RE4 details from GI article. [Archive]

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Deathstroke

02-16-2004, 06:09 AM

From www.rehorror.com

"In 1997, Resident Evil shocked the video game world. It single handedly introduced gamers to a new type of gaming thrill, labeled "survival horror" by its creator, Shinji Mikami. Its use of cinematic camera angles, shocking suprises, and panic-inducing zombies set a standard that video game creators have been chasing ever since. Resident Evil 4 is set to change the industry yet again. Long in development, Resident Evil 4 was first shown in the U.S. at E3 2003. At that time, the game looked to play almost exactly like its predecesors. And, thruth be told, it did all the way up until about six months ago, when Mikami stepped down as the head of Capcom's fabled production studio 4.

In an effort to get back to what he does best, the legendary game creator took over as the direcoe of Resident Evil 4. The new system is suprisingly like the original, but also so unique and fresh that you can't help but love the innovation that Mikami has brough to this sequel. For one, the game can now be played in either first-person persepective or from one of the two other, better (at least in our opinion) views which are basically slight variations on a close third-person camera. But do'nt think for a second that Resident Evil 4 handles like any other third-person game you have played. For example, it must be viewed in widescreen mode. If yout TV doesn't support the 16:9 aspect ratio, the game will feature black bars along the top and bottom to make sure you experience the game to its fullest on a 4:3 monitor.

HDTV users will be happy to know the game supports 480 progressive scan, and will fill the entire screen when played on a widescreen TV. the window size is crucial to how the game system works. When in third-person, Leon fills the far left side of the screen, which we thought would make aiming nearly impossible until we actually got our hands on the title. The game really feels like you are playing a first person shooter, with or without Leon on the screen. The controls themselves are virtually the same as the classic Resident Evil configuration players are used to. All the movement is handled by the left joystick, you hold the right trigger to aim, A to fire, down and B to make a quick turnaround, and the menu screen is almost completely identical to previous iteration. However, gamers will be happy to hear that both health and ammo are now represented onscreen.

Even though the controls feel eerily familiar, they are far less clumsy with the camera fixed to the gamer's perspective. In fact, we were surprised to find that Resident Evil plays like an almost entirely different game.

**Okay there are 6 little screen shots on the frist two pages.

#1 is a very old looking man with a bullet that says: this is a good example of how well the textures are done throughout the game.

#2 is Leon jumping through a window, more like hopping: use the action command to jump through the window and onto the roof.

#3 is Leon leaning up against a wall with binoculars: use binoculars...

#4 is showing the binoculars with a few people around a bon fire. : ...to zoom in on the action.

#5 it shows Leon with a cow : "Moooo"

And #6 is Leon look into sort of a window. : in this cutscene Leon listens in on the villagers' plan.

HANDS ON - Once again, Resident Evil 4 follows the story of Leon, and takes place in 2004, six years after the events of Resident Evil 2. While Mikami promised us that there would be some past characters making a surprise visit in this game, many of the familiar elements of the RE universe have changed.

Gone is the Umbrella corporation, and with it, the zombies that have long been that hallmark of the series. The story opens with Leon being hired by the president to protect his daughter. But before he can get on the job she is kidnapped, which leads Leon on a strange trip to a South American village where all the villagers hunt him down in an eerie trance. Are these people infected by a parasite? Is it an alien invasion? Is it terrorists?

Mikami promised us that Resident Evil isn't going Sci-fi, but he was unwilling to unveil why these humans are after you. At this point in out visit, we actually got some hands on time with the game. Like previous titles, you use herbs and sprays to replenish health, but you quickly realize that the world is completely different place. For one, you are outside and the level is not only incredibly gorgeous (in fact, this game is easily the best looking GameCube title we have ever seen) but completly wide open. There are no door animations to sit through. No computer generated pre-rendered cutscenes. Everything is done in-engine, and the areas only feature a few very brief loads.

