgrades not only give you some breathing space but come courtesy of the best character in the entire series the “Whaddaya buyin’?” Merchant character. Here, everything is sensibly sized and forces you to choose what to take with you. Gone are the days when a humble ink ribbon was as cumbersome as a shotgun or numerous grenade rounds. The attache case system in Resident Evil 4 is simple but effective in that everything is the size it should be. There was even a knack to how you managed your gear, and when a game gets plaudits for an inventory management system, you know it’s made it. By and large, the puzzle-solving elements were removed and replaced with an emphasis on tactical play.
Linear corridors and pokey rooms of previous titles were replaced with open areas to explore and navigate how you saw fit. Resident Evil 4’s over-the-shoulder viewpoint and free movement felt fresh and more importantly freed you up to explore in your own way. No more fixed camera positions dictating what you see and where you go. Gone are those cumbersome tank controls from the earlier Resi games. As openings go, it’s pretty memorable and sets the scene perfectly that this is a very different Resident Evil game. That is until that eerie chiming of the bell calls a halt to proceedings, and you can finally take a deep sigh of relief. You take down a few enemies, but more keep coming. You’ll need to run, gun and dodge your way to survival, searching for bullets and making every shot count. It’s that consistency of well-paced, memorable moments peppered throughout Resident Evil 4 that make it so loved, and why for many it’s the pinnacle of the much-loved horror series.įor a lot of us, it will be that first frantic scene in the village where it’s just you and a relentless swarm of Ganados. But that’s not the damning indictment it sounds, because the problem is actually that so many different parts rush into my head, vying for the top spot.
When I sit here reminiscing about just how good Resident Evil 4 was, no one defining moment comes to mind.
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