Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific. The sixth main entry in the Resident Evil series, the game was originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in January 2005 in North America and Japan, and in March 2005 in Europe and Australia.
The story of Resident Evil 4 follows the U.S. government special agent Leon S. Kennedy, who is sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the President's daughter, who has been kidnapped by an evil cult. Traveling to a remote rural area of Europe, Leon fights hordes of violent villagers and mutated monsters, and reunites with the mysterious spy Ada Wong. The game introduced new, more game-oriented gameplay mechanics to the series, also pioneering and popularizing the "over the shoulder" third-person view perspective in video games.
First hinted at in early December 1999, Resident Evil 4 underwent a long development time during which four proposed versions of the game were discarded. Initially developed for the PlayStation 2, the first attempt was directed by Hideki Kamiya after producer Shinji Mikami requested him to create a new entry in the Resident Evil series. Nevertheless, it was decided to start development over again. The game was intended to be a GameCube exclusive as part of the Capcom Five, but a PS2 version was announced before the game was released for the GameCube. Resident Evil 4 was subsequently released for Microsoft Windows and Wii, and in heavily condensed versions for other platforms, including the iOS, mobile phones and Zeebo. In 2011, the enhanced Resident Evil 4 HD edition was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Resident Evil 4 garnered universal critical acclaim. The game was considered by most critics as a top contender for 2005's Game of the Year, and was seen as a successful crossover hit; the new gameplay alterations and immersive style appealed to many not previously familiar with the series.

Gameplay

The player controls Leon S. Kennedy from a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective in a mission to rescue the daughter of the President of the United States, Ashley Graham. The gameplay focuses on action and shootouts involving crowds of enemies in large open areas. The camera is focused behind Leon, and it zooms in for an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon. Unlike previous games in the series, there is the addition of a laser sight that adds a new depth to the aiming, allowing the player to aim in various directions and easily change their placement at any time. Bullets 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.

Leon in battle with a group of Ganados. Unlike previous entries in the series, Resident Evil 4 places the camera constantly behind and over the protagonist's shoulder. The laser sight enables the player to target key hit zones on enemies.

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 quick time events, 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 instant kill attacks.
The main enemies are violent villagers referred to as Los Ganados ("The Cattle" in Spanish). Los Ganados can dodge, wield melee and projectile weapons, and are capable of working collectively and communicating with each other. They were once simple farmers until becoming the product of an infestation of Las Plagas ("The Plague" in Spanish).
The inventory system of the game features a grid system, represented by an attaché case, that has each item take up a certain number 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.
Capcom added new content made specifically for the PlayStation 2, which was later incorporated 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 STARS, who is now attempting to revive Umbrella. "Ada's Report", a five-part documentary, analyzes Ada's relationship with Wesker and his role in the plot.Other unlockable content in all versions included the minigame "The Mercenaries", "Assignment Ada", a small minigame using Ada to retrieve plaga samples, new costumes for Leon and Ashley, new unlockable weapons and a Movie Browser.

Plot

Six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, the former police officer Leon Scott Kennedy is sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. President's daughter, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult. He travels to a rural village in Europe, where he encounters a group of violent villagers who pledge their lives to Los Illuminados ("The Enlightened Ones" in Spanish), the cult that kidnapped Ashley.
While in the village, Leon is captured by its chief, Bitores Mendez, and injected with a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas.^[ He finds himself held captive and tied up back to back with Luis Sera, a former Los Illuminados researcher. The two work together to escape, but then quickly go separate ways. Leon discovers that Ashley is being held in a chapel, and rescues her. They both escape from the chapel after Osmund Saddler, leader of the Illuminados, reveals his plans to use the Plagas they injected into Ashley to cause a disaster in the United States once she is back. Leon and Ashley try to take refuge inside the castle of Ramon Salazar, a servant of Saddler, but are attacked by more Illuminados. The two are separated from each other by Salazar's traps. Meanwhile Sera searches for the pills to slow Leon's and Ashley's infection, and then to bring a plaga sample. He brings the two items to Leon but is killed by Saddler, who takes the sample, while the pills to suppress the infection remain in Leon's hands.While in the castle, Leon briefly encounters Ada Wong, a woman from his past that supports him across his mission. He then battles his way through the castle until killing Salazar.Leon learns that Ashley has been taken to a nearby island research facility, and goes to find her.
Leon later learns that one of his former comrades from his years of training, Jack Krauser, is alive and is responsible for Ashley's kidnapping. Both Ada and Krauser are actually working together for a third party related with Umbrella, and that Krauser intends to kill Saddler when he gets the chance. Saddler knows this, and he orders Krauser to kill Leon, knowing that no matter which one dies, he will benefit. After Krauser's defeat, Leon rescues Ashley, and they remove the Plagas from their bodies using a specialized radiotherapeutic device. Leon confronts Saddler after seeing Ada as his hostage. With Ada's help, Leon kills Saddler, and Ada takes the sample. She then escapes from the complex in a helicopter, leaving Leon and Ashley to escape via her jet-ski as the island explodes.

