Game analysis # 5

Resident Evil 4


Resident evil 4 is the game which rejuvenated the resident evil franchise. Edging away from the survival aspect of the previous games and focusing more on the action element, the game brought in many new gamers who would normally have avoided the series.

The story is fairly thin, a special operative for the government, you are sent to rural Spain to save the presidents daughter and along the way uncovering a sinister plot to turn people into zombie-like creatures. This is simply the premise you need to start shooting creatures but it works well because the action is so enjoyable. It’s a third person action survival horror which involves you solving puzzles, finding treasures and money to upgrade your equipment and of course, saving the day.

The AI is fairly good so the zombies will dodge your attacks and come at you from every possible angle, and the difficulty curve sits well, as your weapons get more powerful so do the enemies. The upgrade system plays a major part in what makes this such a good game. By collecting money, the player can buy dozens of different weapons and upgrade them in several ways, from the clip size to power of each shot. There is also the ability to kick or tackle zombies if they get too close, a totally new feature to the series where the action would previously be quite awkward and robotic.

Another reason I liked this game so much is that it can be played so any times. The option is there to start a new game with your upgraded weapons and equipment and there are also several extra games modes, such as survival and timed missions. Although the game does focus more on the action, the horror element can still clearly be seen and works well enough to have you jump out your seat (especially when the masked chainsaw wielding maniac bursts through a door into a room where you thought you were safe!)