As we head down the road towards the village, we come across bear traps, laser trip wires that the players must avoid, and finally get our first chance to blast an enemy or two. Aiming is simple, and we happily discover that an accurate headshot gives the player a satisfying "exploding melon" animation. That's not the only hit zone the game has to offer, either. The enemies display a wide arroy of animations. Shoot a walking villager in the foor and he hobbles, hit a running villager in the foot and he collapses to the ground. All the major appendages react realistically to an assault from the front and back, left or right. Another technique we picked up on is that if you shoot a villager and then quickly close the gap between you and the prey, the action button will pop up and let you deliver a hard kick to the the chest.

Upon reaching the village, you can hear the people (if they still can be considered that) ok there are 6 screenshots on this page.

#1 Leon aiming at a guy with a sickle on a little roof. : you can now shoot enemies above...

#2 Leon shooting a villager climbing a ladder : ...or below you

#3 a guy with a chain saw right in Leon's face : Mikami warned us at his E3 speech - "Dont pee you pants!" It didn't work.

#4 it shows Keon shooting a villager's head off : a shot to the head delivers a gruesome display.

#5 is Leon is getting attacked by the chainsaw guy : the chainsaw guy supplies a constant source of panic.

#6 Shinji and Kobayashi as zombies : Shinji Mikami (right) and Hiroyuki Kobayashi do their best zombie impersonation. Now on the new page is all screenshots.

It shows a picture of painted like hallway type thing outside.

#2 is that big ogre guy. : this boss is simply huge...

#3 ...and he has the ability to pick you up and throw you or simply stomp you into the ground; be afraid. Be very very, afraid.

And the 4th and 5th are another artwork pictures.

Speaking in Spanish. From here, you use the action button to hide behind a nearby tree and use binoculars to zoom in on the goings on. The game quickly goes to a real-time cutscene, but as you may have guessed since you have binoculars at your displosal, you are able to zoom in and out on the action at will. Mikami also revealed to us that a sniper rifle would be available later in the game. This is where all hell breaks loose. We head into the village and they are on us like flies on crap. A sea of freaks descends on us. It is easily the most enemies we have ever seen on-screen in a Resident Evil game, and each character is highly detailed with spectacular texture work. They really look like villagers. Not only that, they are armed with sickles, axes, pitchforks, and all sorts of sharp utensils.

But these aren't static zombies waiting to be whacked. The villagers start throwing the weapons at you. And, if you time it right, you can shoot them right out of the air with a satisfying ping of metal as they fly off in another direction. As we run into a neaby buliding, we discover that we can use the action button again to move a table in front of the door to stem the tide of evil villagers. Leaving the hacking and bashing at the door, we head upstairs and with a tap of the action button dive through the window and out to safety.

Or so we think. A chainsaw rips to life (in crystal clear dolby digital pro logic II surround sound) just behind us, and we quickly turn around to find our selves face to face with a Texas Chainsaw Massacre wannabe complete with a bloody chainsaw and a burlap sack for a mask. This is just a taste of the onslaught we face for the next five minutes. We shoot villagers off of roofs. We use the action button to push over a ladder full of deadly enemies. Heck, we even throw a grenade at a cow in the barn just to blow it to bits. The controls are intuitive, the combat intense, and even with the loss of exaggerated camera angles for dramatic effect, we still felt a blood-cruding sense of fear the entire time we played.

It's a very claustrophobic experience. The enemies are always around you. And if they get close, they grab hold and leave you bashing buttons to get free. In a later level, the entire area is dark. You can pick out some of the villagers as they hold torches, but you don't really know what is going on around you until lightning illuminates the sky. It's incredibly spooky. In fact, by using the closer camera angle, you know less about what is going on around you than you did with the previous fixed camera fiews. Any concerns we had that the series would lose its hallmark horror with the new perspective were quickly thrown out the window after playing it, but Mikami reassured us anyway.

