Resident Evil 4

by Capcom

Product Features

• Advanced AI makes enemies smarter than ever and use their cunning in deadly attacks
• Use the Action button for better player control
• New 'Aim and Shoot' targeting for zeroing in on enemies with your weapons
• Behind the camera view for intuitive movement
• Conversations and monologues can be heard in real time

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002A6CQ4
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 7, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (349 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,380 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com

The walking dead have incoherently moaned, clumsily shuffled their feet, and affectionately given us crater-sized hickeys in every Resident Evil game to date. The animated corpses that put this series on the map and redefined video game horror as a whole are now buried six feet under the soil at Capcom's Production Studio 4. It may be difficult to envision a Resident Evil game without flesh-eating zombies, but Capcom is showing us that there are far more terrifying things that go bump in the night. Nothing can truly prepare you for the unspeakable horrors that will hunt you until your last breath is given. It's been a long time coming, but Resident Evil is back, and it is better and bloodier than ever before.

This game is such a departure from the series' heritage that the only familiarity gamers will have with it is through protagonist Leon S. Kennedy, who was first introduced as a greenhorn police officer that spent his first day on the job handling the outbreak in Resident Evil 2. Attracted to madness like teenage girls are to Camp Crystal Lake, Kennedy once again finds himself knee-deep in unspeakable horror. Rather than having maggot-infested zombies gnawing at his neck, crazed villagers are the order of the day. Unlike the slow-witted, slow-moving dead, these adversaries are very intelligent, extremely agile, and not afraid to use weapons. They also like to attack in packs. Picture if you will a group of six murderous souls with beady red eyes glowing under the moonlight running at you with lit dynamite, ducking out of the way of your shots, and calling out for others nearby to lend a hand in your death. This is a new kind of scare that far surpasses the suspense and jump-out-of-your-seat shock moments that fueled the previous chapters in the series. As you'll soon learn, there are few things scarier than a middle-aged housewife that sprints at you with a blood-soaked axe raised into the air, belting out a bloodcurdling scream.

To counteract the intelligence and sheer brutality of these new foes, Capcom has completely reworked the combat system. In the past, we blindly fired into areas we couldn't see and ran past enemies to preserve ammo. This time around, everything that so much as raises a finger at you must die – preferably by a nicely placed headshot. A remarkable new targeting system allows this feat to be handled with the utmost precision. On this note, I've never seen so many heads explode in my life. The new over-the-shoulder perspective coupled with a beautifully crafted laser sight makes for a lethal and satisfying combat experience. Additionally, players can now interact with their surroundings in a handful of clever ways, such as knocking down ladders and pushing dressers in front of doors. The Resident Evil games were always criticized for being too clumsy in gameplay. With Resident Evil 4, however, I can't envision it playing any better.

I also like how the game pushes players to scour every inch of the environments. Rare treasures that are unearthed can be traded in to a vendor for cash. With enough funds you can buy new weapons and items, as well as upgrade all of your armaments. Inventory space is still limited, but it's finally done in a way that makes sense. You now manage a physical space. If a new gun doesn't fit in your case, try moving things around to make room for it.

Recently, developers have been talking about the need to blend story cinematics with gameplay. Capcom has accomplished just this, and it's captured in way that will make you wish that every game that you play utilized this innovative system. For instance, if a character in a sequence comes at you with a knife, you have to press the L and R buttons at the precise moment to dodge the attack, otherwise the scene will end with blood gushing from your neck. The interaction that you have at your hands is unprecedented, and you'll be doing things you didn't even think were possible in games.

There are no flaws in Resident Evil 4. It is the greatest horror game to date. I never thought that a game, or movie for that matter, could deliver pulse-pounding action in such an awe-inspiring way.

Concept:
A brilliant new direction for survival horror that focuses on gunplay and truly cinematic moments

Graphics:
A sickening level of detail accompanies every little object, animation, and effect. It looks too good to be true

Sound:
Great voice acting, stress-inducing music, and disturbing sound effects combine to create the perfect atmosphere

Playability:
The controls are fashioned beautifully, boss fights are ingenious, and the popping of heads is immensely rewarding

Entertainment:
Hard to put down even after you've beaten it twice

Replay:
Moderately High

Rated: 10 out of 10
Editor: Andrew Reiner
Issue: March 2005

2nd Opinion:
Some games are simply destined to become milestones in gaming history, and Resident Evil 4 is one of them. Even those who have never picked up one of the previous titles and swear that they hate the slow-paced crawl of survival horror games simply must play it. Capcom has managed to create a game that is a complete reinvention of the series – even the entire genre – without losing anything that Resident Evil fans expect. Perfectly balancing elements of horror, subtlety, and wit with explosive action and over-the-top thrills, playing RE 4 feels like living one of the most epic films you've ever seen. Gorgeous to look at, a dream to control, and filled with some of the most exciting moments you've experienced in a game, Resident Evil 4 is stellar on every level. It goes without saying that it's the best in the series, the best survival horror game yet, and simply one of the best games ever made.

