Well we’ve finally arrived at the month of ghouls and
monsters and other scary things. As it
so happens, I just completed another playthrough of a classic. Resident Evil 4 first arrived for the
Nintendo Gamecube back in 2004 and quickly changed the game for both the
“kiddie” console and the Resident Evil franchise as well. The story centers on hero Leon S. Kenndey,
who is tasked with retriving Ashley Graham, the Presidents daughter, from a
cult of fanatics hellbent on unleashing a new breed of evil. Adding in new scares, new controls and a
greater sense of excitement, Resident Evil 4 has been hailed as one of, if not
the, greatest entries in the franchise and set the course for the Resident Evil
series for a while, for better or for worse (Resident Evil 6). Ive played the game multiple times across
multiple platforms, beginning with the Gamecube in college, and own it for 3
separate systems (PS2, Xbox 360 and Xbox One).
It’s just one of the all time awesome games you can come back to and
still get a thrill out of. So to kick
off October, Ive decided to look back at my Top 5 Most Memorable Resident Evil
4 Moments. Not everything is scary but
that doesn’t mean the game isn’t good at what it does.
#5-Say “Ahh”
Salazar
During my first playthrough, and continuing to this day,
getting to fight the games second major boss looks daunting at first. Ramon Salazar, the 20 year old fossil with
tempertantrum issues grows from 4 foot nothing into GIGANTIC sized bio weapon
from hell. So many claws, that giant
eye, Salazar slapped right behind it.
This looks like an impossible battle…and then I realize I haven’t used
that rocket launcher I found in that display case a couple of levels back as
ive been saving it for an emergency. All
I needed to do was get Salazar to show himself once and “say Ahhhh”…instant one
hit kill and thirty minutes saved that will no doubt be spent on tougher
challenges to come (you’ve still got a third of the game to go).
#4-The B in the
Red Dress
Ada Wong. RE4 was
a gateway title for many new fans and Ada no doubt helped get them
interested Beautiful looks, killer legs
and the ability to deal with the hordes of monsters in a very sexy red dress
and high heels. Is it a wonder she’s
become such a fan favorite. Her presence
in the main plot is both important but minimal.
Luckily, many versions of the game released post Gamecube would include
extra features that would be considered DLC by todays standards. There are two bonus game modes for Ada: one
that’s kind of just a string of mini missions and another that follows her side
of the Resident Evil 4 story so you can unleash her fury on just about
everything, even tangoing with a couple of the main campaigns bosses. She may have her own agenda and not be the
least bit trustworthy but dammit, you can never get enough of this hottie in
the red dress (or her other outfits which, while not as stylish, she can rock
like the model she is).
#3-Luis’s Death
It wouldn’t be a good video game campaign without
appropriate stakes. Characters get
thrown into tough trials and some don’t always make it out the other side. While not a playable character, Luis Serra
was a charming bit of comic relief wrapped in a mystery tied directly to the
Las Plagas threat itself. He kept his
reasons for helping you to himself but he still helped, especially in the well
done house defense level. So when
Saddler guts Luis, raising him in the air with his hidden monster tail and
throws him into a pool of his own blood, it’s a gut punch for sure. Of all the characters you’d want to make it
out of the game…why couldn’t it have been Ashley who bit it here? WHYYY!!!???? LUIS NOOOOO!!!!!
#2-Quick Time
Events
One element of RE4 that caught peoples attention was the
use of quick time actions during cutscenes.
One lapse in attention and not pressing the right button on time could
result in instant death and restarting a level from a spot that would just piss
you off. Most infamous is the nail
bitting knife fight between Leon and Krauser.
Sure there was a check point but you can skip any dialogue and the
button choices were always random. One
slip up and Leon was sliced, stabbed or worse.
The inclusion of quick time events gave the game your assurance that you
were going to be paying attention or it would make you regret it.
#1-Regenerators
These guys still terrify the hell out of me. That chilling breathing, their posture as
they walk. And the fact that if you
don’t find that infrared scope, you are going to need a serious miracle to take
these things out as they live up to their name.
The Regenerators can recover from almost an serious wound thanks to a
crap ton of Las Plagas in their bodies.
You can empty half your collected ammo into them trying to find these
bastards, located on their front and on their backs too, but you’ll never know
until their top halves explode. As I
said, there is an infrared scope hidden in a freezer unit that can enable you
to see the parasites with your sniper rifle.
It makes these guys far easier to deal with, plus you can collect the
nice bit of money that comes with their death.
Still, the first time I played through, I didn’t know the scope
existed…and im surprised I still managed to finish it.
No comments:
Post a Comment