One of the greatest games in years, an immensely enjoyable and memorable experience.
The new camera angle creates the exact atmospheric nature the game needs, being restricted to view only what’s exactly in front of you, it requires frequent camera movement and quick steps and turns for reactive movement of Leon. The game introduces the player at a steady pace, but soon enough the enemies become bigger, faster and stronger. Tearing through boss fights and insane creatures, this is the most impressive collection of enemies in a Resi game to date. The environment is a big leap from previous games; split into village, castle and island areas, each one is very different but equally impressive. Your surroundings are highly interactive, as the game contains many secrets and hidden items to be found, much of which are either directly usable items such as ammunition, or items which make use of the wandering merchant, of which you can sell items or buy from him. Speaking of ammo, you won’t usually find yourself with little of it in comparison to earlier games, this can be seen as a good thing as you find yourself taking down enemies more rather than searching around.
One factor that makes the game so enjoyable to play is the exact precision you have over wielding the vast array of weaponry. It can be argued that the Wii version is the definitive one, as the remote point action gives absolute responsiveness when aiming, immersing the player even more. However the genius of the Resident Evil 4 is that it often puts you in very intense positions, be it having to quickly take down a massive group of approaching enemies with one clip, or having a few seconds to take down a monk with one correct shot as they are carrying Ashley hostage. Without mastering an often simple skill such recognising the responsiveness of your wiimote whilst aiming, these situations can often lead the player to panic, a single wrong shot can often be fatal, especially when you need to rescue Ashley. This is one of the few factors of the Wii version that lacks in comparison to the game on the other platforms. The fact your have a more responsive aim can often making aiming you gun quicker and often easier. Sure this can be seen as a good thing, but these intense situations are made easier by more precise movement, you won't be in as much of a rush to take enemies down fast. By the fact you find yourself firing at enemies a lot of the time, the animation and effects of dealing damage is all very convincing, the blood and gore of the series is there in all its glory, however the alternate beauty of the game is never lost. The graphics are superb, even in the darkest areas of the game it always continues the impressive amount of detail. The cut-scenes and general interaction of characters seem influenced by film, slightly reminiscent of the Metal Gear Solid series. But overall the general character presentation and story is very good and utterly convincing, the voice acting seems a little off at times, but generally they are all well suited to their characters. Overall Resident Evil 4 is an unmissable experience that gets the player fully involved with a fierce grip that just doesn’t let go.