So, while I'm waiting around to buy games that are new and exciting, I've managed to waste more money on games that are 5-15 years old than money I plan to spend on the new games I'm waiting for. Luckily for me, most of the games in that era are good and I don't have to worry about blowing $60 on something that might as well be a Flash animation.
One of the games I picked up at my local used store was Resident Evil 4 for the PlayStation 2. Now, I played this game on the Gamecube and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been an avid fan of Resident Evil since I was 13. A lot of my love for the series is in the fact that it's a zombie game and sometimes you just need to violently decapitate a bunch of zombies with unrealistic real-world weapons. Other than that, the series as a whole is famous for bad dialog and, if you're actually into this sort of thing, almost as many story retcons as World of WarCraft. Granted, we have to put up with more "genre expanding" as technology renews developers' interest in cashing in on--er, I mean enhancing the cinematic experience, but after so many prequels you can only wonder exactly how much we're supposed to accept as "plausible" before you're telling me Chris Redfield may actually be Santa Claus.
Overview
Anyway. For those of you who don't know, in Resident Evil 4 you are unlucky good guy become badass incarnate, Leon S. Kennedy. Leon was the cop in "Disc A" of Resident Evil 2, and at that point was naive, uncertain, and generally flawed. He wasn't entirely unlikeable, but since Resident Evil 3 provided little insight to Leon's fate and RE4 takes place on another friggin' continent half a decade later, we're kind of led into the assumption that he got a tissue for his issues and provided most if not all of the motion capture for Equilibrium after his precinct was nuked into the fucking ground. Leon is working for a government agency that is tasked with protecting the President's family, and it just so happens that the President's daughter has been kidnapped by some unknown Spanish-speaking foreign agents. I don't recall ever being at war with podunk Spain, but OK. As he progresses through the game he discovers that everything is not exactly as it seems. The villagers who have kidnapped the First Daughter are infected with some kind of crazy parasite and are led by a "religious supremacist" by the name of Saddler. Utilizing the "queen parasite" within his body, Saddler is able to control the entire village, as well as the gruesome monstrosities they've been creating in oddly-advanced medical laboratories, and seeks to infect the United States to subjugate one of the most powerful nations in the world to his will.
Gameplay Elements
Overall, RE4
S2's gameplay is a straight port from the Gamecube version. As a third-person shooter, it takes an interesting and refreshing route away from previous Resident Evil games. Strangely, however, the only Resident Evil game thus far that allows you to actually aim at individual body parts teaches you that headshots are a Bad Idea. The environment and enemies react well to Leon's actions, with a very easy-to-use context-sensitive "Action Button" that allows you to climb ladders, kick people in the head, suplex them (?), dodge laser beams (??), or sit in a snazzy chair. The enemy AI can leave a little to be desired, as while the generic villager can aim a throwing ax at your head rather well, they will oftentimes patiently wait for you to line up a .223 caliber rifle round right to the jubblies. In some places, though, this is completely moot, as one of the earliest areas will illustrate. You encounter a monstrous wave of villagers that chase you in and out of buildings, using ladders, jumping through windows, and wielding chainsaws (!!!) in an attempt to murder you. While they may not grasp that climbing a ladder only to be shot in the head and fall off repeatedly is a stupid thing, enough of them can easily overwhelm you, especially since all you have is a pistol and a knife.
One of the game's biggest points is its cinematic action feel. Rather than standing around and listening to dialog, you really do get the feeling that you participate in what goes on. Cinematics, while at some points frequent, don't break the flow too badly. This is especially true in the many, many, many Quick Time Events that give no prior warning whatsoever to their presence, but are liberally applied all over the game. Some areas will practically leap through your TV to stab you in the freakin' eye if you don't press X to dodge at the right time, while a good long chunk right in the middle of the game is devoid of QTEs. The game can feel somewhat schizophrenic in its timing, as in one very plot-heavy scene you're forced mash around on the controller rampantly. To quote MC McPeepants, "***** THIS AIN'T A CUTSCENE, PRESS A! YOU STILL PLAYIN'! YOU AIN'T GOT TIME TO SMOKE A BOLD! PRESS A! PRESS A RIGHT NOW! JUMP GYPSY, JUUUUMP!"
