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Resident Evil 4
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Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, and Nintendo of Australia. It is the sixth game in the Resident Evil series. It was originally intended to be released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube, but before its release, it was announced that a PlayStation 2 version would be released. PC and Wii versions were also released.
Resident Evil 4 puts the player in the role of Leon Kennedy, a special agent for the United States government sent to find the President's daughter, Ashley Graham.
gameplay focuses on fast-paced gunplay, quick controls, and shootouts involving massive crowds of enemies in large open areas.
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Encyclopedia
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, and Nintendo of Australia. It is the sixth game in the Resident Evil series. It was originally intended to be released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube, but before its release, it was announced that a PlayStation 2 version would be released. PC and Wii versions were also released.
Resident Evil 4 puts the player in the role of Leon Kennedy, a special agent for the United States government sent to find the President's daughter, Ashley Graham.
Gameplay
The gameplay focuses on fast-paced gunplay, quick controls, and shootouts involving massive crowds of enemies in large open areas. This is a departure from the previous games in the series which focused on exploration and conservation of ammunition. The camera is focused behind Leon, and it zooms in for an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon. The addition of a laser sight adds a new depth to the aiming not present in the other games of the series. The player is able to aim in various directions and easily change their placement at any time. Bullets now affect the enemies specifically where they are shot. Shots to the feet can cause enemies to stumble, while shots to the arms can cause them to drop their weapons.
Another new aspect of Resident Evil 4 is the inclusion of context-sensitive controls. Based on the situation, the player can interact with aspects of their environment: kicking down a ladder, jumping out of a window, or dodging an enemy attack. There are also dynamic cut scenes, in which the player must press buttons indicated on-screen to execute actions such as dodging a falling boulder or wrestling an enemy to stay alive. These are often incorporated into the game's many boss battles, where the player must avoid one-hit kill attacks. The Wii version expanded on this concept slightly by including a quick Wii Remote shake as a possible context sensitive action. These can be called Reaction Commands.
Capcom added new content made specifically for the PlayStation 2, and later added into the PC and Wii releases. The largest addition is Separate Ways, a minigame which revolves around Ada Wong's involvement in Resident Evil 4 and her connection to Albert Wesker, a former member of the STARS, who is now attempting to revive Umbrella. The player can also unlock Ada's Report, a five-part documentary, which analyzes Ada's relationship with Wesker and his role in the plot, new costumes for Leon and Ashley, a new laser weapon and a Movie Browser.
Enemies
The main enemies are parasitically-controlled humans referred to as "Los Ganados" ("cattle" in Spanish). Significantly smarter and quicker than the zombies from previous games, Ganados are a very different sort of foe. These new enemies dodge, wield melee and projectile weapons, and are capable of working collectively and communicating with each other. Once simple farmers, these Ganados are the product of an infestation of Las Plagas ("The Plague" in Spanish), which are powerful mind-controlling parasites.
Inventory
The inventory system of the game features a grid system, represented by a case, that has each item take up a certain amount of spaces. The case can be upgraded several times, allowing for more space. Weapons, ammunition and healing items are kept in the case, while key items are kept in a separate menu. Items may be bought from and sold to a wandering merchant that appears in various locations throughout the game. He sells first aid sprays, weapons, allows for weapons to be upgraded and buys various treasures that Leon finds. The various weapons each have their own advantages and disadvantages. One major goal for the game design was to increase weapon diversity to improve player freedom and gameplay depth.
Plot
In 2004, the Umbrella Corporation's secretive activities within Raccoon City have become a public affair. Following an investigation conducted by the U.S. government, several Umbrella officials are implicated and prosecuted. The government indefinitely suspends Umbrella's business, bankrupting the company.
Leon S. Kennedy was recruited by the U.S. Secret Service after they learned of his actions in Raccoon City. Leon is sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the President's daughter, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult. Leon travels to a rural village in Europe, where he encounters a horde of unruly villagers who pledge their lives to "Los Illuminados" ("The Enlightened" in Spanish), the cult that kidnapped Ashley.
During the course of the mission, Leon is reunited with Ada Wong, a woman he met in Resident Evil 2, and Jack Krauser, one of Leon's former comrades from his years of Secret Service training, thought to be dead. He also meets Luis Sera, a former Los Illuminados researcher, who aids Leon on his mission, before he is murdered by Osmund Saddler, the leader of the Los Illuminados cult. By examining Sera's notes, Leon discovers that Los Illuminados gained control of their subjects by implanting a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas into their bodies. Their plan is to inject Ashley with a parasite, and then allow her to return to the US, where she can infect government officials.
