Celebration: Resident Evil 4, One of the Best Games Ever Made, Turns 20
It seems funny now that I think about it, but in the early days of Resident devil – when zombie dismemberment was top dog and Raccoon City was everyone’s favorite apocalyptic holiday destination – the idea that the franchise would find itself in the rural suburbs of Europe , where you fight an evil warden like a child seems completely absurd.
That’s exactly what it is Evil resides 4 however – it’s absurd. While the series has always had its own lovable sense of insanity amid the gritty, survival horror tropes, RE4 goes above and beyond with its absolutely ridiculous plot and gameplay.
Where once we roamed the fiery streets of Raccoon City, we are now practically traversing the hallways of a grand castle, shooting down mysterious blue medallions, awarding Exchanged with a charismatic pirate-like merchant, the cultists are confused, burning giant parasites and conveniently placing pots and barrels with knives. That is frantic and in many ways, it’s not quite Resident Evil. But you know what? It saved the franchise.
It’s not surprising to say that RE4 is one of the best games of all time. It was a treat to play back in 2005 and it was a treat to play on this day, 20 years later, even with redo out there. It shows how successful a game can be when developers choose to take risks and take their franchises in new and exciting directions. In an age where bloated budgets make publishers more risk-averse than ever, it’s something we really don’t see enough of anymore.
You only have to look at the sheer number of ports RE4 has received since its initial release to understand how important it really is. One of the best (and perhaps more underrated) is Wii version has implemented great motion controls for the aiming function, but of course, you can launch it now on Nintendo Switch, if you want. And with the upcoming ‘Switch 2’ featuring full backwards compatibility with current Switch games, you’ll at least be able to enjoy RE4 comfortably for the best part of the next decade.
If you somehow haven’t played RE4 yet, I recommend you give it a try. Yes, you can play the remake if you really want to and it’s a perfect way to experience Leon’s deadly trip to Europe, but the original is an exceptional game and, in my eyes, is a must for fans of survival horror, action games, and… just gaming in general.
What is your favorite memory of Resident Evil 4? Did you play it the first day on the GameCube or was this your first experience through one of its many ports? Let us know with a comment.