In some areas, an even more annoying presence makes itself shrilly known. Ashley, the President's daughter, accompanies you for a good portion of the game. While most games with escort quests are annoying for only a few minutes, dragging around this dumb girl is apparently some kind of revenge the developers implemented for making Leon a reasonably competent hero. Though she looks like she's in her late teens, Ashley is completely inept and you'll probably find yourself shouting in frustration as you hear "LEEEEEEEOOOOON! HAAAAAAAAAAAAALP!" over and over again throughout the game. Even though the game gives you ample time without her tagging along, playing Secret Service Nanny is so irritating you might toss a few grenades at her feet on purpose.
Graphics
For some reason, the graphics seem to bleed worse on the PS2 than on the GC. The edges look choppy, the draw distance isn't quite as impressive, and special effects seem to clutter the game considerably. Granted, I'm playing on a PS2 slimline, so there may be something to be said for the tiny console. Still, the GC definitely renders the game more smoothly, but this isn't something that will ruin the game for you.
Content
One of the biggest differences in the PS2 version of RE4 is its additional content. While the GC edition featured an unlockable side-mission, Assignment Ada, and a fun minigame section, Mercenaries, as well as bonus unlockable weapons and outfits for the characters, the PS2 version has this and more. One of the most noticeable unlockables right off the bat is a protective suit for Ashley. This shields her from attack and makes it impossible for her to get carried off by evil Spaniards. And believe me, the ***** needs it. A lot of the bonus content comes after beating the game, like all of the previous Resident Evil titles, and the PS2 exclusive content includes some kind of super-laser-weapon and an unlockable side mission called Separate Ways, where you play as the pseudo-co-protagonist Ada Wong. While the GC's "Assignment Ada" was sort of the same thing, it didn't go along with the game's canon and was more like a "challenge mode," giving you limited ammo and health items to get through a gauntlet of enemies.
Summary
Resident Evil 4 is, overall, a fun game where fans of the series and newcomers alike can get involved in action and strange-viral-outbreakisms without having to worry too much about a far-reaching and epic plot going on around their heads. It plays a lot like a Bond flick might, if that Bond flick involved head-explodey and vicious parasitic monsters. If you're into a more relaxed "action horror" game and enjoy unlocking things by repetition, RE4S2 has what it takes.
I give it a 3.5/5 S.T.A.R.S. (Hehe, see what I did there?)
One of the games I picked up at my local used store was Resident Evil 4 for the PlayStation 2. Now, I played this game on the Gamecube and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been an avid fan of Resident Evil since I was 13. A lot of my love for the series is in the fact that it's a zombie game and sometimes you just need to violently decapitate a bunch of zombies with unrealistic real-world weapons. Other than that, the series as a whole is famous for bad dialog and, if you're actually into this sort of thing, almost as many story retcons as World of WarCraft. Granted, we have to put up with more "genre expanding" as technology renews developers' interest in cashing in on--er, I mean enhancing the cinematic experience, but after so many prequels you can only wonder exactly how much we're supposed to accept as "plausible" before you're telling me Chris Redfield may actually be Santa Claus.
Overview
Anyway. For those of you who don't know, in Resident Evil 4 you are unlucky good guy become badass incarnate, Leon S. Kennedy. Leon was the cop in "Disc A" of Resident Evil 2, and at that point was naive, uncertain, and generally flawed. He wasn't entirely unlikeable, but since Resident Evil 3 provided little insight to Leon's fate and RE4 takes place on another friggin' continent half a decade later, we're kind of led into the assumption that he got a tissue for his issues and provided most if not all of the motion capture for Equilibrium after his precinct was nuked into the fucking ground. Leon is working for a government agency that is tasked with protecting the President's family, and it just so happens that the President's daughter has been kidnapped by some unknown Spanish-speaking foreign agents. I don't recall ever being at war with podunk Spain, but OK. As he progresses through the game he discovers that everything is not exactly as it seems. The villagers who have kidnapped the First Daughter are infected with some kind of crazy parasite and are led by a "religious supremacist" by the name of Saddler. Utilizing the "queen parasite" within his body, Saddler is able to control the entire village, as well as the gruesome monstrosities they've been creating in oddly-advanced medical laboratories, and seeks to infect the United States to subjugate one of the most powerful nations in the world to his will.
