The last game I ever played was Bionic Commando for the NES. That was 1987. Later that same year, I beat Mega Man 2. I never had that much luck afterwards. I lost my passion to play as I got older. Until that is, I came across Resident Evil 4 for the GameCube.
The game is set after the events of Resident Evil 2, in which former Raccoon City policeman Leon S. Kennedy is sent on a mission to find Ashley Graham, the President’s daughter. Leon's investigation begins in a small village in Europe, which he has been driven to. But after one of the villagers nearly kills him after inquiring about Ashley, it’s clear this isn’t going to be as simple as it looks.
Unlike previous Resident Evil’s, the baddies here are relatively different. Instead of zombies, they were everyday villagers who had been possessed by an unseen force. Unlike zombies, these enemies are still able to function as normal people until ordered to do otherwise. This means that as Leon shoots, they will duck and dodge in order to get at him. This change of villains however was one of many welcome changes given to the series.
Having played the first couple Resident Evil games, the biggest improvement is the ability to seamless move the viewpoint of Leon both behind and in front of him. In previous games, the camera seemed stuck in one angle, which left you to find all items and fight the zombies within the set-up given. Here you were given a single left-to-right viewpoint of wherever the main character is looking. This means a focus on the items as well as a concentration on the enemies you have to shoot.
Because this title carried the name of Resident Evil, other characters sprinkled throughout the series made their return appearance. Not to spoil it for those who have yet to play this, but some of them will be a surprise to fans. Having only been familiar with Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2, the little bit I saw then has changed.
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