Doesn’t hold a candle to the OG games when it comes to tension and horror but more than makes up for it with compelling and original atmosphere and some of the most if not the most fun and addictive 3rd person shooter combat I’ve experienced in a video game (the Max Payne trilogy is the only thing on a similar level for me).
Combat is the perfect mix of empowering and disempowering for a horror game. Leon can be incredibly powerful, but he’s also slow and can be easily overwhelmed if you’re not careful. The process of learning to make the most of Leon’s abilities is super satisfying and the game’s mechanics allow for a lot of creativity in doing so. Because Leon is relatively slow and has to make himself vulnerable while attacking due to not being able to move while doing so the player is required to implement a level of strategy in combat encounters that isn’t present in a lot of shooters. I love how enemies react to the placement of shots and how these reactions allow for different follow up possibilities from the player. For a game with only shooting and a couple of very simple melee attacks combat encounters can be approached in a surprising number of ways.
On a similar note, resource balancing in this game is perfect and is key to bringing out the fun and creativity inherent in combat. Resources are plentiful enough that you don’t feel forced to avoid fighting like in the OG games but are also scarce enough that the player is forced to get creative with and fully utilize Leon’s combat abilities to make sure those resources last. Figuring out the ammo preserving head or knee shot, melee, and then knife pattern was revelatory for me, and I honestly could have entertained myself for the games entire runtime just trying to get really good at it.
Story in this game is standard RE material but works really well within the action / horror b-movie genre and ends up being one of the most engaging RE games in terms of writing. Voice acting is overall good with Leon and his cheesy but charming and humanizing retorts being the standout. Setting - especially the village - is also fantastic and one of the most original the series has featured thus far. The village Ganados are wonderfully creepy and the opening section of this game where Leon is first approaching the village and players don’t know what to expect is great. Things quickly going from Leon encountering his first Ganado to being swarmed by like 30 of them and the player needing to quickly get used to the somewhat slow moving combat system is super compelling and memorable. This is all capped off by Leon’s classic bingo line and then the title card. This wonderful sequence perfectly showcases everything there is to love about this game and is a great way to start things off. RE 4 thankfully managed to maintain the original horror atmosphere, fun combat, humor, and charm of this opening sequence throughout the entire game. One of those rare games where I immediately wanted to play it again after finishing due to just how fun it was.
Big rec to basically anyone who enjoys video games and isn’t turned off by horror or action elements. Have a hard time imagining someone who fits into that category not having fun with or at least appreciating this game.
Combat is the perfect mix of empowering and disempowering for a horror game. Leon can be incredibly powerful, but he’s also slow and can be easily overwhelmed if you’re not careful. The process of learning to make the most of Leon’s abilities is super satisfying and the game’s mechanics allow for a lot of creativity in doing so. Because Leon is relatively slow and has to make himself vulnerable while attacking due to not being able to move while doing so the player is required to implement a level of strategy in combat encounters that isn’t present in a lot of shooters. I love how enemies react to the placement of shots and how these reactions allow for different follow up possibilities from the player. For a game with only shooting and a couple of very simple melee attacks combat encounters can be approached in a surprising number of ways.
On a similar note, resource balancing in this game is perfect and is key to bringing out the fun and creativity inherent in combat. Resources are plentiful enough that you don’t feel forced to avoid fighting like in the OG games but are also scarce enough that the player is forced to get creative with and fully utilize Leon’s combat abilities to make sure those resources last. Figuring out the ammo preserving head or knee shot, melee, and then knife pattern was revelatory for me, and I honestly could have entertained myself for the games entire runtime just trying to get really good at it.
Story in this game is standard RE material but works really well within the action / horror b-movie genre and ends up being one of the most engaging RE games in terms of writing. Voice acting is overall good with Leon and his cheesy but charming and humanizing retorts being the standout. Setting - especially the village - is also fantastic and one of the most original the series has featured thus far. The village Ganados are wonderfully creepy and the opening section of this game where Leon is first approaching the village and players don’t know what to expect is great. Things quickly going from Leon encountering his first Ganado to being swarmed by like 30 of them and the player needing to quickly get used to the somewhat slow moving combat system is super compelling and memorable. This is all capped off by Leon’s classic bingo line and then the title card. This wonderful sequence perfectly showcases everything there is to love about this game and is a great way to start things off. RE 4 thankfully managed to maintain the original horror atmosphere, fun combat, humor, and charm of this opening sequence throughout the entire game. One of those rare games where I immediately wanted to play it again after finishing due to just how fun it was.
Big rec to basically anyone who enjoys video games and isn’t turned off by horror or action elements. Have a hard time imagining someone who fits into that category not having fun with or at least appreciating this game.