Rated: 10 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss


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Product Description

In Resident Evil 4 you'll know a new type of horror, as the classic survival-horror action returns with all-new characters, controls and storylines. We last saw Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 2 - a rookie cop in Raccoon City, fighting to stay alive. That was six years ago. Since then, government forces have managed to control the zombie threat and Leon has become a Federal agent. When the President's daughter is kidnapped, Leon tracks her to a remote, hidden fortress in Europe - where he'll relive the horror he faced six years before. Players will face never-before-seen enemies that make Nemesis seem like a kitten. You'll be wishing for the usual Resident Evil zombies!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

245 of 264 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down, best Gamecube title I've ever played., January 17, 2005

By 

John M Spangler (Bryan, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Resident Evil 4 (Video Game)

No spoilers! Read with confidence without me giving away information!!

When you're 32 years old, I'll admit, it's difficult supporting Nintendo. The lack of games is certainly the main issues, which explains why Nintendo is #3 behind XBOX and Playstatio 2. But I still stand by the big N, games like Zelda, Metroid Prime and the immense Resident Evil series. It's reason enough to hold onto the little Cube a little longer. Also, the repuation of the Cube being a kiddie system needs to be put to rest, especially after you lay your hands into Resident Evil 4 which is the most brutal and most appealing title I've ever played. Up front I will say, and without hesitation, this is " the best Gamecube title I've ever played" and is right up there with what the XBOX and Playstation 2 has released too.

1st things first, from what I've read before it's release, I know it has been in the works for over 2 years. Capcom always strives for perfection and I also read it was revamped and started over from scratch a total of 4 times! Capcom kept this monster quiet and underwraps for awhile, but the hype for it was phenomenal and people, gamers, critics, expected perfection considering the lengthy delays. I am pleased to say, not only did this game live up to hype, it surpassed it and then some. I've never had this much fun on my cube since Zelda! It's also one of the longest games I've ever played and expect tons of replay value just for that fact.

Resident Evil 4, while scary like it's other incarnations, feels totally different and FORGET what you know about the series, it's a whole new ball of wax. Think this game is simply about killing zombies then moving on to the next level? Think again. I won't give anything away, just know the game experience is as fresh as a new loaf of "just baked" bread, you'll always want to get more!

The new "behind the back" perspective works amazingly well and you feel more in control and it has never been done before. The graphics are astonishing and pushes the system to the limit and is easily the best looking game I've ever layed my eyes on, even better what XBOX or PS2 has ever offered! Really! Take it from someone who has them all! The main strength of the game is that it keeps the faith of the series by being a great survial horror game with addding new elements of gameplay and scaring the wits out of you!

I wont' give details away about the game, but I have to put the basics down on paper for you. The enemies in the game, sometimes referred to as "not-zombies" are smarter than what we are used to in past games. They throw firecrakers at you, come at you with chainsaws, axes, bats, bombs, you name it, these evil sickos want to take you out. Are they human or zombies or a combination? Play the game to find out.

The graphics are top notch in every sense of the word. Simply beautiful in a "disgusting way". You'll see the most obscene images of guts, decapitations, bloodletting, exploding heads, cut off arms and legs, spewing blood and the most disturbing visuals I've ever seen on any video game. This is not Mario Sunshine. I about jumped off my couch when I experienced my characters head getting sawed off by a sick dude with a rusty chainsaw. Don't think you'll be alone, at least you got your trust weapons, sniper guns, pistols, rocket launchers, flame throwers, grenades, shotgunts, your weaponry is astounding in Resident Evil 4 and it's truly exciting putting them into action against the crazies in the game.

This 4th installment lives up to the Resident Evil Tradition and will scare the wits out of you from start to finsih. Make note to only play this game when the sun goes down and turn off the lights. Why play at night? Because a game of this magnitude deserves it! Capcom painstakingly spent 2 years making this baby a reality. Now you can finally experience the best looking video game ever. Really. The overall blood factor is as immense as the "mature" rating on the cover implies. No kiddies please!

The game also has an amazing storyline and presentation. Tremendous voice acting actually for a video game, not grammy material, but good for Resident Evil to boot, and great cinematic sequences during your disgusting journey!! The sound is 1st rate too, I was hoping for a little more music accompanying my walks through the game, but for the stuff that does occur during certain situations, it's all good. The sound of a shotgun blast taking down 8 sickos is pleasing to your ears, believe me! Crank this baby up.

