Resident Evil 4 is a 2005 third-person shooter survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom, released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.  Set as the sixth major installment in the Resident Evil series and the story follows the U.S. government special agent Leon S. Kennedy, who is sent on a mission to rescue the U.S. President’s daughter, Ashley Graham, from a sinister cult.

Positives:

• Great characters
• Great score
• Great voice performances
• Compelling story
• Extensive campaign
• Fun gameplay experience

Negatives:

• Grainy, worn graphics

Campaign:  Resident Evil 4 features of very expensive campaign that not only features great characters but are really engaging story. Leon’s mission to save the president’s daughter, Ashley, takes him to a new level of terror and the further along he goes the more the plot twists.  It does have its own set of challenges especially when it comes to the various boss battles as well as puzzles. Leon Kennedy is the main protagonist and a great character and although he does come off as kind of the boy scout but he is absolutely badass. The supporting cast is just phenomenal. Ada Wong is a badass female character; she’s great, she’s mysterious, and she does help to push the flow of the story. Ashley is a likable character although she can at times become a little bit annoying. Even the game’s antagonist Osmund Saddler is filled with personality and is probably one of the most memorable antagonists of the entire series. One of the few nitpicks over the campaign is the fact that it is only single player and the fact that it is linear but to tell a compelling story we suppose it would have to be. (4 out of 5)

Gameplay: The gameplay is for lack of a better word awesome. The rebooted controls definitely give this game a more action-based, more free flowing gameplay experience especially when it comes to the third-person, over-the-shoulder. The loading screens aren’t overly long. NPC characters are pretty cool and enemies are actually relevant, able to utilize various weaponry, tactics and special abilities. (4 out of 5)

Graphics: Visually the game does look pretty good although it does  have a grainy, worn look to it that does kind of give most of the game a of sickly feeling to it. Character designs do have a bit of depth to them enough to flush out the various emotions although there are some in-game qualities that could be a little bit better. The creature designs  look really cool especially for some of the more grotesque and disgusting creatures. The level designs are actually pretty well detailed, there are some with a grand feeling to them as well as the ones which harbor a more claustrophobic atmosphere. The cinematics are actually pretty cool and incorporating the QuickTime events does make them better engaging.  (4 out of 5)

Score:  A great score with voice performances that are terrific. Paul Mercier does a great job with the character of Leon. Other great voice performances include Sally Cahill (Ada Wong), Carolyn Lawrence (Ashley Graham), Luis Sera (Rino Romano), Jim Ward (Jack Krauser), and Michael Gough (Osmund Saddler). The soundtrack is just awesome, there are moments where it flushes out the more action-oriented sequences keeping a very fast pace, as well as reinforcing the the slower,  creepier, more suspenseful moments. The sound effects are just one point. All weapons have their own specific sounds. Creatures have a lot of depth to them, possessing their unique sounds. The environment itself has a vibrant feel to it whether it’s running water or animals in the distance. (5 out of 5)

Replay Value: Despite how linear the campaign is there are a number of elements that make this game highly replayable. The campaign can be replayed on various difficulties offering more of a challenge to those players who enjoy that sort of thing. There are various modes for players to engage in such as The Mercenaries which is one of the most epic, most awesome, most badass game modes in video games. Players take on waves upon waves upon waves of various enemies on various stages; all under a time limit and it’s just a very fun fast-paced and challenging gameplay experience. The Ada missions, Ada’s Report, Assignment Ada, and Separate Ways, not only offer more exposition into the story but also a great gaming experience being the character Ada. Come on, who wouldn’t enjoy playing as Ada. (4 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Resident Evil 4 is not only a fantastic game but also one of the best games of all time. It does bring a fresh face to the Resident Evil series that was definitely needed but also keeping much of what we love about the original games. Despite there may be issues with the graphics and probably the linear campaign the game does feature an awesome cast of great characters, great fun gameplay, a really compelling story, great voice performances, great soundtrack, and great replay value. Resident Evil 4 definitely deserves a 5 out of 5