Resident Evil 4

Overview

Resident Evil 4 is a third-person action-adventure game set six years after the destruction of Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy stars, a former R.P.D. officer who travels to a remote Spanish village to investigate the kidnapping of the U.S. President's daughter by a mysterious cult. Following a long and troubled development, Resident Evil 4 received critical acclaim for its action-focused take on the series' classic survival horror gameplay.

Resident Evil 4 was released for GameCube on January 11th, 2005. The game was ported to PS2, later that year, despite promise of platform exclusivity by Shinji Mikami. A special Wii version utilizing the Wii remote's motion control capabilities followed in 2007, as well as a PC port. In 2011, an HD remaster of RE4 was published on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. An "Ultimate HD Edition", featuring further graphic and gameplay enhancement, released for Windows-based PCs in 2014, and PS4 and Xbox One in 2016.

In October 2018, Capcom announced a Nintendo Switch version of the game for release sometime in 2019.

Gameplay

Overview & Controls

Resident Evil 4 ditches many of its survival horror traits, becoming an accessible third-person shooter. Killing enemies, for instance, is incentivized with ammunition and gold which can be used to upgrade weaponry. Level design is more linear, and key items are likely used moments later; although numerous puzzles do appear throughout the game.

The series' divisive tank controls are ameliorated; an over-the-shoulder perspective and laser sights improves weapon aiming. Running and gunning, however, is not possible; any attempt at firing requires the character to ground himself in classic Resident Evil fashion. Common enemies, accordingly, are generally slow and rarely armed to fire back.

A dedicated knife button allows close-quarters combat without an inventory visit, reinforcing a faster pace of action. Switching firearms does, however, require the menu. As first introduced in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, simultaneous pressing of the 'back' and 'run' button turns the character 180 degrees.

Easy and Normal are the default difficulty settings. Upon completion, a higher setting unlocks, "Professional Mode". Each difficulty increases the attack and damage modifiers over the others.

Melee Attacks

Leon, knife aside, can perform a number of melee attacks. These are initiated by stunning an enemy, which is often accomplished by shooting the head. This can trigger a roundhouse kick, and felling an enemy to its knees a straight-kick or suplex, depending on the type of ganado. Leon is invulnerable during the attack animation, maximizing these as defensive maneuvers.

Inventory Tetris

Leon's attache case, unlike inventory in the past, is gridded with a number of squares. Items occupy a certain number; the player must arrange and re-arrange weapons, ammunition and herbs, among other things, to best utilize his space. Using, combining, discarding and selling items are all integral to grid management. Larger attache cases can be bought. Treasures, which can be sold to the merchant, and key items are housed in a separate menu.

Health & Healing Items

Leon's health is represented by a metered circle, in a departure from descriptors, wrapping around the ammo icon. The color scheme persists, however; with green indicating good health, yellow: danger and red: approaching death. The latter two manifest in Leon holding his side.

First-aid sprays and the classic green and red herbs are represented, although not blue herbs; the chance of being poisoned is removed. Yellow herbs, in a debut, can marginally increase Leon's health. These can only be taken when mixed with at least one green herb.

The healing potential of herbs are locked, regardless of how much overall health Leon has. A mixture of herbs and their healing effects, at Leon's maximized health (fully metered circle), are as follows:

• Green Herb - Restores 25% of health
• Red Herb - Does nothing
• Green + Green Herb - Restores about 50% of health
• Green + Green + Green Herb - Restores full health
• Green + Red Herb - Restores full health

There are three varieties of eggs, each healing a higher percentage than the last. They cannot be combined for greater effect and, generally, are attained from snakes or a chased chicken. Chickens, however, are only encountered early-on.

The three egg types are:

• White - Restores about 10% of health
• Brown - Restores about 40% of health
• Gold - Restores full health

Secondary Character AI

Ashley Graham

The player is sometimes tasked with escorting and safeguarding Ashley Graham. She functions with her own health bar; however, she cannot use weapons. Instead, she can be told to wait or to follow. She trails behind Leon, avoiding his aim, and will duck should Leon's laser-sight happen to cross herself.

Ashley, additionally, can be instructed to hide. Leon will whistle to reappear her. When in a dumpster, she is unattainable to enemies.

Ashley is as vulnerable as Leon and can die from a slight melee or friendly fire. Her health, however, can be extended if given the appropriate herb mixture. Ganado attempt to carry Ashley away, and should they exit the vicinity, the game is over. A single shot knocks the Ganado off-balance, dropping Ashley in the process.

There is one occasion where players control Ashley. Mostly defenseless, she must crawl under tables to avoid enemies. She can throw lamps to temporarily set enemies afire, knocking them down. The segment, otherwise, is puzzle-focused. Ashley, notably, can acquire supplies which transfer to Leon later.

Ashley's help is sometimes required, for instance, to push large crates. She will attempt to operate machinery, on other occasions, while Leon protects her. This includes her operating cranks and even driving a bulldozer.

Luis Sera

Leon, at one interval, works alongside Luis, defending a small house from an onslaught of Ganado. Luis is equipped with a Red 9 handgun and will shoot enemies off of Leon if grabbed; he, likewise, thanks Leon if he returns the favor. Luis, like Ashley, ducks if caught in Leon's laser sight.

Luis has infinite ammo and is invulnerable. He also drops supplies for Leon; however, it is possible for Luis to kill Leon. If Luis is shot by friendly fire five times, a short cutscene triggers, and Luis guns-down Leon, saying: ''Adios, Leon...''. This results in game over.

Dog

The player, early-on, will likely notice a dog in a bear trap. If freed, he will appear in the first El Gigante encounter. While not attacking, he does bark, distracting the monster and affording Leon additional attack time. After the boss battle, the dog retreats and is not encountered again.

Mike

Leon, late game, is supported by a helicopter pilot named Mike. He attacks both ganado and turrets; however, if Leon draws too close to an obstacle, Mike waits and repeatedly shouts-down Leon so that he can commence fire. Mike is invincible for this segment and has infinite ammo.

On Professional Mode, Mike will only shoot down the obstacles so Leon can progress, and he will not help with any of the turrets or ganado.

Quick Time Events

Resident Evil 4, informed by Shenmue, implements QTEs to make cutscenes interactive. Players react to on-screen prompts to help Leon escape danger. This varies from pressing/mashing the face buttons (sometimes simultaneously) or shoulder buttons, to wiggling the left analog stick. Failure results in Leon's demise, and each features a unique death.

QTEs are also utilized to escape from a grab, usually by wiggling the left analog stick. While failing won't always result in death, it does lead to more damage. Dying in these struggles, however, will sometimes trigger unique death animations.