Games made specifically for the Cube has kept the system afloat since it was released. Sure it's 3rd place next to the powerful XBOX and almighty Playstation 2, but Gamecube survives on games that are made specifically for the system. Capcom and Nintendo are the big makers and seem to always churn out quality stuff. As with most Nintendo titles, this game is worth playing, and if you don't own the system yet, you might consider for Resident Evil 4 alone, it really is that good. This is the type of game that is so good, you'll want to play over and over. Could be a "game of the year contender" without question.

If you can take the terror, wipe off the dust on your Gamecube and bring it back to life with the first name in terror, Resident Evil is back and it's better than ever.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Um...Wow., January 18, 2005

By 

C. Conard "ExtremeAvalanche" (Fort Collins, CO) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Resident Evil 4 (Video Game)

Alright, where do I begin. Well, Resident Evil 4 is the newest game in the legendary series, and possibly the best one too, mainly due to its plot and incredible gameplay. Resident Evil fans, think back. Remember the slow-paced RE games of yesterday? They're gone, and all that is left is the most intense game you are ever likely to play. RE4 is the best action game of the last two years, and will certainly be the best game of 2005. That is, unless, Gran Turismo 4 proves me wrong.
Let's start with the most revamped feature, gameplay. Remember those good ol' days when you couldn't see, aimed too easily, and were lucky to fight one zombie in each room? Those are gone as well. RE4 incorporates behind-the-back third-person views, which are an incredible step forward, and now, you aim with a laser sight. This means being able to target the chest, legs, arms, or head, and it means corresponding actions with each one. It also means blowing off heads is easier. Just think about maybe aiming at the chest or legs later in the game. Trust me, you'll see!
Graphics are the best in the series as well. The character models are so astonishingly real that your eyes may bug out. The environments look great too. And don't even get me started on how good fire looks! Every little thing about this game is gorgeous.
Sound has always been a successful trademark for the series, but you've never heard anything like this! The music is awesome, perfectly fitting the surreal mood! And the voice acting is terrific. We'll just leave it at that. Nearly as good as the graphics, please don't mute this game!
Resident Evil 4 is so chock-full of surprises, I never wanted to put the controller down. It is an amazing achievement in game making, and now that I have completed it, I feel like a gap is missing from my life. Do yourself a favor and purchase RE4. And if you don't have a Gamecube, this is more than reason enough to get one!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talk about the reinvention of a series., April 2, 2005

By 

echoes999 (Bellingham, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Resident Evil 4 (Video Game)

First off, I really like the Playstation 2 and its huge library of great titles. The X-box I like the best. I personally think it's the most well designed best looking system. The only problem keeping it down is its own huge library of games. I never bought the 64 and never planned on buying myself a Gamecube. But in the end I did, because damnit I'm a gamer and why not have all three systems. But really there was two reasons why I bought myself a Gamecube. 1-The Nintendo made games, Zelda, Mario, Metroid, etc. Lets face it. They consistantly make some of the greatest games out there. 2- the Resident Evil games. I was so mad when Capcom announced they were moving the series over to the cube after Code Veronica. I couldn't understand why they would do that.(besides the obvious being paid a lot of money.) And lets just say that I've gotten a lot of use out of the cube with just the resident evil games. But anyways, on to the review.

The graphics are superb, some of the best on any system or any game, which Resident Evil games usually pull off. But these graphics are better than the remake or zero. They're just incredible. The sound in the game is also top-notch. If you have surround sound like I do you'll hear every roar, bloodcurdling scream, gun shot as if you had been plopped right down into the middle of all the action. The lighting is also great and gives the game pretty of ambience. Voice-acting? There's plenty of that here, and surpringly its really good too. Past RE's have been pretty hokey and melodramatic in the story and voice-acting segments, and this game greatly improves on this. The controls are better than any past game and very responsive. The story is this RE is also really good since for the most part it ditches Umbrella and treads a different path, furthering the myth of the games. That's not to say Umbrella isn't in this game, it just takes a backseat to the real story.

The game takes place in Europe in a small Spanish village where things aren't quite right. The villagers are a little crazy, kind of like the infected in 28 days later, but not quite. They carry weapons, from sickles to axes to torches and chainsaws. Yes, good old cut your head off leaving a squirting bloody stump chainsaws. Turns out these people are infected by a disease located in this part of Europe called Las Plagas. The Presiden't daughter has been kinapped and Leon from RE 2 is looking for her. The story involves an old cult and a family with a sorrid history involving the cult. I won't say anymore than that though so I don't spoil anything.