Gameplay Elements
Overall, RE4
S2's gameplay is a straight port from the Gamecube version. As a third-person shooter, it takes an interesting and refreshing route away from previous Resident Evil games. Strangely, however, the only Resident Evil game thus far that allows you to actually aim at individual body parts teaches you that headshots are a Bad Idea. The environment and enemies react well to Leon's actions, with a very easy-to-use context-sensitive "Action Button" that allows you to climb ladders, kick people in the head, suplex them (?), dodge laser beams (??), or sit in a snazzy chair. The enemy AI can leave a little to be desired, as while the generic villager can aim a throwing ax at your head rather well, they will oftentimes patiently wait for you to line up a .223 caliber rifle round right to the jubblies. In some places, though, this is completely moot, as one of the earliest areas will illustrate. You encounter a monstrous wave of villagers that chase you in and out of buildings, using ladders, jumping through windows, and wielding chainsaws (!!!) in an attempt to murder you. While they may not grasp that climbing a ladder only to be shot in the head and fall off repeatedly is a stupid thing, enough of them can easily overwhelm you, especially since all you have is a pistol and a knife.One of the game's biggest points is its cinematic action feel. Rather than standing around and listening to dialog, you really do get the feeling that you participate in what goes on. Cinematics, while at some points frequent, don't break the flow too badly. This is especially true in the many, many, many Quick Time Events that give no prior warning whatsoever to their presence, but are liberally applied all over the game. Some areas will practically leap through your TV to stab you in the freakin' eye if you don't press X to dodge at the right time, while a good long chunk right in the middle of the game is devoid of QTEs. The game can feel somewhat schizophrenic in its timing, as in one very plot-heavy scene you're forced mash around on the controller rampantly. To quote MC McPeepants, "***** THIS AIN'T A CUTSCENE, PRESS A! YOU STILL PLAYIN'! YOU AIN'T GOT TIME TO SMOKE A BOLD! PRESS A! PRESS A RIGHT NOW! JUMP GYPSY, JUUUUMP!"
In some areas, an even more annoying presence makes itself shrilly known. Ashley, the President's daughter, accompanies you for a good portion of the game. While most games with escort quests are annoying for only a few minutes, dragging around this dumb girl is apparently some kind of revenge the developers implemented for making Leon a reasonably competent hero. Though she looks like she's in her late teens, Ashley is completely inept and you'll probably find yourself shouting in frustration as you hear "LEEEEEEEOOOOON! HAAAAAAAAAAAAALP!" over and over again throughout the game. Even though the game gives you ample time without her tagging along, playing Secret Service Nanny is so irritating you might toss a few grenades at her feet on purpose.
Graphics
For some reason, the graphics seem to bleed worse on the PS2 than on the GC. The edges look choppy, the draw distance isn't quite as impressive, and special effects seem to clutter the game considerably. Granted, I'm playing on a PS2 slimline, so there may be something to be said for the tiny console. Still, the GC definitely renders the game more smoothly, but this isn't something that will ruin the game for you.
Content
One of the biggest differences in the PS2 version of RE4 is its additional content. While the GC edition featured an unlockable side-mission, Assignment Ada, and a fun minigame section, Mercenaries, as well as bonus unlockable weapons and outfits for the characters, the PS2 version has this and more. One of the most noticeable unlockables right off the bat is a protective suit for Ashley. This shields her from attack and makes it impossible for her to get carried off by evil Spaniards. And believe me, the ***** needs it. A lot of the bonus content comes after beating the game, like all of the previous Resident Evil titles, and the PS2 exclusive content includes some kind of super-laser-weapon and an unlockable side mission called Separate Ways, where you play as the pseudo-co-protagonist Ada Wong. While the GC's "Assignment Ada" was sort of the same thing, it didn't go along with the game's canon and was more like a "challenge mode," giving you limited ammo and health items to get through a gauntlet of enemies.
Summary
Resident Evil 4 is, overall, a fun game where fans of the series and newcomers alike can get involved in action and strange-viral-outbreakisms without having to worry too much about a far-reaching and epic plot going on around their heads. It plays a lot like a Bond flick might, if that Bond flick involved head-explodey and vicious parasitic monsters. If you're into a more relaxed "action horror" game and enjoy unlocking things by repetition, RE4
S2 has what it takes.I give it a 3.5/5 S.T.A.R.S. (Hehe, see what I did there?)
