Resident Evil 4 (2005)

About Resident Evil 4 (2005)

Resident Evil 4 (2005) is the HD version of Capcom's 2005 game, released on Steam in February 2014 and later on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It is a separate game from the 2023 remake. Special agent Leon S. Kennedy is sent to rural Europe to rescue the US President's daughter, Ashley, who has been kidnapped. In the village he finds people infected by a parasite called Las Plagas and controlled by a cult, Los Illuminados.

The game moved the series to a third-person, over-the-shoulder camera, and it changed how Resident Evil plays. The villagers, the Ganados, are not slow zombies. They use tools and weapons, open doors, climb ladders, surround you and shout to each other. Shooting a leg makes one stumble, and a kick sends a group flying. Some of them burst open to reveal parasites that make the fight much worse.

Between fights you manage an attache case with limited space, sell treasures and buy and upgrade weapons from a hooded merchant who turns up in odd corners. Later Leon has Ashley to protect, ordering her to wait or follow while enemies try to carry her off. The journey moves from the village to a castle and beyond, with set-piece bosses along the way.

It is more action than the earlier games and less of a slow mansion crawl, but its villages, chainsaws and night sections are still tense. It suits players who want to play it in its original form, including the Separate Ways bonus campaign with Ada Wong.

How to play Resident Evil 4 (2005)

1. Move Leon through each area and stop to aim, as in the original you cannot move while shooting.
2. Shoot villagers in the legs or head to stagger them, then press the prompt for a melee kick.
3. Arrange your attache case to fit weapons, ammunition and healing.
4. Sell treasures to the merchant and buy and upgrade weapons, then save at typewriters.
5. Protect Ashley once she joins you, telling her to wait or follow.

Tips

• Use the knife on crates and barrels to save ammunition.
• Upgrade one handgun and one shotgun fully rather than buying everything.
• Watch for villagers with dynamite and shoot it while it is still in their hands.
• Combine herbs before using them; green with red heals fully.
• Back into a doorway or corridor so crowds can only come at you from one side.

Questions