After Saddler discovers that Leon has rescued Ashley, he commands his subjects to use any means to recover her. Meanwhile, after defeating the village chief, Bitores Mendez, Leon and Ashley take refuge inside the castle of the local castellan, Ramon Salazar. Ashley begins to cough blood, indicating the slow maturation of the Las Plagas egg in her bloodstream. Distressed by this, she runs off. Leon eventually finds her, but she is later captured again. Leon then battles his way through mazes and minions to find Salazar, only to learn that Ashley has been taken to a nearby island research facility. After numerous altercations with Saddler's forces, Leon is able to rescue Ashley, remove the Las Plagas from her body and defeat Saddler with Ada's assistance. Leon recovers a vial containing a Plagas sample from Saddler's corpse, but Ada forces him to give it to her at gunpoint. She then escapes from the complex in a helicopter, leaving Leon and Ashley to escape via her jet-ski.
Characters
Resident Evil 4s characters were designed by Masaki Yamanaka.
Development
Officially announced in 2001, Resident Evil 4 underwent a long development period in which several proposed versions of the game were discarded by the developers before the finished product was released in 2005. The first attempt for a build of the game was developed for the Playstation 2 from 1998 to 2000 after the completion of Resident Evil 2. The project was lead by Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya and "Team Little Devil" from 1998 to 2000. However, in prototype status, the game proved to be a radical departure from the established Resident Evil formula and the survival horror genre in general. Rather than abandon the project entirely, the premise was changed and the game eventually became Devil May Cry.
The development of Resident Evil 4 got its official start in 2001 for the GameCube as part of an exclusivity agreement between Capcom and Nintendo that included Resident Evil 4, a remake of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero. The first proposed version, dubbed the Fog Version, was unveiled in the Tokyo Game Show in 2002 and had Hiroshi Shibata, the background designer for Resident Evil 3, attached to the project. This version's premise featured Leon infiltrating Umbrella's headquarters in Europe, getting infected by the Progenitor Virus and fighting fog-like creatures. One of the most notable areas shown in this version was a flying airship; however, Capcom scrapped the second beta of Resident Evil 4 quietly and created a new version without any outside announcement.
After the Fog Version came the Hooked Man Version. First shown at the E3 in 2003, this version was set in a haunted mansion and featured Leon fighting what appeared to be paranormal enemies, such as medieval suits of armor and living dolls. A distinctive enemy in this version was the aforementioned Hooked Man, who had a large hook grafted onto his wrist. The game displayed numerous elements that have been carried over to the final release, such as the perspective, laser sight, flashlight, idea of two weapons at once, action sequences, struggles with enemies and grenades. This version was reportedly so scary that Shinji Mikami warned gamers with the famous quote "Don't pee your pants!" prior to showing the initial trailer at E3. This version was cancelled for being too paranormal for the Resident Evil plot. Gameplay footage of this version was featured in the Biohazard 4 Secret DVD, released in Japan.
The final proposal before the finished product reportedly featured zombies as enemies once again. It was considered too formulaic by the developers and was discarded before it was publicly shown. Shinji Mikami took over directorial duties from Shibata and began working on the version that was released. At the last beta version, again, several things were changed during the development. Resident Evil 4 was to retain the inventory slot system, but this was changed to the attaché case.
Prior to the game's release, many Capcom producers considered Resident Evil 4 to be a "risky" departure from the series' previous installments. The game's creators sought to reinvent the series by adding a new type of enemy to the game, called "Ganados", as opposed to using the undead creatures from previous Resident Evil games. Unlike other Resident Evil titles, Resident Evil 4s storyline was not centered around the Umbrella Corporation or its exploits. Furthermore, producers expended additional detail to modify and update characters that had previously appeared in the series. In a documentary explaining the conception of the game's characters, a game designer stated he intended to make Leon Kennedy "look tougher, but also cool".
As a result of heavy losses incurred in 2002, Capcom confirmed that Resident Evil 4 was not exclusive to the GameCube as the other game. Along with Resident Evil: Dead Aim and Resident Evil Outbreak, two side story titles that did not fall under the exclusive policy, it was announced on October 31, 2004 that Resident Evil 4 would to come to the PlayStation 2 in 2005, citing increased profit, changing market conditions, and increased consumer satisfaction as the key reasons. On February 1, 2006, Ubisoft announced that they would be publishing the game on the PC. On April 4, 2007, a Wii version was revealed to be in production, and was launched later in the year. The game features all of the extras in the PS2 version, along with other additions, including a trailer for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.
Audio
Musical score
Biohazard 4 Original Soundtrack (???????4, known as Resident Evil 4 outside of Japan) is the soundtrack album of video game music from the third-person shooter, Resident Evil 4, produced by Capcom for the Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2 and Wii video game consoles. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed by Misao Senbongi and Shusaku Uchiyama. The soundtrack was released in Japan on December 22, 2005 with a price of ¥2,500 bearing the catalog number CPCA-10126~7 .