Shooting Range Minigame

The player, at certain points, gains access to Shooting Galleries. There are four galleries and eight courses in total. The player is tasked with shooting cardboard Ganados while avoiding Ashleys (which deduct points); there is also a Salazar target. There is, occasionally, a Ganado with a lighted stick of dynamite that can be shot in order to destroy all targets within the vicinity.

Each course, amid its action, gives the player a chance to reload; this occurs once per course for about three seconds. Points are awarded for hitting enemy targets, and a certain number of them unlock bottle cap figurines.

Six bottle caps may be won at each range. Upon each completed row of bottle caps, the player is awarded money, starting at five thousand and increasing another five thousand with each row. One bottle cap may be earned by obtaining 4,000 points or hitting all enemy targets, while the other five require earning 3,000 points multiple times. Each course changes its target layout once a certain number of bottle caps are won. The bottle caps can be viewed in the Key Item Inventory. Each bottle cap features an audio clip whose quality is similar to actual sound-playing toys.

The points for each target are as follows:

• Male Ganado: 100 points, 200 for headshot.
• Female Ganado: 200 points, 300 for headshot.
• Ashley Graham: Minus 1000 points, minus 2000 for headshot.
• Ramon Salazar Head: 500 points.

Saving

As with earlier games, Resident Evil 4 requires use of the typewriter to save. Ink ribbons, however, aren't needed and there are a greater number of typewriters throughout the game.

New Game +

Players, upon completion, can start a new game with all of their upgraded weaponry. If attempting a different difficulty, however, players start from scratch.

Story

Main Characters

Leon S. Kennedy

A returning character from Resident Evil 2, Leon is now a government agent whose capabilities stand in stark contrast to his own as a rookie police officer. He is appointed alone to the perilous task of saving the President's daughter from a group of cultists.

• Voiced by Paul Mercier.

Ashley Graham

The President's daughter and the damsel in distress. Due to her sheltered upbringing, she has no experience with combat and is reliant upon Leon. And while Ashley does provide some assistance during key points, Leon must safeguard her then especially.

Luis Sera

A mysterious man and a native of Spain. Portrayed with a cavalier attitude, Luis is affable but clearly hiding something. His recurring appearances, nonetheless, lead one to believe he genuinely wishes to help both Leon and Ashley however he can.

His background as a police officer from Madrid makes him a formidable gun slinger, and he proves this beside Leon in battle.

Ada Wong

The femme fatale from Resident Evil 2 returns in a similar role. Ada, despite her motives and mysterious allegiances, routinely provides assistance to Leon, and in some cases saves him from his death.

• Voiced by Sally Cahill.

Ramon Salazar

A Spanish native of the nearby castle, Salazar serves as one of the main antagonists. A small stature and somewhat devilish appearance gives him the look of a gremlin. Upon jacking Leon's radio line, Salazar attempts to belittle Leon; although he is often bested by Leon's own wit. This contributes to Salazar's insecurity.

Jack Krauser

An antagonist, Krauser is American and appears to share a past with Leon. The poor terms between them are apparent, as Krauser seems eager to put an end to Leon's life.

He is incredibly proficient with a knife and bow, however, these abilities and his agility and stamina hint he may not be entirely human.

Osmund Saddler

The main antagonist and leader of the Los Illuminados. He is certain of his triumph over Leon, even as Leon disposes his subordinates; Saddler's over-confidence is a probable factor in his downfall.

As with Salazar, Saddler hacks Leon's radio and engages in similar taunting. Saddler, however, is confident enough to keep cool in the midst of Leon's bravado.

• Voiced by Michael Gough.

Plot

After the 1998 T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City and the city's government bombing, the Umbrella Corporation is dissolved and their perpetration of the disaster is made public knowledge. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the protagonists of Resident Evil 2, is recruited as a federal agent due to his firsthand experience with bio-terrorism. Six years later, then, Leon is dispatched to an isolated rural village in Spain as part of a top-secret mission to rescue President Graham's kidnapped daughter, Ashley.

Leon is escorted by two local police officers to the village's outskirts. Both express their skepticism regarding Leon's intel and decline to accompany him inside the village itself. After checking-in with support specialist Ingrid Hunnigan via radio, Leon enters a dilapidated house next to a ravine. He attempts to question a male villager inside the house, however, the villager attacks with an axe, forcing Leon to fire his service pistol in self-defense. Leon hears screaming outside as more villagers surround the house. One of them rams the police officers' car with a large truck, sending each vehicle crashing and destroying the only bridge leading out of town.

Alone and with no option, Leon continues, encountering more hostile villagers and several traps along his path. Upon reaching the village square, Leon spots the immolated corpse of one of the police officers through his binoculars. The villagers notice Leon and attack him en masse, forcing him to barricade himself inside one of the buildings. After several minutes, a church bell begins to ring; this completely diverts the attention of the villagers, who drop their improvised weapons and begin filing inside one of the village's buildings. A bewildered Leon continues his investigation, fighting more villagers, evading increasingly-elaborate traps and meeting a cloaked merchant dealing in contraband firearms and ammunition.

Leon comes face-to-face with Bitores Mendez, the village's chief, who easily knocks out Leon. After regaining consciousness, Leon finds himself restrained and bound to Luis Sera, an ex-cop from Madrid who had conducted parasite research for the Los Illuminados cult before betraying them. Leon later discovers Sera's notes and learns of Lord Osmund Saddler, the cult's mastermind. Saddler controls the villagers with parasites called "Las Plagas" that transform normal humans into violent "Ganados" (literally "Cattle") possessing inhuman strength and resistance to pain. Saddler has also injected Plaga eggs into Ashley, Luis and the unconscious Leon, intending to subjugate each of them. Saddler, through Ashley, intends to infect her father, President Graham, helping the Los Illuminados to take over the U.S., and ultimately the world.

Aware of Saddler's plan, Leon searches and locates a stone church where Ashley, supposedly, is held. The church is locked, however, and the only key is located on the opposite side of a large lake. Leon arrives there and witnesses two Ganados dumping the corpse of the second police officer into the water, which is devoured by a monstrous creature called "Del Lago". Leon tries to cross the lake by boat and is forced to fight, managing to slay Del Lago with harpoons. Upon arriving at the lake's opposite shore, Leon coughs blood and collapses in a cabin. He has an intense nightmare in which he is completely infected by his Plaga parasite. He awakens, hours later, and secures the church key. Leon doubles back across the lake to rescue Ashley.

On his way back, Leon fights El Gigante, an enormous troll-like creature. If freed earlier, a friendly wolf will assist Leon during the fight. Leon arrives at the church and makes contact with Ashley; Saddler announces that the implanted Las Plagas are growing inside both of their bodies. After escaping, Leon and Ashley make their way towards Hunnigan's designated extraction point. The pair, however, are caught between two large mobs of Ganados and forced to barricade themselves inside a cabin where Luis is also hiding. Working together, Leon and Luis defend the cabin against the horde; Luis quickly parts ways with Leon and Ashley afterward.

