Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 got some game-of-the-year- awards back in -05, and a few months ago a new version was released for the Wii. Reviewing a new, critically acclaimed game two years after it’s release is kind of pointless, so I’ll get that out of the way quickly. Resident Evil 4 is a great game, probably the best single-player experience on the system (at least for those of us in Europe that haven’t got Metroid Prime yet … Although this only really leaves Zelda. Still, saying it is better than Twilight Princess means something). The first Resident Evil game more or less brought the horror genre to videogames so not being a fan, I was reluctant to try this game but the solid action/adventure gameplay won me over. And it should be said, even though I’m not as fond of the American Superhero Protagonist caricature as Capcom seems to be, Resident Evil 4 is very atmospheric and engaging.
What is really nice about Resident Evil – and for that matter, horror games in general – is how they use the interaction parts of the game to invoke feelings in the player. Using the same techniques used in movies to make the player feel for characters is one thing, but being forced to rationalize every shot fired because you don’t really know when you’ll be able to refill your short ammo supply creates a feeling of paranoia that you can’t really get if you don’t have the choice.