Children, forget everything you've seen in the last ten years in terms of survival horror. Capcom decided to carry out a complete overhaul of the brand created by Shinji Mikami to, among other things, energize a gameplay that was starting to get old, and surprise the fanatics of the genre who had started scraping the bottoms of drawers to find strong feelings. The removal of zombies from the landscape was the first reform imposed by Resident Evil 4 which completely destabilized the audience during the official presentation of the game. Despite this remarkable amputation, this sequel succeeds in plunging the player into a gloomy atmosphere which is reminiscent of that of the film 28 days later by Danny Boyle. Finally, Resident Evil 4 confuses as much as his brothers and ensures a good dose of terror for those who still doubted it. In this spectacle which promises to be grandiose, all that's missing is you. Turn on the console my friends, and welcome to Resident Evil 4.
Kennedy is back !
Resident evil zero on GameCube had allowed us to live the 24 hours preceding the arrival of the STARS at the scene of the crime, with Rebecca Chambers and Billy Cohen as main actors; Resident Evil 4, he returns to us six years later after the bloody events that shook Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2. As the introductory sequence of the game explains, the Umbrella Corporation is ruined. To avoid embarrassing itself with a case that could cause disorder on a national and international scale, the American government has decided to wipe Raccoon City off the map of the United States and erase any agreement made with the Umbrella Corporation. For his part, Leon Scott Kennedy has become a special agent acting under the authority of the secret forces of his country. In Resident Evil 4, he was appointed to find the daughter of the American President: Ashley. She was last seen in Europe and was likely kidnapped. The storyline does not specify the country in which the player will evolve for a little over twenty hours, but if we rely on the name of the viral cells (the Plagas), of the character from the village that the we meet during the game (Luis Sera) and one of the creatures with very sticky fangs (El Gigante), it is probably from Spain. If you are still not convinced, listen and listen to the farmers talk...
The cast of Resident Evil 4 is provided, with characters that have nothing to envy to the guests that can be found in a Metal Gear Solid, for example. Their presence and the different links that unite them reinforce the screenplay, and give more substance to their lines. In this episode, the chef's surprise is the return of Ada Wong, an Asian spy who was "officially" left for dead in Resident Evil 2. His relationship with Mr Kennedy is not easy to define, and it is clear that their reunion is rather muscular. Like any self-respecting killer-ap, Resident Evil 4 offers us a host of cut-scenes that amaze. Most of these are not in computer graphics, and entirely orchestrated by the Gekko. Truly magnificent ! The most striking part of the game is undoubtedly the first fight with Jack Krauser, an ex-military companion of Leon. Not only is the staging on the metal scaffolding and the lyrics that go with it memorable, but the fight itself - all in cut-scene - is downright fan-tas-tic! A beautiful choreography that brings tears to your eyes. And as if not to deviate from the rule that characterizes so well the latest productions of the same type released recently, the bullet time so dear to Matrix fans is served without restraint. Still just as effective.
Chainsaw Massacre
Let's not be afraid of words: in addition to being the most beautiful game on PS2, Resident Evil 4 allows Sony's 128-bit to outclass its competitors in the graphics field. Capcom has now proven that the Kyoto firm is no longer the only one to tame the beast like a poodle. You drooled in front Fable, Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow et Halo 2 ? You will cut your veins seeing the graphics of the new offspring of the Japanese developer. It's not video games, it's art! Let's start first with the environments that we have to cross. We don't even count the details that appear on the screen. Empty spaces are rare, and each element of the decor has been the subject of relentless care. The village perfectly reflects Capcom's desire to offer us something other than the mansions, trains or even the warehouses to which we had already been accustomed since 1996. After three hours of play, here we are in the pouring rain imposing an atmosphere even more scary. A flash here, a bit of wind bending the leafy branches there, the degree of perfection achieved is stunning! Even the horizon is in the spotlight, with a sun that has fun hiding behind the mountains when we are about to face the first boss of the game.
The interiors are just as fascinating, thanks to areas of light and shadow that intensify the distressing side of Resident Evil 4. It is the glowing torches of villagers approaching in the distance that are responsible for breaking the darkness of the forest. They should not also come to break the aesthetics of our hero. The flame, a succulent spice of Resident Evil 4, provides the show alone. To realize this, just take a short walk around the dungeon drowned in the lava in which you have to snipe monks at the controls of stony, fire-breathing dragons. Much more than the consistency of the flames, which has rarely reached such a degree of realism, it is the omnipresence of the heat effect that strikes the most. Indeed, when pointing at a minion using his Rifle or his Rifle (semi-auto), aiming through the scope becomes cloudy at times. It lasts a brief moment, but this attention to detail is more than pleasing. We could also mention the rotating dodges to do when infiltrating Salazar's castle. Enraged monks have fun catapulting fireballs at your head, resulting in explosions that reflect those of Rogue Leader in the prehistoric era. The exterior structure of the castle suggests many textures that accompany the player throughout his journey.