Hunnigan contacts Leon to report that their extraction helicopter has been shot-down, and that a second helicopter is being prepped for launch. Leon spots a large castle and decides to hide there with Ashley while waiting; however, the path is obstructed by a retinal scanner that can only be opened by Mendez. Learning Mendez has set-up an ambush nearby, Leon enters a building used by the cult for torture, where he is confronted by the village chief. Mendez transforms into a centipede-like monster upon catching fire in a fuel barrel explosion, but he is dispatched by the American agent, who acquires the chief's glass eye. Passing the retinal scanner, Leon and Ashley proceed to the castle and raise the drawbridge behind them, cutting off the advance of another Ganado mob.

Inside the castle walls, Leon discovers the area is a stronghold for Los Illuminados. Robed cultists attempt to kill Leon and capture Ashley using catapults and other medieval weapons. One of Saddler's high-ranking associates and the castle's current castellan, Ramon Salazar, jams all of Leon's communications. This obstructs Hunnigan, though Salazar frequently contacts Leon to taunt him. Moving through the castle, Ashley coughs blood and panics, running headlong into a trap that separates her from Leon. Searching for Ashley, Leon encounters the enigmatic Ada Wong, a female operative with her own agenda whom Leon last met in Raccoon City. Despite disarming and questioning her intentions, Ada plays coy before activating a flashbang and fleeing.

Luis catches up with Leon soon afterward, carrying a mysterious "sample". This is mentioned in several Los Illuminados communications as crucial to their goal of world domination. Luis is impaled by a barbed tentacle which retracts into the voluminous robes of Saddler, retrieving the sample and mocking Leon before exiting. With his final breath, Luis gives Leon a bottle of medicine that slows the growth of immature Plaga parasites, buying Leon and Ashley additional time to find a cure. After swearing to avenge Luis, Leon sights and frees Ashley by sniping her iron restraints. Because the pair are separated by a locked door, Ashley treks alone through a portion of the castle, locating the key and reuniting with Leon. The two set off, and Ashley is quickly recaptured by one of Salazar's "Novistadors," a vicious breed of Plagas-spawned, large insects capable of flight.

Leon makes his way to Salazar, dispatching Novistadors and one of two Verdugo, Salazar's bodyguards. Climbing a large stone tower, Leon finds Salazar standing before the enormous "Queen Plaga". The castellan informs Leon that Ashley has been taken to Saddler's facility on a nearby island. Several tentacles emerge from the Queen, lifting Salazar and his remaining bodyguard into its orifice, merging all three and attacking. Despite this effort, Salazar is destroyed with the Queen Plaga. Leon heads to the island by boat with Ada, who again sets off on her own once arrived. Leon fights Saddler's heavily-armed Ganado militia and Hunnigan's second helicopter appears, providing air support. It is eventually shot down by a rocket-equipped Ganado.

Slaughtering dozens of Saddler's soldiers, Leon finds Ashley inside a cell. The two cut through the remainder using a combination of firepower and heavy machinery. Saddler, however, arrives and forces Leon into submission by exerting control over his developing Plaga parasite, abducting Ashley in the process. Leon is ambushed by his former comrade Jack Krauser, who reveals himself as Ashley's kidnapper. During a knife fight with Leon, Krauser explains how he abducted the President's daughter to gain Saddler's trust and access to the Plaga sample. Krauser gains the upper hand in the melee, but Leon is saved by Ada's sharpshooting; Krauser retreats temporarily. After reaching the island's ancient ruins, Leon is attacked again. Krauser arms several explosive charges set to destroy the ruins. Leon, however, defeats his Plaga-mutated rival and escapes before detonation.

Leon locates Ashley in Saddler's clutches; Ada arrives and provides cover fire, giving Leon and Ashley the opportunity to escape. The pair locate a medical device, developed by Luis, which destroys the Plaga through radiation. Ashley and Leon rid themselves of their infestations and attempt to escape the island. Scouting ahead, Leon is confronted by Saddler, who transforms into a crab-like monster upon realization of what has transpired. With Ada's help, Leon manages to kill Saddler in his mutated form, ending the threat of Los Illuminados. Ada takes the Plaga sample from Leon at gunpoint, however, and starts a countdown that will destroy the island with explosives.

Leon retrieves Ashley, and the two manage escape on a jet ski mere seconds before the island is destroyed. With his mission accomplished, Leon and Ashley head back toward the coast, as the sun rises. Ashley asks Leon if he would like to "do some overtime", an offer which Leon politely turns down.

Weapons

Merchant

Throughout Resident Evil 4 the player will come across a travelling Merchant, who will offer new weapons and items for the player to purchase. The player can also sell anything that isn't a key item (apart from the knife) to the Merchant and upgrade weapons via interacting with him. At first, the Merchant’s weapons and upgrades will become available at set times throughout the game; however, on a second game, everything will be available from the start.

Below is a complete breakdown of all the weapons, their upgrade costs (in parenthesis) and statistics: firepower, firing speed, reload speed, and magazine capacity. Exclusive upgrades are also detailed. Note that on the scale of Firepower stats, a "1.0" is considered equal to the damage of a single bullet from Leon's default pistol without any upgrades, and all weapon damage is compared to this.

Pistols

Handgun

Notes: The Handgun's exclusive upgrade increases the likelihood of one a one-hit kill by fivefold.

Punisher

Notes: The Punisher has the unique attribute of allowing each shot to penetrate one enemy and hit another one behind the first target. The Punisher's exclusive upgrade will allow the penetration of up to five enemies at once.

Red9

Notes: The Red9's exclusive upgrade will raise its firepower to 5.0 on the GameCube and to 6.5 in other versions. The weapon resembles a Mauser C96.

Blacktail

Notes: The Blacktail's exclusive upgrade will raise its firepower to 3.4.

Matilda

Notes: Matilda is an unlockable weapon, available after beating the game. Its exclusive upgrade will increase its ammo capacity to 100.

Shotguns

Shotgun

Notes: The Shotgun's exclusive upgrade allows full firepower at all ranges.

Riot Gun

Notes: The Riot Gun's exclusive upgrade raises its firepower to 10.0. The weapon resembles an M1014.

Striker

Notes: The Striker's exclusive upgrade increases its ammo capacity to 100.

Magnums

Broken Butterfly

Notes: The Broken Butterfly's exclusive upgrade raises its firepower to 50. The weapon resembles a Schofield Model 3.

Killer7

Notes: The namesake of this weapon is a reference to Killer7. It has no exclusive upgrade.