"Up until now, all the games in the Resident Evil series have been about surprise." An enemy has jumped out; you aim at it, shoot it, and kill it. What I'm going for with this game is a more 'humanistic' fear, which comes from the enemies not being 100 percent zombies, they actually have human characteristics. And because they are smart, they will try to trick you and trap you. As you proceed through the game, about halfway through the enemies start to become very, very smart. And what happens is, you'll shoot one, and instead of continuing to approach you like an idiot, it will realize you have a gun and are shooting at it. It will run away. So you may chase after it, and if you do, you will see that is has intentionally brought you into an area where there are five or six of them lined up with bowguns aimed to ambush you. Them being able to trick you and trap you brings in a whole new kind of fear. Also, since the enemies look more like humans, it makes it more realistic.

The closer it is to reality, the closer it is to being truly scary.

#1 Leon on a roof with villagers climbing a ladder: use the action command to cut off the approaching villagers.

#2 Leon is aiming his gun at a trip wire: while this may look like a cutscene, it is actually the view you play the game in.

#3 Leon aims at villagers in dark: darkness takes this game into a whole new level, as the game engine does some spectacular thing with lighting.

#4 a picture of Leon without his jacket on with a harpoon: in this picture Leon is at the bow of a boat fighting a huge water beast. the Interesting thing is that this won't be the only vehicle he gets to drive in the game we promised we wouldn't reveal all the details just yet, but let's just say you are going to be pleasantly suprised."

The scans:
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_1.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_2.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_3.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_4.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_5.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_6.jpg

Some interesting stuff here. The control scheme is unchanged but from the way they talk, it seems that it works better somehow.

You get to pilot vehicles? Not sure about that.

I like the idea about being able to target individual limbs. Getting a headshot in the other games was almost always a matter of luck.

"The Game"Evolution

02-16-2004, 07:02 AM

From www.rehorror.com

The scans:
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_1.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_2.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_3.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_4.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_5.jpg
http://www.rehorror.com/re4_6.jpg

Some interesting stuff here. The control scheme is unchanged but from the way they talk, it seems that it works better somehow.

You get to pilot vehicles? Not sure about that.

I like the idea about being able to target individual limbs. Getting a headshot in the other games was almost always a matter of luck.

I like the idea about being able to target individual limbs. Getting a headshot in the other games was almost always a matter of luck.Your words.

Not if your using a shotgun.A head-shot is a no-miss if your using that.The only thing left here is for RE4 to come to the PS2 and the rest would be perfect.

no.1gamer

02-16-2004, 08:44 AM

Yea, this game does look incredible! Now we're just waiting for a solid release date...

Deathstroke

02-16-2004, 09:06 AM

Well, the most current release date from Capcom is Nov. 15 of this year. I think it's going to suffer at least one delay though.

Gadfly2317

02-16-2004, 02:35 PM

I like the idea about being able to target individual limbs. Getting a headshot in the other games was almost always a matter of luck.Your words.

Not if your using a shotgun.A head-shot is a no-miss if your using that.The only thing left here is for RE4 to come to the PS2 and the rest would be perfect.

PS2. . .baaah!! Cough up the measley $99 bucks and play this work of art on a graphical powerhouse with the shortest load-times of any console. How can you truly be "evolution" if you refuse to "evolve" beyond blind devotion to sony and ms.

no.1gamer

02-16-2004, 04:26 PM

Well, the most current release date from Capcom is Nov. 15 of this year. I think it's going to suffer at least one delay though.

I thought it was still set to be released 4th quarter 2004. An exact date is reassuring. I'll just be happy if I can get my hands on it sometime in the calander year of 2004! :)

Allisen1987

03-04-2004, 07:28 PM

We all could be dead by the time this game comes out. LOL. ! Gees!!!

no.1gamer

03-04-2004, 07:41 PM

We all could be dead by the time this game comes out. LOL. ! Gees!!!

:) LET'S HOPE WE'RE ALL STILL HERE!!! :)

Allisen1987

03-05-2004, 08:26 AM

I'll wait I suppose.