Behind you !
The character design is at the height of the event, namely phenomenal. As far as we remember, this is the first Resident Evil, which offers characters that don't seem to move around with a stick in their buttocks. Because it was, until today, a major defect of the brand. Of Resident Evil Rebirth à Resident evil zero via Resident Evil : Code Veronica, each of the versions was entitled to a pronounced robotization of the protagonists. Leon Scott Kennedy is freed from the anus more than ever, which finally gives him the opportunity to express himself with exemplary fluidity. He is able to perform a few acrobatics - jump over a barrier, pass through a window, climb a ledge, jump from a platform... - very useful for escaping the rotten nails of Novistadors, Regenerators and other thugs biological of the same ilk. The latter are not left out, because the advanced decomposition of some of their faces would be repugnant to more than one. It must be said that the artists at Capcom are overflowing with imagination to lay us villains with such... special looks. The bosses of Resident Evil 4 have all benefited from the same preferential treatment, that is to say that there is not one that is less impressive than another. Even the semi-bosses - the troll for example - have their say, and we can assure you that with their quickdraw we prefer to listen to them without flinching. Well almost... The stubborn few who thought that resident evil only looked good with pre-rendered graphics going to bed. If one could blame Resident Evil : Code Veronica to carry around with bland colors, this is no longer the case. The 3D engine of Resident Evil 4 is a contract killer. And even if the management of collisions is not at its best - it is not uncommon to see your arm sink into the wall, or to pass through a tree branch - it is inherent in the constraints of the three-dimensional space.
Ashley, hold still!
As we told you in the prelude, Resident Evil 4 aspires to offer us a gameplay that stands out completely from what we have seen so far. It is true that the concept was seriously starting to run out of steam, and it is for this reason that Shinji Mikami decided to give the series a good boost so that it becomes unrecognizable, in a good sense of the word of course. . On the side of the commands, nothing really new to put in your mouth except the Triangle button which now allows you to display a map of the surroundings, and on which are indicated some very useful information (save points, merchants, unlocked doors...). X continues to act as an action button each time the CPU indicates that it is possible to make a specific movement; in this case the button icon is displayed on the screen with the feasible action written just below. To sprint, just press Square and the analog stick. When armed, R1 + Cross allows you to target and shoot. The view used by Capcom is pretty much the one used in the Splinter Cell. This view, which you get used to very quickly, has two advantages: first of all, it offers comfort and shooting precision that you didn't have in previous volumes, second, it allows you to injure enemies in specific areas of the body. For example, if you want to save ammunition, it is possible to aim for the shin of the monster in question to make it crawl, and then flee. Always in order not to waste the bullets, the headshot (aim for the head) also turns out to be an excellent way to overcome the living dead in a minimum of time. Finally, you can also choose to let the monsters gather in front of you, and shoot a bullet to put them all on the ground at once, with a fairly powerful weapon such as the Riot Shotgun, to name just one. The analog stick C is used to change the angle of view, but the camera returns to its initial position once the stick is released. Far from being essential... On the other hand, it is possible to zoom when one is equipped with the Rifle or the Rocket Launcher.
To encourage the player to eat monsters at all costs and avoid intensive old-fashioned dodging sessions, the guys at Capcom have added a few tricks straight out of the RPG universe. Indeed, most players refused direct confrontations with zombies to avoid running out of ammunition or restorative products. From now on, each wicked wolf who is downed sometimes leaves behind some ammunition, medicinal grass or even pesetas to buy new weapons. These are available from any merchant, and even have the luxury of being upgradeable: firepower, weapon reload speed, firing speed and maximum number of bullets that can be loaded at one time. It's the party, what! Killer7 (nice wink by the way!), Rocket Launcher, Rifle, there is a choice...! Do we feel safer? Yes, a bit too much. It becomes downright butchery. Even if at first it seems quite amusing, the nag side of Resident Evil 4 is one of the dark points which comes to tarnish the almost perfect image of the game. Because the increased number of opponents to eliminate on the screen forces you to shoot in all directions. Suddenly, we go from survival horror to shoot'em up, and this is probably not the goal sought by Capcom. In fact, a little more ammo scarcity probably wouldn't have hurt.