Voice actors
The game's English voice actors recorded their parts in four sessions, over three to four months. Capcom hired Shinsaku Ohara to serve as the game's voice acting, and translate the game's script. In an interview with IGN, Carolyn Lawrence, who provided the voice for Ashley Graham, described her character as "vulnerable, because Leon has to come to her rescue all the time". She also described Kennedy's character as "more brawn, perhaps than brain". In addition to the voice acting, the game's designer detailed each cinematic sequence so that each character's facial expressions matched the tone of their voice actor.
Reception
Resident Evil 4 has garnered significant critical acclaim. It has received dozens of awards from various organizations and stellar reviews from various video game websites. The game was considered by critics as a top contender for 's Game of the Year. The game was a successful crossover hit as the new gameplay alterations and immersive style appealed to many not previously familiar with the Resident Evil series. On Game Rankings, Resident Evil 4 got an average score of over 96%, and has been ranked number 2 on the voting average list with an average vote of 9.2, behind BioShock. Nintendo Power gave it 5 out of 5, and named it their 2005 Game of the Year, and ranked it number 1 on their list of the "Top 20 Best GameCube Games of All Time" in their 20th anniversary issue. Resident Evil 4 was ranked number 1 on IGN's Top 99 Games of All Time list. The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine named it the Game of the Year for the PlayStation 2. Game Informer gave both editions of Resident Evil 4 a perfect score, and along ranking number one on their list of "Best GameCube Games of All Time" they named it their 2005 Game of the Year. It tied with Kingdom Hearts II as Famitsu's Game of the Year 2005. Subsequently, Resident Evil 4 was named "Game of the Year" at the 2005 Spike TV Video Game Awards. Also, the G4 TV show X-Play named it the greatest game since the beginning of the series in April 2003 and gave the GameCube version a 5 out of 5, the PS2 version a 5 out of 5, and the Wii edition a 4 out of 5.
The Nintendo GameCube version sold over 320,000 copies in North America during the first twenty days. The European release sold its entire 200,000 units during the first month. As of January 2006, over 3,000,000 copies of the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions were shipped worldwide. According to January 17, 2007 sales figures provided by Capcom, the GameCube version of Resident Evil 4 has sold a total of 1.6 million units worldwide, while the PS2 version has sold over 2 million units. With the release off the Wii - Version and its enhanced controls, the game sold a further 1.8 Million Copies, thus making Resident Evil 4 the best-selling title of its franchise, surpassing Resident Evil 2. As of January 2009, the title sold over 6 million copies total
The characters and story generally received positive commentary. GameSpot's Greg Kasavin praised the game's voice acting, but claimed that it was betrayed by "some uncharacteristically goofy dialogue". Yahoo! Games' Adam Pavlacka and GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd acclaimed Capcom for adding great amounts of detail to the game's characters. IGN's Matt Casamassina went into further detail in his review for Resident Evil 4, praising not only the detailed character design, but also the fight choreography and three-dimensional modeling within cinematic sequences. Casamassina also complimented the game's voice actors, especially Paul Mercier, commenting, "For once, the characters are believable because Capcom has hired competent actors to supply their voices. Leon in particular is very well produced". IGN and Nintendo Power specifically recognized Resident Evil 4s character design and voice acting. Nintendo Power acknowledged the title's voice acting in its 2005 Power Awards, while IGN gave Resident Evil 4 awarded the game the "artistic design" award in its the "Best of 2005" segment. The International Game Developers Association nominated Resident Evil 4 for their best "visual arts" award, but lost the award to Sony's Shadow of the Colossus.
The increased variety of weapons has been praised by gaming publications such as GamePro and Game Over Online Magazine. The makers of Resident Evil 4 worked on various innovations associated with the use and inventory of weapons. Thomas Wilde explains that players can use the vast array of weapons to "go for headshots now". Game Informer explains that ammunition is more plentiful in Resident Evil 4 than in other games in the series, making the game more action-oriented. The January 2009 issue of Game Informer listed Resident Evil 4 #1 on their list of "Top 25 GameCube Games".
Versions and legacy
Special editions
The GameCube version featured two different collector's versions of the game. The first was available as a pre-order from the official website that included the game, Prologue Art book, and a white t-shirt with a black logo of game's title on the front and the website address on the back. GameStop offered another limited edition that was packaged in a tin box with an artwork book about the story of the series, a cel of Leon, and a soundtrack CD. Australia received an exclusive collector's edition that comes with the game, a bonus game with interviews, creator's footage of the game and past games.
