Best of the series ?
Graphically, the game is stunning, great atmosphere with dark and gloomy scenery (Spanish as they say in the game), Resident Evil 4 is a technical beauty. But having played the Gamecube version later, I do notice some differences between the two versions and do think that the Gamecube’s version is a tad better. Even so, the Playstation2 is doing a great job.
Now for the story, I don’t find it ground breaking, but playing the rest of the series later, none of it really is. It’s a mix of those television thriller series like 24h (daughter of the president taken hostage) with a horror movie touch. It’s not terrible, but the game isn’t based on telling you a story. There are some good surprises, and twists all along the game, but it’s just to make the game last really.
The controls are just right for the game, made easy thanks to the camera angle, head shots are no longer an elite technique, everyone can (and eventually will have to) do it. The interactivity with the scenery isn’t revolutionary but useful at times, like when you have to push a latter to be safe, for some time. The AI in the game is surprising at times, they can be ingenious and cunning (for an AI), sometimes they’re just plain stupid, so it varies.
For the music, I can’t say it’s the best I’ve heard, it does add to the atmosphere, making it gloomier. I find that the sound only gets important at the end, in the laboratory where you can hear the breathing, that’s atmosphere! But besides that, I really can’t say Resident Evil 4 has any memorable tunes. One of the things I enjoyed of Resident Evil 4, compared to the latest action games that have been coming out, is its length. Resident Evil 4 is beaten in about 20 hours, which is the double of any other game coming out today, and with the bonuses of the Playstation2 version, count a couple of more hours.
In all, Resident Evil 4 is a great action-horror based game that any Playstation2, Gamecube, and even Wii owned should at least try, to experience.