Resident Evil 4 Review

The game is still good but there are some issues I have with it. First of all, the lack of on the fly weapon switching and how pointless the whole customizable inventory is. Once you upgrade the Attaché Case to large, it almost feels like the limited inventory just feels pointless, you can pretty much just carry as much shit as you want. And I always get annoyed when enemies get up close, and I want to switch to shotgun but then I have to wait a few seconds just to switch and an enemy could already have hit me.

Now the 2nd problem I have is a big one, and that is a lack of any kind of genuine evade command. When enemies hit you in RE4, it just feels cheap a lot of the time, because it feels like you can move out of the way but since Leon can only stay in one place, you pretty much have to deal with enemies getting free hits in. It doesn't feel like getting hit is my fault, it feels like I just have to deal with game's jank. RE3 had some form of an evasion command you RE4 can't have this? And the QTEs during bosses are finicky too considering I felt like I hit them correctly but yet I get hit.

Another issue I have is the health system and how inconsistent it is. One minute I am at green health and then get hit and I lose a quarter but then I get hit and lose half, and at other times, I am not even close to death yet I get killed, it often makes me wonder what even is the danger zone for the health system in this game is. It's either be at full health at all times or screw off. And finally the Island section especially towards the end was some of the weakest sections in the game. It's just non stop shooting galleries, but the game isn't interesting enough mechanically to sustain this. You basically just lure enemies into one place and fire away, there's not much decision making or anything interesting going on. It's still a good game but I really feel like I should critique the game on it's own merits since the old school survival horror fans and the people who deem the game to be a "masterpiece" sure isn't going to do it.

The island section is also really dull and exposes the combat for basically just being run, turn around, shoot, and kill everyone in your line of sight.

I have been negative on the game but the game does do a great job at changing up the combat encounters and it has some amazinginly satisfying combat, which greatly elevates the game but it does have some major problems that I don't think get discussed enough.