Handcannon

Notes: The Handcannon is an unlockable weapon; it becomes available after the Mercenaries minigame is beaten with all characters, with five stars on each level. The Handcannon's exclusive upgrade is unlimited ammo and an increase of firepower to 99.9.

Rifles

Bolt-action rifle

Notes: The Rifle's exclusive upgrade raises its firepower to 18.0; this is powerful enough to kill Regenerators, saving the player the need to hit their leech targets.

Semi-automatic rifle

Notes: The Semi-automatic rifle's exclusive upgrade decreases its firing speed to 0.40 on the GameCube, and to 0.80 in all other versions. This weapon resembles a PSG1.

Misc. Weapons

TMP

Notes: The TMP's exclusive upgrade raises its firepower to 1.8.

Chicago Typewriter

Notes: The Chicago Typewriter is an unlockable weapon; it becomes available after the completion of Assignment Ada on the GC; after Separate Ways on the PS2 and Nintendo Wii; or after both minigames of the PC.

Mine Thrower

Notes: The name of this weapon is incredibly misleading, and can be better described as a sticky grenade launcher. The Mine Thrower's exclusive upgrade enables heat seeking on its sticky "mines" and increases blast radius.

Enemies

Ganado

Long gone are the slow, shambling zombies of the series, and in their stead are the Ganado. While still rather slow in movement, the Ganado are much more intelligent and capable than your average zombie. They are shown to work in groups, can wield a variety of weaponry, climb ladders, and will make an effort in keeping their head clear from the player's laser sight. Though while they are of a much greater intelligence than zombies, their infected state via a nerve-attached parasite leaves them to act rather sluggish and are much slower to react than an ordinary person. But on the flipside they don't respond to pain quite as vividly as a person would. A shot to the face will make them temporarily stagger in pain, but only for a few seconds before they return to their advance.

They have few defensive abilities and will generally attempt to swarm the player via their larger numbers and sheer aggression. Though to account for the player's inability to move & shoot, they will rush towards the player only before slowing down to walking speed when they reach a certain proximity. As such, the Ganado still retain numerous zombie-like qualities despite being of a much more aggressive design.

Aiming for the head is still a suitable tactic, and may result in the head being completely destroyed, though shooting other regions can be beneficial as well. Players can shoot their arm to make them drop their weapon should they have one equipped, and if a Ganado is in mid-sprint then shooting their legs will have him topple to the floor, leaving him extremely vulnerable to attack. Ganado won't bite players, but if one gets close enough then they'll grab and attempt to strangle the player character; Leon's health will begin to deplete all the while this is happening. Wiggling the stick will eventually knock them away, and may even result in destroying their head amidst the animation, though if the player fails the QTE then Leon will be thrown to the floor dealing a sizeable amount of damage.

If a Ganado has a weapon, it will often use it as a melee weapon, but will sometimes instead hurl it at the player - to which can be shot out of the air by the player. Once thrown the ganado will then pull out another from its back pocket.

There are three distinct varieties of Ganado, one for each of the three main environments of the game. While they all largely function the same, they each wield different weaponry.

Villager Ganado

These are the ganado that populate the beginning village segment. The villager ganado are the weakest variant in the game and wield a series of rudimentary weapons, such as pitchforks, hatchets, sickles, and sometimes dynamite.

The villager Ganado will make a late game reappearance in the Mines near the final stretch of the Castle environment.

Cultist Ganado

The Ganado that patrol the castle owned by Ramon Salazar. The Cultists can withstand much more damage than the villagers and wield more effective weaponry. These range from scythes to flails, and are also sometimes equipped with wooden shields. The shields can be shot through with a single shotgun round, but can otherwise prove to be a danger when multiple are advancing unto Leon while equipped with shields. The shields themselves can be used as a weapon as well, which will knock Leon to the ground.

As with the villagers they will sometimes throw their scythes, which have the potential to decapitate Leon killing him immediately. Should they throw their scythe they will from them on rely on their regular melee attacks and will not equip another.

For ranged they rely on crossbows. They don't deal a lot of damage per shot, but are instead meant to harass from afar. Only one shot can be fired at time before they must reload at least. Some Cultists will also be encountered while equipped with an RPG launcher. Such encounters are extremely rare, however.

Certain ganado cultists are wearing a golden skull or jackal mask, whom are completely invincible to shots to the head. Some are also shown to be wearing red robes as opposed to black; any who wear red are of a higher position and will always drop a valuable jewel upon their death, though they also require more punishment to kill.

Militia Ganado

These are the final ganado variety the player will face. They're the strongest of all types and are the most aggressive. Their weapons consist of many of the same as the other types, such as crossbows, dynamite, flails, shields, and occasionally RPGs. Though they also have cattle prods which deal a heavy amount of damage even over other melee weapons. Some are also shown to be wearing a helmet, which like the cultist masks means this ganado is invincible to any shots to the head.

There is a type of militia ganado that is much taller and heavily armored than the rest. It is armored over much of its torso and most of its head, and wields a huge hammer. Its movement is slower than that of a regular ganado, but its attacks deal more damage and it can withstand more damage before dying.

Ganado Plagas Mutations

At a certain point in the story, the las plagas parasite will sometimes be shown to burst out of its host after the ganado has received a certain amount damage. Whether a ganado will mutate or not is random, though upon doing so all previous damage is made redundant and the ganado will have regained full health.

Plagas A

The most common plagas among all ganado. The plagas A is a small, bulbous collection of eyes and tentacles, one of which will stretch out to reveal a sharp axe-like end that it'll use to strike at the player. Shooting the plagas is the primary means by which to now kill the creature, as well as to force the axe tentacle to recede back for a split-second.

Plagas B

Plagas B are first encountered when going up against the cultists, but also appear amongst the Militia Ganado. This plagas resembles a small sort creature, though once it gets close will rapidly increase in size and attempt to bite the player character's head clean off. As with Plagas A, shooting the plagas itself will force it to recede away for a split-second so as to halt its instant-kill attack.

Plagas C

The final plagas mutation. Plagas C is first shown to be a bunch of skittering legs, which will shoot acid at the player from a distance. After it receives enough it damage, it will then separate from its host completely and operate independently as a sort of arachnid-like creature. Though once it's become separated it is now extremely vulnerable and will die by but a few handgun shots or knife swipes.

Plagas C will on very few occasions be encountered independent of any host.

Chainsaw Ganado

An extremely dangerous mini boss enemy of sorts. As their name implies, Chainsaw Ganado are equipped with a chainsaw, which is an instant-kill should they get close enough to Leon. Besides their powerful offensive capabilities, Chainsaw Ganado can withstand a much higher degree of damage than regular ganado. Though they'll be knocked to the ground like any other, and as such can be stunlocked so long as the player has the ammunition. A Chainsaw Ganado will always drop a valuable jewel upon their death, if not 10,000 gold.