Deathstroke

03-05-2004, 10:48 AM

Hey, you waited for all those X-box games. You should definately wait for this. BTW, two new screenshots have been released to the public. Bleh quality but at least it is something:

http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/re4_030404_01.jpg

http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/re4_030404_02.jpg

no.1gamer

03-05-2004, 11:21 AM

Thanks for the pics Deathstroke. This game looks even more graphic than REmake and RE0!

Deathstroke

03-05-2004, 03:10 PM

No problem, here's a clip of the game but it's like 2 seconds long:

http://ranobe.com/up2/updata/up4616.zip

Some magazine scans from Japan with new pictures:

http://myhome.hanafos.com/~loycuter/re4_5.jpg

http://myhome.hanafos.com/~loycuter/re4_6.jpg

Other Scans:
http://gm-master.com/images/general/1078407573.jpg
http://gm-master.com/images/general/1078407738.jpg
http://gm-master.com/images/general/1078407970.jpg
http://myhome.hanafos.com/~loycuter/re4_4.jpg
http://myhome.hanafos.com/~loycuter/re4_7.jpg

Translation of Japanese article:

Famitsu translation from Xeonininja81 from the IGN GCNGB:

"my translation from korean website, which translated this interview with the producer Kobayasi from Nintendo Dream magazine

enemies are not limited to humans some may look like humans but they're neither humans or zombies.

their secrets will be revealed during the course of the play

enemies will talk to each other (though not in english)

the version announced at 20002 was scrapped/changed, and the version announced at 2003 E3 was also scrapped/changed. there was another complete reset

some engines developed prior to the changes remained in the final version, but the materials and scenario are completely new.

reason for the changes is that "full polygon change" wasnt being used before. now it's possilbe after shinji has become the director

shinji mikami is writing the new scenario

since the scenario is completely changed, umbrella is not in the game.

funness/gameplay is focused more than the horror part. believes that for horror, RE remake is scarier.

wanted to reach GC's limit once again

in RE3's bonus mode, it is explained that Leon became an agent after RE2's events

RE/Biohazard 5 is not planned. Since RE4 is a fresh start, it all depends RE4's results.

2004 winter isnt too late"

no.1gamer

03-05-2004, 09:44 PM

This game is really looking to change the RE series up. How can the plot not have Umbrella in it? Even the Resident Evil movie has Umbrella in it?

All the pictures look cool. I can't wait to see some high resolution screenshots though. I guess we'll have to wait until later this year to get some of those.

I'm a little concerned about this though:

"2004 winter isnt too late"

What does this mean for the North American release date? November 15 would be good. But I think Capcom should have the game out by Haloween.

Deathstroke

03-05-2004, 10:40 PM

I wouldn't worry too much about the release. Big developers like Capcom can actually afford to release a game like this outside Japan first. It happened with RE0 which was released in the U.S. first. It could happen with RE4 or maybe even a simultaneous worldwide release. But, I still believe that the game will likely suffer at least one delay and may end up getting pushed back into early 2005. And I don't really care if that occurs because this is one game that I want them to take their time with and get right.

As for the whole Umbrella thing, I really am not sure how to take that. If they are setting up some type of aftermath scenario where they'll explain what happened to Umbrella in the last six years, then I'm all for it. IMO, if they had tried to show Umbrella's destruction, it would have taken another five games or at least one really long one. However, if they just move on with no background story, then I'm going to have problems. The story in RE is one of its biggest draws.... for me at least.

As for high res shots, they should be available either at E3 or sometime in mid March when the NDA's that everybody had to sign, expire.

PapaSmurf

03-06-2004, 12:15 PM

Got bored of RE after number 2, but this might rekindle that flame.

Allisen1987

03-06-2004, 07:29 PM

Nice but gross screen shots! LOL. I can't wait for it either. I'm still trying to finish the first Resident Evil. LOL.

no.1gamer

03-06-2004, 11:32 PM

Nice but gross screen shots! LOL. I can't wait for it either. I'm still trying to finish the first Resident Evil. LOL.

Hey, are you old enough to be playing Resident Evil Alli?

