(Grade: A+)

Wow, what an awesome game. THIS is my favorite game of all time right now. And its likely to stay that way for a LONG time. There is a ton of atmosphere and depth in the game. Everything is detailed not just in graphic but in gameplay and sound too. A lot of effort went into this game and the end result is something as close to perfection you can get.

The gameplay has lot of originality. In fact, there is so much that it doesn't even feel like the previous games. Instead of pre-rendered backdrops, the game has real-time environments. The camera in positioned behind leon the entire time, right over his shoulder. And once you get used to it, the game picks up immediately. Rather than horror survival, the game is more action thriller. Most of the game is an action game with a wide variety of enemies and weapons. The aiming system uses a laser site for manually picking off enemies. And since its all manual, the enemies react depending on where you hit them. Shoot their legs to cripple them and bring them down, get rid of their weapons, or if you are a real sicko, blast their heads right off with a shotgun. Speaking of enemies, there aren't really any real zombies in the game. The "gandos" as they are called have some intelligence to them. They will swear at you (in spanish), Surround you, throw stuff at you from a distance (Ranges from axes to sticks of dynamite), and jump out of the way if you aren't quick to shoot them. There are puzzles like in previous games but they are very easy. That is good because it just gives you a brief break from the action. Oh and one more thing, there are Quicktime events like in Shemnue, so don't rest in the Cut-scenes.

Graphics are simply amazing. Everything is so detailed! If you didn't know any better, you might think this were on the Xbox360. Normally I don't go rambling on about graphics but RE4 is so detailed its impossible not too! Everything has an insanely high Polygon count, textures never look bland, building look real. In fact, some of the indoor environments in the game very nearly hit photorealism. Unfortunately, stuff doesn't blow up when you shoot it so there is a minor price for squeezing in all that detail. But hey, who plays any Resident Evil game to just shoot stuff? Oh and best of all, NO ENVIRONMENT REPEATS ITSELF. Thats right, every singe room and area in the game is unique. As a result, the game never feels repetitive one bit while playing. And like Ocarina of Time, the "If you can see it you can go there" applies to this game as well. And since backtracking is kept to a minimum, you can never get bored. Sound isn't quite as impressive but still is. The soundtrack is eerie but loops quite a bit. However the score does fit the theme and there is so much action it doesn't really matter. The sound effects sound great and clear. The voices are recorded pretty well (especially for a Resident Evil Game) and are actually bearable. The sound effects for the guns sound realistic, and the enemies react with the right sounds when shot. In the longrun, the Sound just adds to the experience of the game.

I know this review is pretty big for a short review but a game like RE4 deserves it. Its not just one of the best games of this generation, its simply one of the best. Its a perfect mix of everything you could want from a videogame. And to add icing to the cake, the game has a minigame called "The Mercenaries" which is pure action. Its a lot like an arcade shootem up and is a heck of a lot of fun. Why are you still reading this review? Just go get RE4 now!

Written By: WillBillXP
Date Submitted: February 12th, 2007

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