Final version

Following that, it was decided to change the game's genre to reinvent the series. Mikami took over directorial duties from Shibata and began working on the version that was released.In a later interview, he mentioned that he was put under enormous pressure by Capcom, threatened with the series' cancellation if the game had not sold well.According to newly-assigned producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi,the development team felt depressed and were hard to motivate after the focus of the game shifted from horror to action.Although Mikami demanded the camera system to be completely revised, the staff members had reservations about making big changes to the series he had created. Eventually, he intervened, explained his proposed changes, and wrote a new story for the title that, unlike previous installments, was not centered on the company Umbrella.Inspired by Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, a game Mikami had enjoyed playing but felt could have been better with a different view, he decided to place the camera behind the playable character. To go along with the new gameplay and story, a new type of enemy called "Ganado" was created, as opposed to using the undead creatures from previous Resident Evil games. 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".
The game's English voice actors recorded their parts in four sessions, over three to four months.Capcom hired Shinsaku Ohara as the game's script translator and voice over coordinator.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.
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 come to the PS2 in 2005, citing increased profit, changing market conditions, and increased consumer satisfaction as the key reasons. The PS2 version included new features, primarily a new subgame featuring Ada Wong. On February 1, 2006, Ubisoft announced that they would be publishing the game on the PC for Microsoft Windows. On April 4, 2007, a Wii version was announced, 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.

HD edition

On March 23, 2011, high definition remastered versions of both Resident Evil Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 4 were announced to be in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as part of the Resident Evil: Revival Selection. The ports are to feature all the bonus content from the previous releases, including "Separate Ways". On July 23, 2011 Capcom announced at Comic-Con 2011 that Resident Evil 4 would be released on September 20, 2011 for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Games on Demand. In Japan, Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica were released on a single disc with the title Biohazard Revival Selection on September 8, 2011. For North America and Europe, both titles, including Resident Evil 4 HD, were only released as downloads on Xbox Live Games on Demand and PlayStation Network.

Awards

The game has received several awards from various organizations from various video game websites. Nintendo Power named it their 2005 Game of the Year, ranked it number one on their list of the "Top 20 Best GameCube Games of All Time" in their 20th anniversary issue and ranked it second on their list of the best games of the 2000s. Game Informer gave the GameCube and PS2 editions of Resident Evil 4 a perfect score, and along with ranking it 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 and was named Game of the Year at the 2005 Spike Video Game Awards. Nintendo Power acknowledged the title's voice acting in its 2005 Power Awards, while IGN gave the game the "Best 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.
Resident Evil 4 is often considered one of the best video games of all time. In 2005, GamePro magazine ranked it first place in their list of the best video games of all time. In 2008, Resident Evil 4 was ranked number one on IGN's list of the "Top 99 Games of All Time". Edge ranked the game at second place in its "Top 100 Games of All Time" list, behind only The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The readers of PlayStation Official Magazine voted it the tenth greatest PlayStation title ever released. The G4 TV show X-Play named it the greatest game since the beginning of the series. Game Informer ranked Resident Evil 4 number one on their list of "Top 25 GameCube games". Game Informer ranked Resident Evil 4 number three on their list of "Top 25 PlayStation 2 games.