By Charles Westmoreland
Platform: Playstation 2, Gamecube
Developer: Capcom
Release date: Out now
At long last the best game of the year is finally crossing over to the Playstation 2. Some people spent $100 on a Gamecube for the sole purpose of playing “Resident Evil 4” when it first hit the shelves last spring – and yes, it was still worth it.
Former STARS member Leon Kennedy is back with an all new upgradeable bad-ass arsenal to combat the newest generation of freaks created by the Umbrella company. No zombies this time around, only crazed villagers, giant trolls, invisible insects and slew of other nasties.
The quirks of the RE series have been modified, leaving a near-perfect model of video game engineering. Obstructive camera angles have been replaced with an over-the-shoulder view, allowing players to peek around corners and rotate the camera 360 degrees at will. One of the best control improvements is the laser sighting, allowing you to shoot out kneecaps, force enemies to drop weapons by capping their hands, or just end their miserable lives quickly with a few well-placed head shots.
Additions to the PS2 version include an additional weapon (a plasma laser) and extra Project Ada side missions. Other game options include a survival mode, where surviving a 60-second countdown lasts an eternity as dozens of weapon-wielding wackos hunker down on you.
The graphics are beautiful, the controls are slick, the voice-overs are well-done and the hordes of mutants keep the game-play intense from start to finish. If past RE games were shocking, this one is nerve-wracking. Just turn off the lights, lock the doors and play – you’ll see what I mean.
