Retrospective

20 Years Ago, the Best Horror Game Ever Made Changed Everything

A horrifying revolution.

by Hayes Madsen
A muscular character in a dark, eerie forest holds a handgun, dressed in a black shirt and tactical ...
Capcom

Resident Evil created the survival horror genre as we know it, and it¡¯s one of the most influential series in video game history. The influence of the first Resident Evil simply cannot be overstated, but what¡¯s fascinating about the series, is that the first entry isn¡¯t even the most important game. That honor lies with Resident Evil 4, a title that legitimately might be one of the most important, and best video games ever made. Twenty years after its release, it¡¯s more clear than ever how formative Resident Evil 4 was for the industry at large ¡ª and how it changed the entire trajectory of the franchise.

Resident Evil 4 was a bit shocking when it released in 2005, as a console exclusive for the Nintendo GameCube. The exceptionally dark and violent game was a far cry from the family fare that Nintendo was known for, especially at that time. But even more shocking was how revolutionary the game felt, not just for horror games but shooters as well.

The over-the-shoulder view completely changed how you play and interact with a Resident Evil game.

Capcom

You once again take on the role of Leon Kennedy, the rookie cop who starred in Resident Evil 2. But this time Leon is all grown up, now serving as an elite member of the United States Secret Service. When the President¡¯s daughter, Ashley Graham, is kidnapped, Leon is sent on a solo mission to a remote village in Spain to covertly rescue her. But in traditional Resident Evil fashion, Leon stumbled upon a horrific conspiracy that uses a new strain of the T-Virus to transform innocent people into monsters.

Resident Evil 4 completely redefined the formula of the series, shifting the fixed camera of past games to a new over-the-shoulder view ¡ª completely changing the look and flow of the game. That shift in perspective drastically ratcheted up the tension and horror of the game, making everything feel more immersive and immediate. The new format of Resident Evil 4 was a seismic shift that completely redefined third-person shooters, revolutionizing how they were designed to play. Countless games would follow the example set here, from Gears to Uncharted.

But what really makes Resident Evil 4 a timeless game is how masterfully every aspect of it is designed ¡ª story, action, and horror. Each of these elements were weaved together to create an impeccable roller coaster experience that grabs you early and never lets go.

Resident Evil 4 has fantastic enemy variety, constantly forcing you to change up your approach.

Capcom

Each and every area in Resident Evil 4 has a unique design bristling with dangers and opportunities. The first time you step into the village Leon is ambushed by dozens of crazed villagers, forcing you to barricade yourself in a house ¡ª blocking windows to stop enemies from getting in and scrounging for every bullet and healing item you can. The game constantly throws these tension-building set pieces at you, requiring ingenuity and quick reactions.

But past that, there are dozens of different enemies that force you to take different approaches to combat. Religious zealots close in on you with wooden shields, forcing you to blast them apart as quickly as you can. Giant bugs called Cazadors buzz above your head, swooping down to ambush you. Resident Evil 4 is constantly throwing something new at you in terms of combat, but still has all the complex exploration and puzzle-solving of past games ¡ª all tied together with a perfect tone and aesthetic.

Leon¡¯s deadpan humor plays well off the game¡¯ other characters.

Capcom

That last point permeates the game¡¯s story and characters, telling a shlocky B-movie kind of narrative that perfectly accentuates the game¡¯s action. From a diminutive villain who dresses like Napoleon to the macho military man Krauser, Leon has to go up against a real cornucopia of weirdos. But he approaches everything with a sense of deadpan humor that¡¯s genuinely hilarious, constantly throwing out quips and one-liners without batting an eye. The game perfectly flip-flops between serious drama and weird comedy, giving Leon a few quirky allies to work with along the way.

Resident Evil 4 is one of those games that¡¯s hard to imagine improving in any way, nearly everything it does is perfect. Despite that, Capcom decided to give it an ambitious remake in 2023 that, by and large, does make some improvements. But there¡¯s a quirkiness and sense of tone that even the remake can¡¯t capture ¡ª a kind of special sauce that just makes the original game stand out.

Even with a full remake there¡¯s ample reason to go back and play the original game. Whether you want to see its historical influence, or simply play a good horror game. Whenever conversations come up about the nest video games of all time, Resident Evil 4 should be at the top of the pack.

Resident Evil 4 is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Related Tags
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top