There are two cosmetic varieties of Chainsaw Ganado, though they each share the same properties. Chainsaw Ganado are only encountered in the village and mine environments of the game. An alternate name for the Chainsaw Ganado is 'Dr. Salvador', as that's the name for the Chainsaw Ganado bottlecap. While they wear a burlap sack over their head, it doesn't increase their head defense. Chainsaw Ganado will also never mutate.

There are a pair of sisters that wield chainsaws as well which are encountered during one specific segment of the game. Despite their different appearance they still function the exact same as a regular Chainsaw Ganado.

Colmillos

Vicious dogs that have been infected with las plagas. Colmillos are extremely dangerous as is and will launch at the player and attempt to maul them, requiring the player to rapidly waggle the analogue stick to escape. After so long they will unleash their plagas parasites, which burst out of their back and can then be used as a long range series of whips. Though unlike ganado plagas mutations, for Colmillos the plagas is bound to expose itself regardless of how much it has taken before hand.

These creatures are only encountered in two locations, being the graveyard outside the church and the castle maze.

Novistador

Strange, insect-like creatures that somewhat resemble the chimera from the original Resident Evil. Novistador have two varieties. The first is completely invisible and will attempt to ambush the player, though when it attacks the player has a split-second chance to press a button prompt to counter the ambush. When they've been attacked they'll temporarily lose their invisibility, though can still regress back into it in order to escape and try again. It primarily attacks by slashing when up close or doing a dive-kick when further away, which if hit will knock Leon right to the ground.

The second variety is always visible, though they have the ability of flight. They also have an additional attack to where they'll grab Leon and vomit acid all over his face, requiring the player to wiggle the analogue to escape from their grasp.

Garrador

A recurring mini boss enemy during the castle segment. Garradors are tall creatures equipped with a large claw on each hand. While they may be completely blind, they have highly acute hearing. Upon noticing the player it will rush to their vicinity and madly swing around the area. Their other most notable attack is their charging lunge attack, to which will kill a player instantly should they get caught by it. It may alternatively lead to the Garrador getting its claw stuck into a wall, allowing the player some easy shots at its plagas weak-point located on its back.

When attacking with explosives such as grenades, it may then fall over onto the ground with its back exposed, again allowing for some easy potshots.

Armadura

Suits of armor that are inhabited by las plagas parasites. Some are encountered amidst QTEs, to which will strike down at the player before then crumbling to the floor. Though some are encountered as enemy units, which will use whatever weapon the suit is equipped with--be it an axe or sword--to attack the player. Due to their armor they are highly resistant to damage and can be difficult to make flinch. After enough damage the plagas will burst from the helmet, revealing itself. Damage dealt to the plagas is now the most effective, though the creature is still highly resistant to flinching all the same. What plagas type that'll burst out of an Armadura can be between each of the three A, B, and C varieties.

These creatures are only encountered during a couple of instances in the castle.

Regenerador

One of the most formidable enemies in the game. Regeneradors are first made known during the Island segment of the game. As their name implies, they have the unique ability to regenerate any and all wounds the player inflicts. The only way to permanently kill a regenerador is to kill the plagas parasites within. Players can simply keep shooting at the creature in the hopes of hitting one, though by this point players will have access to a thermal scope to attach onto their semi-auto sniper rifle. With this players can pinpoint exactly where the parasites are. There are usually between 3-4; on Professional Mode there is always one on its back. The way to note if the player has shot one of its parasites is if the regenerador's whole body temporarily wobbles and expands. Once all parasites have been killed it will explode.

Regenerador's attacks are extremely powerful. It will primarily attack by getting close to the player to then rapidly munch on Leon's neck, requiring the player to wiggle the stick to escape. Though while it will at least walk slowly towards the player, its leg can be temporarily destroyed to slow it down even further. However its range of attack will actually increase without its legs, as from there it will leap off the floor a surprising distance to bite the player as before.

There exists an alternate variety to the regenerador called an Iron Maiden. Its one distinctive difference is that its body is comprised of a number of spikes, and if close enough will extend all of its spikes simultaneously at the player.

A sure way to note if a regenerador/iron maiden is within the vicinity is its distinct breathing that can carry across the whole area.

Gatling Gun Ganado

Otherwise known as ''J.J'', gatling gun ganado are an infrequent mini boss that is encountered amidst the militia ganado. They have available a gatling gun with infinite ammo, which has a high range of attack. If the player is caught within its stream, it will only count as a single attack with a few brief seconds of invulnerability, allowing the player a chance to escape the weapon's range. If he can get close enough, he can also use his gatling gun as a melee weapon to knock Leon to the ground.

Gatling Gun ganado are pretty resistant to damage, though they can be temporarily stunned after enough shots to the head - this will not trigger a melee attack button prompt, however. Their red beret can also be shot off thisaway as well.

Boss Battles

Del Lago

The first boss of the game, though one that is fought outside of the main gameplay design. Leon is instead riding a small dinghy boat with access to an unlimited supply of harpoons. After its anchor accidentally gets stuck on the creature, the boat is thusly pulled along the river. Players still have some control of the boat all the while and must thusly try to steer it away from the debris in the water, otherwise the collision will deal damage. All the while this is happening, the player can also throw harpoons at the creature. Though the animation for such is relatively lengthy and only allows the throwing 3-4 harpoons before it dives underwater.

During certain periods, Leon will completely lose track of the creature as the boat comes to a standstill. However it isn't long before waves begin swarming towards the boat; the screen will post arrows on the screen to point the player to the direction of the creature. Once it gets close enough it'll open its mouth, revealing the las plagas parasite; damage to this area is higher than anywhere else, and is necessary to halt its advance otherwise it'll slam into the boat dealing a high degree of damage.

Once enough damage has been done, the game will shift to a cutscene depicting Leon's leg being caught on a string of rope that's being pulled by the monster. The player must now mash the alternating face buttons in order for him to successfully cut the rope off.

Before the battle begins, Leon can potentially witness a short cutscene depicting one of the Spanish police officers that drove him here being dumped in the water to be eaten by Del Lago by heading up the alternate pathway. Upon reaching the boat, players can also shoot the river from their position, which will result in a unique death scene of Del Lago bursting out of the water to devour Leon.

El Gigante

What is perhaps considered to be one of the game's most iconic boss battles. The El Gigante is a recurring boss that can be fought across the game up to three times, though only two are mandatory. El Gigante is huge, lumbering monstrosity, that uses sheer brute strength to kill anything that stands in its way.

First Battle

The first time Leon encounters the beast makes for the second boss encounter in the game. El Gigante is fought amidst a roughly circular arena, with some nearby huts that contain some additional supplies. However they are easily trounced by El Gigante should players attempt to take shelter for too long inside one.