The PlayStation 2 version featured two standard and collector's bundles from pre-orders on the official website. The standard package included the game and a dark blue t-shirt that featured a small Capcom logo on the front, and the game cover and website on the back. The collector's bundle included the game, t-shirt, a Leon S. Kennedy figurine, sculpted by NECA, and a black Biohazard Sound Chronicle Best Track Box, that contains six discs in solid black cases and a CD booklet with information on lists of selected songs. This quickly sold out, and a second pressing was released that included an Ada Wong figurine. Another called the Resident Evil 4: Premium Edition was packaged in a Steelbook media case, along with the artwork book, a documentary DVD, and a cel art of Ada.
PlayStation 2 version
Resident Evil 4 was ported to the PlayStation 2 after Capcom stated that it did not fall under the exclusivity deal with Nintendo. It was released in America on October 25, 2005. Critics felt that the PlayStation 2 version's graphics were inferior to the graphics in the GameCube version, however some felt that the exclusive features made up for these shortcomings. It was later included with Resident Evil Code: Veronica X and Resident Evil: Outbreak as part of the compliation Resident Evil: The Essentials.
PC version
Resident Evil 4 was developed for PCs by SourceNext. It was first released in Hong Kong on February 1, 2007, published by Typhoon Games, and it was later released in Australia on March 1, 2007. The port contains the bonus features from the PlayStation 2 version, such as "Separate Ways", the P.R.L. 412 laser cannon and a second set of unlockable costumes for Leon and Ashley, as well as an Easy difficulty that grants players the Shotgun from the beginning. It also supports multiple widescreen resolutions.
The ratings of the PC port were not as high as for the other versions. It was heavily criticized for no mouse support and frustrating keyboard controls, low-quality FMV cut scenes, choppy graphics rendering (lacks shadows and proper lighting) and requiring a gamepad controller for better aiming and gameplay. Despite the frustrating control scheme, the game still got positive reviews that praised the gameplay. GameSpot has given the game a 7.8 out of ten, while IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10.
Wii edition
Resident Evil 4: Wii edition was released for the Wii on May 31, 2007 in Japan. It features new controls involving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, along with the ability to use the Classic Controller or GameCube controller instead. The Wii Remote is able to aim and shoot anywhere on the screen with a reticle that replaces the laser sight found in the other versions. It can also be flicked to use the knife to instantly target an enemy. The Wii edition also includes the extra content from the PlayStation 2 and PC versions, and a trailer for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.
The Japanese magazine Famitsu reviewed the game, with two editors giving the game a perfect 10 score, and the remaining pair giving it a 9, resulting in a score of 38 out of 40. The reviewers noted that the game's improved controls offer something fresh and different. One reviewer said that the game offers the feeling of being closer to the action as well as upping the tension. Multiple reviewers agreed that even those who own the original will find something fun and enjoyable in this version.
British magazine NGamer gave the Wii edition a score of 96%, higher than the 95% given to the GameCube version. They praised the visuals, controls and features and commented on the fact that such an "exceptional package" was on sale for €29 (£20); however, when writing about the Wii controls, they said "if you've played the GC version this won't be as special". Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game 94%, 3% less than the original due to it simply not having the same impact it did back then. IGN gave the game a 9.0 out of 10, stating it was the superior edition, but does not push the Wii like it did with GameCube and PS2. The Wiire gave the version an A-, and an "Editor's Choice" award.
GameSpot gave the Wii edition a score of 9.1 out of 10, praised the new controls, but commented on the lack of exclusive Wii features. The Next Level awarded the game a 5 out of 5, citing the Wii version of Resident Evil 4 as "the pinnacle of its existence".
Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop
On July 15, 2008, Famitsu revealed that the Xbox 360 game, Dead Rising was being ported to the Wii console using the Resident Evil: 4 Wii edition engine; the port name was later revealed to be Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop. This version of the game came about after the positive reception of Resident Evil 4 Wii edition and will carry over features including the over-the-shoulder camera approach and motion controls utilizing the Wii Remote. Minoru Nakai, the game's producer, stated that the changes will make Dead Rising more accessible to casual gamers. The player can no longer take photos due to the implementation of the new camera system.
Mobile edition
Biohazard 4 Mobile edition was released in Japan for au's BREW 4.0 on February 1, 2008. It was first announced by Capcom at TGS 2007. Differences from the original include changing the flow of the story from being continuous to being divided into sections such as "Village", "Ravene", "Fortress" and "Subterranian Tunnel". There is also a more challenging Mercenary Mode.
Merchandise
Various figurines based on the characters and enemies were created. Two were based on the likenesses of Leon Kennedy and Jack Krauser. Agatsuma Entertainment has also created various miniature collectibles based on several main characters and enemies from Resident Evil 4.
Two special controllers designed to resemble chainsaws were designed by NubyTech for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions.
External links
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