;) Just kidding. ;)

My advise for Resident Evil is to use all of the kerosene to take care of the zombie bodies. Or just try to decapitate them with a shotgun. If you're using Chris you can shove a hand grenade in their mouths then shoot the grenade to finish the job (which is perhaps the best part of the entire game). I really missed those crimson heads in Resident Evil 0. I guess we can expect to not see them in RE4 as well if there aren't even any zombies?

Deathstroke

03-10-2004, 03:13 PM

Here's a translation of the Famitsu Article. There's some neat stuff in here about the Japanese distaste for FPS's among other things. I'll see what I can do about getting the last part translated. One thing though, everything you knew pre 2004 about this title is now completely invalid. They have scrapped all of the previous trailer footage.

Part One of the translation between Famitsu and Shinji Mikami:

QUOTE
Serious consideration of the horror game genre-

Hamamura-Tsushin (Famitsu employee):
I just finished playing Bio-4.

Mikami-Shinji:
How was it?

Famitsu:
I was honestly suprised that the enemies were not zombies! It was very interesting. Very scary actually.

Mikami-Shinji:
Oh thats good...

Famitsu:
While I was playing I was thinking, the terror has changed, the tempo of the game has also changed. This time, the quaility of fear has changed has it not?

Mikami-Shinji:
That was what I naturally intented but, as for the degree of fear has been lowered somewhat.
From now on, the "type of horror" [flavor of horror] has been taken into serious consideration and...

Famitsu:
Yes, it seems...

Mikami-Shinji:
Concepts like survival horror games usually begin first with the type of horror, and after that the game style. I havent completly seperated the two, but the priority this time is reversed.

Famitsu:
The fun of playing has been placed ahead of the horror this time, right?

Mikami-Shinji:
Yes. This time I put the interesting aspects of "gameplay" ahead of everything else. The feeling of horror is gradually brought out by playing this way. So...um...Which is more important the noodles or soup? [japanese idiom?]

Famitsu:
"Hahahaha". Soup and noodles. Ah, I understand the sense of what you are saying.

Mikami-Shinji:
If we throw them both together, we cant really understand. Which is the flavour of the soup, which is the flavour of the noodles. After all is said and done, the you cant seperate them and have it taste good. The gameplay is the soup, while the horror is the noodles.

Famitsu:
true. true.

Mikami-Shinji:
After saying that, the noodles/(horror) in Bio-4 is "al dente"!!

Famitsu:
Hahahahaha!

Mikami-Shinji:
Funny how my conversation changed from gaming to Ramen, this is not a normal dialouge.

*Bio-4 producer Kobayashi*:
Mikami, please keep the topic in mind.

Mikami-Shinji:
Yes. Right, the boss is here!

Kobayashi:
Talk about whatever, its ok. I will edit/correct you later, so...

*Public Relations checks the manuscript!*

Mikami-Shinji:
You guys are the supervisors right? Cut out whatever im saying because you run the camp.
hahahaha

Famitsu:
Hahahaha

-The reason for the contents of the change-

Famitsu:
Gamesystems also are changing too, right? Lets compare it to the former games in the series. You have changed the whole model, huh?

Mikami-Shinji:
Yes

Famitsu:
Also, the fundamentals where changed from the beggining right?

Mikami-Shinji:
With Bio-4 we have recovered some freshness, because we changed so much. But, the important element of Biohazard (the series) has been carried along I think, dont you agree?

Famitsu:
What would you say is the word(s) that describes the core component?

Mikami-Shinji:
The core component is fear and destruction. This is a component of games from very long ago, tension and release/nervousness and calmness. Striking this balance... right?
This time, we took the essense of the Biohazard serious and broke it completely apart. Then reconstructed it.

Famitsu:
I see... Biohazard-4 plays like a completely different game, but the feeling Biohazard`s origins are still done. From playing the very first Biohazard I felt something near a new type of excitement [heart beating]

Mikami-Shinji:
Yes, because you felt that I am very happy. Now from the change of the base state of the game, I want you to enjoy playing the series again.