Leon, professional cleaner
On the other hand, the fact that Capcom's work subjects the player to a terrible pressure during which the slightest mistake is not allowed is quite exciting. As you will no doubt have noticed, the enemies are much more numerous than in the Previous Resident Evil; and do not hesitate to attack en masse to bring the character to his knees. In Normal mode, the AI leaves something to be desired. But in Professional mode, it's not the same music. The peasants start to strafer to avoid the bullets, and organize themselves in a coherent way to draw your blood. While some will play kamikazes and throw themselves on you like starving people to create a diversion, others will take the opportunity to line up arrows with their crossbow from a distance. It is therefore necessary to find a strategic location that allows a good field of vision without being within reach of snipers. Moreover, it is no longer enough to climb up a hill to be safe. Indeed, these bloodthirsty monsters no longer know any limits in their movements, and can act in the same way as the character. Climbing a ladder, jumping over a cliff or going through a window is no longer a secret for them. And one more problem for you...
Regarding the items, Capcom has retained the system established in Resident Evil Zero but much more subtle. In fact, Leon S. Kennedy's briefcase is divided into several small boxes, and each of the items occupies more or less boxes depending on its size. For example, a grass occupies two boxes while the Rifle (semi-auto) monopolizes 14. Don't worry, there are several models of briefcases - three precisely - which appear as the quest progresses. At the start, we only have a modest suitcase of size M (77 boxes). At the end of the game, we tell it to each other with its XL size daron bag (120 boxes). The best thing about all this is that you even have to put your objects in order to make room and not miss out on a good deal. At first glance, the item storage capacity is larger than in previous editions. Again, we wish Capcom had been a bit more stingy so the game didn't seem too easy to get into. Since we mentioned Resident evil zero, let's take this opportunity to talk about the famous switch that allows you to switch from one character to another via the X button. Back in Resident Evil 4, we slip into the skin of a character other than Leon Scott Kennedy, whose name we will keep silent so as not to spoil the pleasure of the fans who are waiting for the European release of the game.
Resident Evil est mort, vive Resident Evil 4 !
The interactivity of the sets is also a novelty which is a pleasure to see in Resident Evil 4. Not necessarily essential during the first hours of play, the elements that compose them quickly become essential, especially when facing the bosses. It's a pure delight to shoot the cans filled with gasoline to ignite all these beautiful people. Even when it comes to nutrition, herbs aren't the only ones to perk you up. We leave it to you to discover the other delicacies for yourself. Resident Evil 4 plays the card of dynamism thoroughly. Loading times have been considerably reduced, each door opening no longer being punctuated by a sequence that has become legendary on the video game market. We open either gently with a single pressure on Cross, or like a brute with the foot by doing XX. Let's not forget the backups that no longer require the use of an ink ribbon. The player can save his game as many times as he wants. Icing on the cake for those who finished the game with a hundred saved games: Resident Evil 4 introduces a Continue Point system which allows the game to be resumed not at the last save, but at the nearest Continue Point. In other words, if it's been two hours since you saved, you won't have to retype two hours of play to get back to where you were when you died. From a personal point of view, it would have been better to keep the old method. Of course, the "Continue Points" are convenient, but again make the game too easy. Too much...
Resident Evil 4 would he play it Metal Gear Solid 3 : Snake Eater ? Probably yes. Indeed, the cutscenes of the game imply, just like the game of Hideo Kojima, an active participation of the player; otherwise the game is over. No way to rest cushy, even during animated sequences. One shot you have to press L1 + R1 to avoid a tentacle, another shot you have to execute Square + Cross to dodge a giant rock thrown from a cliff by the peasants... It even happens to have to do three manipulations in a row without catch your breath to sneak through this or that shot; especially during the legendary fight against Kruser. Once again, this sequence is simply magnificent and deserves to be captured... on your PC. From Metal Gear Solid we tell you! By the way, all boss fights are legendary. The way it was designed is so well put together that we want more.
Evilution
Resident Evil 4 is fantastic, wonderful, fabulous, extraordinary, splendid, whatever you want! Few games keep all their promises, and this gem has kept them all with a few exceptions. If at the level of the graphics there is really, but really nothing to complain about, it is not the same for the gameplay. Too easy, some will point out, too naughty others will complain, that's what we've heard since the game was released on GameCube. Capcom has been able to recreate the genre of survival horror - a genre which it is moreover at the origin - by injecting into its Resident Evil 4 many new features that give pep to the series. The soundscape of the game is excellent. Every creak, every cry, every howl that we hear in the distance gives chills. The voices of the actors are very pleasant to hear. What a joy to listen to Salazar spout his cheap jokes! Finally, once the game is over, the more adventurous can taste a solo adventure led by Ada Wong in person, or gun down. In short, the game fills us with magnificence. And while it's not perfect, it almost is.