Gameplay wise I'm an totally and incredibly blown away. When Capcom announced over-the-shoulder 3rd person and no zombies I almost wrote the entire series off for good. But let me tell you. Putting the camera behind the shoulder was probably the smartest move they could have ever made. It saved this series, because lets face it, things were getting a little tired and a little old. Yeah, each game was still good, but most of them were the exact same, except the characters enemies and locations. This new gameplay injects the series with new sweet adreneline that totally reinvents the game as a whole. Plus, this new feature fixes a few of the problems from past RE games. The camera problem, gone. Instead of it being predestined where the camera would be, leading to disorientation and shooting at bad guys you couldn't see, now you look where you want to look and see what you want to see. No more camera problems. Also the controls were somewhat annoying in past games. Not anymore. They work great with this new, more action orientated game, which it truly is. In this game you jump fences in escape, fly through windows to get out of trapped houses where you're surrounded, duck behind things to save yourself from thrown TNT and jump from rooftops to the ground or balconies to swinging chandeliers. There's so many actions you can do it really elevates the gameplay to some of the slickest action gaming you've ever played.

How about guns and enemies, because there's plenty of those. There is a huge array of guns in this game. Several different pistols and shotguns, as well as rocket launchers magnums rifles tmp's and mine sweepers. There's grenades bulletproof vests scope enhancements and stocks for some of the games. There's also an incredibly addicting RPG aspect put into this game that most people will love. You now meet merchants along the way that you can sell things to, buy weapons, health and treasure maps from and purchase tune-ups for your guns. You can now increase your guns attributes serveral times to make it even better, from reload speed, capacity, firepower, and how fast it shoots. And after you purchase all of the upgrades you can buy a special upgrade. This game also includes treasure that you can find and treasure maps you can use to find it. Combine treasures to make a nicer treasure and get more money when you sell it too the merchant. Most enemies usually drop either money or ammo or health too, which makes the game incredibly fast-paced. The enemies are wonderful. There's constant boss encounters that'll keep you sweating throughout the game. And they're not normal boss fights. They're the kind of fights that you only saw at the end of the other RE games. The normal enemies are crazy too, from villagers to monks and dogs as well as some really tough guys that you can only kill through special means. These guys are smart to. They formulate against, move and dodge when you aim at them. Sometimes they run and most times they just scare the crap out of you. That's one thing this game did that past RE's haven't been able to do, scare me. I about wet myself every time one of those crazy chainsaw wielding chicks came after me.

The levels are insanely well done. There's a castle, boat riding, a village and a mine and mine cart race. Mountains and a church as well as an island and an insane hedgemaze. You travel everywhere in this game and all of them are well thought, amazingly done locations. They're soaked in terrifying ambience with rain and fog. And ah, the wonderful 3D enviornments, they're so pretty.

There's a few puzzles but not many, since this is more of an action-packed game. Exploding barrels are spread throughout levels, the better to blow baddies up with. You have new actions where if you shoot a zombie in the head you can run up and push the action button to jumpkick them and any others around. Its a great way to save ammo and push a crowd back. Bad guys also react to shot points now. Shoot them in the arm and they spin around gripping it. Shoot them in the leg and they'll grab that or even fall down. In the head, they'll grab that too, or it'll shatter into beautiful red goo. Yes this game is gory, more so than past RE's, and that's great too. Cut-scenes also contain moments that are interactive, always keeping you on your toes, even when your supposed to be watching movies. Sometimes you might have to push L and R at the same time or A and B to dodge an enemies attack, which even occurs in-game.

Finally the game has lots of replay value. There's three mini games total, although one of them is in the main game as you play through. That's the shooting range, which is quite fun. There's also Mercenaries, like RE 3 where you're dropped in a level and have to blow that crap out of anything that moves in a certain amount of time. It's hard, really hard since you have to get a certain amount of point for stars to unlock the other four characters besides Leon, one of which is playable Wesker. And if you get five stars on every level with every character which is really, really difficult, you can unlock the handcannon the best gun in the game. In operation Ada you take control of Ada and look for some samples, playing through levels from the main game. It's also fun, and you unlock a tommy gun when you beat it. And whenever you go back and play through the game a second time you keep everything you had, which is really awesome.

So this game is by far the best RE I've ever played. It takes the series in a whole new wonderful direction and I can't wait for more entries into the series if they're going to be like this. The graphics, sound, gameplay and replay value are all beyond incredible. Go out and buy this game now. If you don't have a Gamecube, buy one so you can play this game. Right now, don't wait. Go.