El Gigante attacks with sheer brute force, as it stomps towards Leon in its attempt to grab and then squeeze to death. Should this happen the player needs to wiggle the stick to escape its grasp, with Leon stabbing its hand with his knife dealing minor damage in the process. If the player attempts to run underneath his legs, he will then do a swift kick forward - potentially knocking the player over to the ground if caught by it. It will also pick up a huge tree log and will horizontally swing to and fro; the player will be given a QTE prompt to avoid the attacks.

Due to its size it's easy for the player to deal damage to it, though it's rather resistant all the same. Grenades work well in particular, as do flash grenades as well in temporarily halting his advance allowing the player to fire at him safely. After sustaining enough damage, it will then keel over in pain as a giant las plagas parasite bursts out of its back. From here the player can shoot at the plagas, run up and press the button prompt to initiate a QTE where Leon slashes at it with his knife, or both. So long as the player knows to start running towards it to initiate the QTE, it's possible to get in some shots without sacrificing the QTE chance. After about three such occurrences El Gigante will finally fall to the ground dead.

Should the player have freed the dog from the bear trap much earlier in the game, it will then arrive to provide assistance for the battle. It won't attack El Gigante but will instead bark at it to gain its attention, allowing the player a prime opportunity to unload into it.

Second Battle

The second battle plays out similarly as above beyond a few differences. The first is that the player is currently escorting Ashley Graham, who can also be killed by El Gigante. Furthermore, the battle arena this time is much slimmer than the first, with it being near impossible to get around the advance of El Gigante. The one upside is that there's a boulder precariously resting above; if timed right, the player can potentially shoot the boulder so it will land on El Gigante, dealing a significant degree of damage.

This boss encounter is technically optional, as the player is allowed to choose between two pathways to proceed. The other of which will instead send the player through a gauntlet of ganado. Though at the same time it's possible for the player to clear out both pathways for the sake of acquiring more gold and supplies.

Third Battle

The third and final fight against El Gigante is mandatory like the first. Though what differs here is that the player is forced to fight two El Gigantes simultaneously. To even the odds, players can instead head to the switch and pull it, opening up the large grate that, if timed right, will send one of the El Gigantes into the molten lava below. If players don't close the hatch, however, it's possible for the dying El Gigante to give one last attack before it dies.

Players can instead try to beat them both, which while more difficult also results in double the rewards, as the one that is sent into the lava takes its loot with it.

The arena is more circular like the first, and there exists a ladder the player can climb to reach a pulley, which can then be used to send the player to the opposite side of the arena, potentially making some distance between them and El Gigante.

Bitores Mendez

The ''Big Cheese'' as Luis referred to him. Bitores is as first depicted as an incredibly tall person, though his true las plagas form is revealed for this boss battle.

The plagas takes the place of his spine, extending his already impressive height even further. He also has four new, lengthy appendages appointed on to his back, giving him a fair range of attack.

Mendez is made up of two stages. The first has him slowly walks towards the player, while using his back appendages to attack from afar. The battle arena is largely pretty small and makes it very difficult to run past him without fear of getting attacked. Though there is an upper level the player can climb one of the three ladders to, which contains additional supplies as well as a temporary haven from Mendez. Though even if he can't get up there, his appendages can and will attack the player if they stay up there for too long.

His primary weak spot is his new plagas spine, which after so much damage will then collapse along with his legs. This then initiates Mendez's second phase, to where he'll rely on his plagas appendages on his back to swing about throughout the area. This gives him an increased level of mobility. He will now attack by slashing with his own hands, and can keep track of the player much more acutely, such as by now leaping to the upper level of the area. Mendez's weak point is now his head, to which grenades and the few red explosive barrels located around the area work especially well.

Verdugo

Salazar's ''right hand'', Verdugo is one of two mysterious creatures that serves Salazar. The first part of the battle has Leon attempt to avoid its attacks from the ceiling via QTEs. After reaching the console to turn the power for the elevator on, the room goes into lockdown. Then after turning the button on to try and unlock the door, Verdugo finally makes its appearance.

At this point the player is unlikely to kill Verdugo and must try to survive until the door opens. Once that happens the player can then attempt to wait and survive until the elevator is powered with more room to maneuver, thereby skipping the boss. Verdugo is nigh immune to regular gunfire, and must first be encased in nitrous oxide if the player aims to kill it, or wants to at least stall it while the elevator makes its descent. Fortunately there just so happens to be a number of NO canisters within the vicinity. Whence frozen the player is to unload whatever they have into it before it breaks out of the NO. Verdugo will routinely hound the player amidst the wait and many of its attacks require a successful QTE prompt to avoid.

Verdugo's patterns will remain as such, and the player is to continue utilising the canisters if they wish to kill it. Though there are only so many canisters available, and if they are all used up and Verdugo still lives, it's advisable the player must instead flee. Fleeing, however, will leave the player with zero rewards, whereas killing it will reward players with a unique treasure.

Ramon Salazar

Now at the halfway point, Salazar and his remaining henchman allow themselves to be enveloped by a humongus plant-like creature.

Unlockables

Upon completion of the game, the player is awarded with the content described hereunder:

Costumes

A single completion on any difficulty will reward players two new costumes, though only one is available on the original GameCube version. All ports thereafter include the second. The first is Leon's classic RPD uniform from Resident Evil 2, and the second is a 1930s mobster outfit. While wearing the mobster outfit and equipping the Chicago Typewriter, Leon will flip his hat when players attempt to reload the infinite ammo tommy gun.

Either costume will also change other character's appearances as well. When wearing the RPD uniform, Ashley's outfit will have changed to a sort of clubbing outfit. When wearing the mobster outfit, Ashley will be shown wearing a suit of armor, which not only makes her completely invulnerable to damage but also makes her so she's too heavy to be carried off by a Ganado. Ada Wong's outfit will change as well, though she only has the one alternative outfit, being the special-ops outfit she wears in Assignment: Ada.

Assignment: Ada

Assignment: Ada is a non-canonical and single-player. Ada Wong assaults the island base in search of five Las Plagas vials. There are no save points, however, it is significantly shorter than the main game. Upon collecting all vials, Ada battles mutated Krauser. The battle is unlike Leon's only in the setting (bridge), allowing less space to maneuver.

The Mercenaries

This minigame stations the player in an area wherein he must survive before chopper pick-up. The goal is to gain points by defeating enemies before time expires. There are five characters and four areas to choose from. Each character starts with different weapons, while each stage is equipped with ammo boxes, bonus timers, and time extenders. Three areas are redesigns from the main game, and the fourth is new.

