Too busy to devote 12+ hours a day to your gaming habit? Here's a review that's sensitive to your needs: Short and focused on just the things that a busy gamer like you really needs to know.
Reviewed On: GameCube, PS2, Wii, iPad and Xbox 360. Also available for PC, PS3 and various mobile devices.
In a Nutshell: Meet Eastern Europeans and kill them with guns, grenades and a big-ass blade all in the name of rescuing the president's daughter. Once you get past the laughable soap operatic storyline and characters, there is immensely satisfying third-person shooter gameplay with light puzzles and the occasional quick-time event (you know, those "press a button right now or be crushed" things).
Learning Curve: There's a lot going on in Resident Evil 4, but you don't have to learn it all at once. You start out shooting zombie-like people and the occasional wildlife, busting open crates and barrels and picking up ammo and healing herbs as you go. Eventually, you learn to pack your case efficiently to carry as many weapons and items as possible, combine herbs for more potent healing, buy and sell items from a shady black market dude who never fails to amuse and upgrade weapons based on your gameplay preference (say, shotgun and big pistol vs. rocket launcher and scoped rifle). Amazingly, shooting enemies doesn't get old and effective game balance keeps things challenging but rarely frustrating.
The Save Game: Typewriters are scattered around the world for you to stash up to 20 saves. You can generally find one nearby on your map, or backtrack to one you used previously. It's not "save anywhere" but it's better than many games give you.
Family Factor: Keep this one far away from the kiddies. You won't want to blast the heads off zombified Eastern European villagers with your 8-year-old watching (at least, we hope not!). There's blood, there's gore and there's a dude with a sack over his head wielding a chainsaw. Heck, I'm not sure whether I'm old enough for this game! Keep it away from all but your most mature teens.
Buy, Rent or Skip? That depends on the version. The GameCube and PS2 versions are the gold standard, but you may lack the consoles needed to enjoy them (Wii can play GameCube titles and some older PS3s do play most PS2 games).
The Wii-optimized version is the most changed - in terms of controls and reduced gore - but it does allow you to aim with your Wii-mote. If you consider this a plus, rent it if you can and then buy it if you like it.
Some mobile versions contain snippets of gameplay or streamlined action, so they're not the optimal way to experience the game.
The new "HD" Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are download only in the U.S. (at least for now) and include an update to upscaled - though not true "high def" - graphics. They also add achievements and trophies respectively, plus the Assignment Ada mission and Mercenaries survival mode are available once you beat the game.
Bottom line: This is a game that's worth playing, so buy the best version you can.
On a Personal Note: Resident Evil 4 is definitely in our top 5 games of all time, and the main reason we hung onto our GameCube as long as we did.
We've gladly downloaded the Xbox 360 Games on Demand edition (our first such purchase!). Despite a little difficulty acclimating to the new controls (we chose the less awkward alternative setup, which has you aim with left trigger and shoot with the right) and are now greatly enjoying this 6-year-old classic which, so far, is the pinnacle of Resident Evil titles and third-person shooters in general.
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