Resident Evil 4 Member Review for the PS2

    I guess I\'ll start out by saying this is the best Resident Evil ever...by far.  Don\'t get me wrong now, the game does have it\'s flaws, but it is definitely the best RE ever.  In terms of graphics and game-play it just blows the others away.  The game is much more combat oriented than all the others, which was a huge plus for me.  Instead of running around trying to figure out where to push the statues, you spend time blowing away crazy chainsaw ladies, trying to get the key you need from around their necks.

    The arsenal in the game is great.  Handguns, shotguns, SMG\'s, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, and everything in between.  The game has also incorporated a money system that allows you to upgrade your weapons to your liking.  It\'s a blast trying out your newly pimped Riot Gun for the first time. 

    The sound in the game is great as well.  The folks from Capcom have succeeded again in adding a bunch of freaky sounds to make those little hairs on the back of your neck stand up.  If you stand next to the zombies  during the Castle portion of the game you can hear them muttering "Muerde, Muerde, Muerde"  over and over again.  Muerde is Spanish for death, and even if you didn't know that, the guys still sound freaky as hell just saying it.  The only bad part about the sound is some of the voice acting, but it's not a huge deal.  It's like an RE trademark by now.

    As for the controls, they are a little icky at first.  Aiming is kind of difficult sometimes.  It uses a laser pointing interface where you put the dot on the bad guys and that\'s where your bullets go, the only problem is it\'s kind of hard to see the reticle sometimes.  This isn't a huge problem, just a little annoying at times.  But the movement and the actual aiming portion of the game are on point... I suppose it's more of a visuals issue than anything.

    Other than that the game is fantastic.  Of course it\'s a little linear but it\'s Resident Evil, it kind of has to be.  To make up for it it\'s got several extras you unlock by beating the game including costumes, new weapons, a mini-game mode, and a more difficult version of the game.  I\'ve beat it like 4 times and I still love to play it.  It\'s really a great game.  Any body that is a fan of Resident Evil should own it, no doubt.  Best in the series, by far.

Graphics - 10
Sound - 8
Controls - 7
Replay Value - 8
Fun Level - 9

Pros -  Great Graphics,  Nice sound effects, Plenty of extras,  It\'s just fun to play
Cons - Some cheesy voice acting,  Aiming with the analog stick is kind of tricky some times

Overall -  A great game for any RE fan and anyone who enjoys action games.  Also anybody that likes using a money system to make their character better should enjoy RE4.  Awesome game.