Scoring

Upon starting Mercenaries, Leon is the only selectable character. To earn additional characters, the player must earn four stars on each stage. The village stage unlocks Ada Wong; the castle unlocks Krauser; the military base unlocks Hunk; and the water-world unlocks Wesker.

An unlockable weapon, the Handcannon, may be earned by attaining five stars on every level with all five characters. To earn a five star rating, the player must earn 60,000 points.

Below is a complete list of characters and their starting weapons, grenades, ammo, and health. Hand to hand moves are also detailed, in addition to each stage's boss.

Leon S. Kennedy

Weapons:

1. Blacktail – Power = 2.7 / Reload Speed = 1.47 / Firing Speed = 0.40 / Capacity = 21
2. Riot Gun – Power = 7.0 / Reload Speed = 1.67 / Firing Speed = 1.53 / Capacity = 13
3. Ammo – 30 Pistol Rounds / 10 Shotgun Rounds
4. Grenades – None
5. Health – 1 First Aid Spray

Hand to Hand:

1. Headshot – Roundhouse kick
2. Knee shot – Thrust kick to villages, suplex on soldier types and monks

Ada Wong

Weapons:

1. Punisher – Power = 1.9 (exclusive, rounds go through 5 enemies) / Reload Speed = 1.47 / Firing Speed = 0.33 / Capacity = 20
2. Semi Auto Rifle (scoped) - Power = 15 / Reload Speed = 1.90 / Firing Speed = 0.80 / Capacity = 12
3. TMP – Power = 1.0 / Reload Speed = 1.93 / Reload Speed = 1.93 / Firing Speed = 0.10 / Capacity = 100
4. Ammo – 30 Pistol Rounds / 100 TMP Rounds / 5 Rifle Rounds
5. Grenades – 3 Incendiary Grenades
6. Health – 1 First Aid Spray

Hand to Hand:

1. Headshot – Fan kick
2. Knee shot – Heel kick

Jack Krauser

Weapons:

1. Bow – Power = N/A / Reload Speed = N/A / Firing Speed = N/A / Capacity = N/A
2. Ammo – 30 Arrows
3. Grenades – 3 Flash
4. Health – 1 First Aid Spray

Hand to Hand:

1. Headshot – Double heel kick
2. Knee shot – Knee to face
3. Mutilated arm – RB to activate, X to attack, B to cancel (X360)

HUNK

Weapons:

1. Custom TMP – Power = 1.0 / Reload Speed = 1.17 / Firing Speed = 0.10 / Capacity = 100
2. Ammo – 50 TMP Rounds
3. Grenades – 3 Hand Grenades
4. Health – 1 First Aid Spray

Hand to Hand:

1. Headshot – Neckbreaker
2. Knee shoot – Rugby kick

Albert Wesker

Weapons:

1. Handgun – Power = 2.0 (exclusive, headshots are five times more likely) / Reload Speed = 0.87 / Firing Speed = 0.33 / Capacity = 25
2. Semi Auto Rifle – Power = 15.0 / Reload Speed = 1.90 / Firing Speed = 0.80 / Capacity = 24
3. Killer7 – Power = 30.0 / Reload Speed = 1.53 / Firing Speed = 0.70 / Capacity = 10
4. Ammo – None
5. Grenades – 4 Hand Grenade / 1 Incendiary / 3 Flash
6. Health – 1 First Aid Spray

Hand to Hand:

1. Headshot – Thrust punch
2. Knee shot – Chikyo Chagi (downward kick similar to Kazuya’s Tsunami kick from Tekken)

Stages and Bosses

Separate Ways

Included in the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii versions, Separate Ways is an additional 3-5 hour campaign. Separate Ways follows Ada through the whole game and consists of 5 chapters, each taking place in a different section and time of the game. Players are given a small stash of weapons and ammo and can purchase (but not upgrade) weapons from the merchant. All the treasures from Leon's campaign also exist in Ada's, and in some cases are key items in her quest. Each chapter is preceded by a cutscene and ends with Ada giving a short audio report on a character vital to that chapter.

In Chapter 1, Ada has been tasked by Wesker to retrieve the Las Plagas sample. She arrives in the village at around the same time as Leon. Ada observes Leon in trouble during his skirmish with the villagers; in order to stop them from attacking Leon, she must quickly get to the church and ring its bell.

In Chapter 2, Ada has learned that Luis is in possession of the sample, but has gone missing. Ada needs to find him ASAP. She starts in Bitores Mendez' (the village chief's) house and must work her way back to the cabin, where Leon finds Luis. When she reaches the cabin, she finds that Leon and Luis have just been captured by Mendez. She backtracks to Mendez' house, just as Mendez and Leon meet in the hallway. Ada saves Leon from being killed by Mendez. Mendez gives chase to Ada, and tranquilizes her. Ada wakes up on the bloody altar found near the lift area, where she is about to be sacrificed by the villagers. She escapes, takes the lifts back and fights an El Gigante. She runs into Luis, finally, who was exiting the cabin where he and Leon had their late night hold-off from the villagers.

In Chapter 3, Ada is still in search of the sample held by Luis. The chapter starts at Leon and Ada first meeting, which was in the room overlooking the castle's garden maze. Ada flees Leon into the maze, and resolves to find Luis and the sample. Wesker orders Ada to kill Leon on sight, so Ada makes a pact to not run into him, as she does not want to hurt her former acquaintance. Ada does end up in the room of the castle where Leon finds Ashley in the shackles; she hides behind a column, as Luis is murderer by Saddler, in front of Leon. Saddler takes the sample from the corpse of Luis and escapes. Wesker tells Ada that there will be another time to retrieve the sample.

In Chapter 4, the game jumps ahead to the Island, where Ada and Krauser have become distrustful of each other. Krauser is ordered to do the job Ada couldn't do: kill Leon. Ada has to hurry to the room where Krauser and Leon fight, in order to stop Krauser. This chapter is the first to take place in an new section of the game: a ship dock littered with turrets and cannons. Ada hurries through the locale, and after a small scare on one of the ships, she stops the fight and saves Leon.

In Chapter 5, the final chapter, the mission is simple: retrieve the sample. Taking place at the very end of the game, Ada is making her way through the camp Leon had fought through with the help of his helicopter buddy, Mike. After she kills the straggler soldiers, she's confronted by Krauser again. This time, however, he wants to fight Ada. This fight takes place after Leon had "killed" Krauser; however, he is just as tough as he was in the Leon fight. Ada dispatches him. She makes her way towards the room where Leon and Ashley ran into Saddler. Ada interrupts their confrontation and makes the two run away. Ada faces Saddler, who is in a more human form than Leon is later exposed to. After the battle seems over, Ada grabs the sample; yet, she is captured, this time by Saddler. She wakes up just prior to Leon and Saddler's final fight. Leon releases her. Ada stands back as they fight, noticing a rocket launcher. Ada hurries to the launcher, and throws it to Leon, who uses it to destroy Saddler once and for all. Ada takes the sample from Leon, sets the island to self-destruct, and escapes on a helicopter. She returns the Plagas sample to Wesker, however, it is revealed a fake; Ada hands the real sample to an unknown, rival organization.

