Cast Down The Heretic

quote Aevers

After four successful games and a few... questionable spin off games, Capcom took a bit of a break from the series as its formula grew stale. Each of the older Resident Evil games, while adding some tweaks here and there, did feel samey and although I love them, I don't think anybody can take yet another instalment of the same exact thing. So what the boys and girls over at Capcom did was change the camera angle from preset ones to one that's over the shoulder. So in a sense, we still have tank controls, but it doesn't feel as tank-y thanks to the more fluid controls and the change in camera angles. That and putting even more emphasis on action gives this game a distinct flavor. But does this make for a grand old time in the realm of survival horror? Well, not quite.

What Capcom also did here was try to start off fresh - keep any and all ties to the older games within the introductory scene. Yep, we're in control of Leon Kennedy again, only he's been long gone from Raccoon City after the zombie apocalypse. Instead, he's sent to a remote village in Spain to rescue the president's daughter who will be known as the ever so annoying Ashley Graham once you rescue her. Okay, seems innocent enough, but then you meet the villagers... who all want your head off of your body. A natural response to this is “what's going on”, but then you get further and realize that there's more to this than you think. It's just like Resident Evil to do that, but unlike the other games, this doesn't go all over the place with surprise betrayals and all that. Leon may meet old friends and deal with some bigger troubles than villagers who seem to hate him while getting involved in some conspiracy involving the president's daughter, but really, it's a straightforward affair. Maybe it's not “horrific” enough - not knowing is the greatest fear of all - but Resident Evil 4 wasn't exactly trying to be scary...

• User Reviews Critiques and Help Forum
  • Articles Of Excellence
    • Aevers's other reviews