Professional Mode

Completing the game on Normal difficulty unlocks Professional mode, in which enemies have increased health, attack speed and power. Enemy drops likely contain more money but less ammo and quick time events require quicker mashing and reactions.

Once the player has completed professional mode, they unlock the Plaga Removal Laser 412 (P.R.L. 412), a laser rifle that has infinite ammo and can one-hit-kill almost every enemy and boss. The weapon can be acquired freely from the Merchant in a completed game. On the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or new Steam PC version, the player gains the achievement "A Heart of Steel" for completing professional mode.

Development

Resident Evil 4 was first announced in 2001. It went through a long development period, during which various versions of the game were scrapped. One of its earlier builds was regarded as too great a departure from the series and was retooled and re-branded as Devil May Cry.

A later version bore a greater resemblance to the previous Resident Evil's, retaining fixed camera angles and a focus on exploration and puzzles. Although when Leon aimed, the camera would switch to RE4's over-the-shoulder perspective. This version premised Leon's injection with the progenitor virus (as opposed to the parasite, Las Plagas) which caused hallucinations, introducing a psychological element to the game. Due to a ghostly apparition that wielded a hook for a weapon, this version has been coined the Hookman Build. Paul Mercier can still be heard providing the voice for Leon's cries of pain when attacked, and many of the build's sound effects originated from the 2002 Resident Evil remake, such as the handgun firing, footsteps, and locked door sound effects. QTEs were shown to already be in effect for this build; the suits of armor that will attack Leon whence he gets close enough is another aspect that made it into the final release.

While initially directed by Kazuhiro Aoyama, who is otherwise best known for directing Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, troubles in development forced the build to be scrapped and for Mikami to then take over. He further believed that the Hookman build's themes were too 'supernatural'. Due to the poor sales of the Resident Evil remake back during its exclusivity on the Gamecube, Mikami opted to steer the series into a more action-focussed design.

Differences between Regional Versions (JAP, U.S. and PAL)

Other than the game being called BioHazard 4 in Japan, there is a more subtle difference between the versions concerning Ashley Graham, as her breast size was increased overall for the game's US and PAL release. In addition, the Japanese version cuts some scenes featuring Dr. Salavador, the chainsaw Ganados, because of gore and violence.

The differences in the PAL version are found in mercenaries mode. Throughout each stage, the enemy counts and triggers are lowered, and rifle ammo will only appear in quantities of two and three, instead of three and five.

Reception

Resident Evil 4 was a large departure from the past Resident Evil games. Capcom stated that Resident Evil sales had been declining for some time, and that gamers - and even the producers themselves - were tiring of the old Resident Evil formula. Capcom took the risks involved with making changes, and the game was a blockbuster hit.

It sold millions of copies, more than any other Resident Evil game at the time, and became one of the highest rated games ever. It sold so well that Capcom ported the game to the PS2, ending the "GameCube Only Deal". It was, moreover, ported to the PC and then again to the Nintendo Wii. The PC port, while receiving positive reviews, was criticized for its sub-par keyboard controls, lack of mouse support and low quality cut-scenes. Because of Resident Evil 4's reception, its controls were kept and improved in Resident Evil 5, pushing the action further.

Ports

Despite Mikami's intention of making Resident Evil 4 a Gamecube exclusive, the game ended up receiving more ports than any other game in the series. The HD remake released on Steam in 2014 is officially considered the "definitive edition" of the game.

Resident Evil 4 (PlayStation 2)

Released on October 25, 2005 in North America, the PlayStation 2 features a brand new scenario called "Separate Ways", an exclusive campaign for Ada Wong. While nothing much was changed in translation, the PS2 version was criticized for its inferior graphics.

Resident Evil 4 (PC)

The first PC port of Resident Evil 4 was developed by SourceNext in Hong Kong and published by Typhoon Games. It was released in Japan on May 15, 2007, with March releases in Europe, North America and Australia, all of where it was published by Ubisoft. This port contains the bonus features from the PS2 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 level. It also supports multiple widescreen resolutions. The shadow and lighting issues were fixed in the first and only patch for the game, Version 1.10.

Surprisingly, the PC port does not support the mouse.

Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii)

In May 2007, a re-release version of BioHazard 4 made its way to Japan. This did not include any new features, save a trailer for Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles; however, it did retain extras from the PlayStation 2's version and the GameCube's visuals. Widescreen is anamorphic. This version allowed for aiming with the Wii's IR functionality.

The game is compatible with multiple controller schemes, including the following.

• Wiimote/Nunchuck
• Classic Controller
• GameCube Controller

Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition (iOS)

In July 2009, an iPhone version of Resident Evil 4 was released on the Japanese iTunes App Store. It came to the U.S. store, too; however, it is a drastically inferior, boiled-down level-based version of the game, much more arena shooting than adventuring. Capcom later created an iPad version.

Resident Evil 4 HD (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

On March 23, 2011, Capcom confirmed that Resident Evil 4 HD and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X HD would come to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network as two separate downloads, on September 20, 2011 and September 27, 2011. Though it was also released as a disc compilation called the BioHazard Revival Selection, but only in Japan.

The HD version features all the extras from the previous releases.

Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition (PC)

In January 2014, Capcom announced a new Steam version would release February 27th, 2014. It featured a visual overhaul, sixty frame per second, optimized wide screen, Steam achievements and trading cards, worldwide leaderboards, full-controller support, native keyboard and mouse support, subtitles in common languages and all content from previous versions.

Pre-order version included eighty pages of digital art and sixty-two songs in the official soundtrack.

Modifications

• Resident Evil 4 HD Project

Trivia

• Resident Evil 4 includes many references to the Luc Besson movie, Léon: The Professional. Not the least of which is of course Leon Kennedy sharing a first name, but also the burst-fire handgun Matilda, which references the Natalie Portman character of the same name, and the unlockable difficulty setting 'Professional' referring to Léon's subtitle.

• The dog that Leon can save from a bear trap early in the game has a striking resemblance to Hewie from the survival horror game of the same year Haunting Ground.

• The Merchant character's famous ''Whatta ya' buyin''' line has been referenced in innumerable games since, including Bayonetta and Dust: An Elysian Tail.

• Nine years after the release of Resident Evil 4, Mikami directed The Evil Within, which in itself is seen as a sort of spiritual successor to RE4 with many references therein to his previous work. However the game's reception was much more divisive than what RE4 saw.

PC System Requirements

Ultimate HD Edition