Part 2:

QUOTE
- The reason behind the change to WideScreen Mode-

Mikami:
In Bio-4 the camera changes to a WideScreen view when the action gets intense. Some of my inside staff complained about this. They even went so far as to call me "Stingy!"

Famitsu:
Why was that?

Mikami:
"The camera cuts off the gaming screen, you are being greedy" they said

Famitsu:
hahaha. Your inside staff had that reaction.

Mikami:
Yes they did. However, there was another affect to the view besides WideScreen cinematics. A normal TV has a view of 4:3, the action is centered in the middle. When the character takes up the middle of the screen the balance and view of the game is not so good. It makes you dizzy. When we tried it with the normal screen view we quickly realized this.

Famitsu:
So you say...

Mikami:
Yes. The placement of the player in Widescreen view to the side balances better this way.

Famitsu:
Oh, it doesnt make you so dizzy this way?

Mikami:
Less dizzy, a little bit but better than the normal screen option.

Famitsu:
I...yes. I get dizzy easily. But, when I played your game I did not have this feeling.

[sasimirobot note: maybe this explains the japanese distaste for FPS? My friend says this is common for Japanese dizzyness while driving, etc...]

- Survival Horror Games-

Mikami:
The tempo in Bio-4 is very fast. This is not the same system as the former Bios right?

Famitsu:
You mean the jerky movements and gunfire right (of the former titles)?

Mikami:
Yes. But now the tempo is moved up.

Famitsu:
I also have that feeling. The standard Bio tactics dont work. The enemies AI is better so they avoid shots more easily. I was thinking when lookin at it, the the change in speed of the game throws me off. But, after actually playing I got used to it really quickly. The controls are good, I have to say.

Mikami:
Maybe , (this control sceme) it is more enjoyable for Japanese than for foreigners, huh...This change of ways.

Famitsu:
I also not sure...( if they will like it)

Mikami:
The rules for finishing Japanese games has always been the same in the past... But as for the latest foreign games, this rule does not always apply.

Famitsu:
Yes. Yes. There are alot of "Free roaming" game products coming out, right?

Mikami:
Right. Gamers are requesting a change now.

Famitsu:
From now on, we have to exploit this rapidly new pioneering force.

Mikami:
That rule is also used in modern music. From the past to present , Japanese peoples rate of change has become a problem.

Famitsu:
Yes, you are right.

Mikami:
Foreign game creators are not trapped by our archaic gaming rules, and approach the user in a way that is more sensitive to their satisfaction.

Famitsu:
Understood. Understood. But in Japan after you have decided on the genre, game work begins immediately for most games.

Mikami:
That is a bad way to go about it. We didnt think about the genre deeply when we made Bio-1.

Famitsu:
ic...

Mikami:
But, if we didnt place that game in a specific genre "survival horror" right away it would not have sold. Wonder what would have happened if we didnt "fit" in...

Famitsu:
This is going in one ear and out the other. After all, Weekly Famitsu will have to call this genre "Action Adventure".

Mikami:
If gamers dont buy and then play it thent they wont understand.
Its essential that we have a genre they can fit it into , when we make new games because of this (unfortunately). "Sangokumusou" falls into the action game genre but its rythm is one of a RPG.

" The rhythm and tempo when playing, rather than a genre, are important for a game."

Famitsu:
Yes. Yes. that is right.

Mikami:
That PRG has an exhilarating feel, so playing for 3 hours or 5 hours doesnt make tired. It really is pleasurable, dont you agree? When Bio-1 was out, it wasnt an action game, more like a simulation. Now viewing it from the production side I think we need to match the tempo and rhythm of the game more closely to the users feelings.

Deathstroke

03-10-2004, 03:22 PM

Some last tidbits:

-the pace of the game has been sped up alot. I get the feeling that the game has alot more suprise action scripted events and is more like House of the Dead III than Bio-1.
(Please dont think im suggesting the game is on rails, but the words "circuit/map/course" kept coming up. Im still working out the real meaning...)

For example, I dont think there are alot of *stand around and fire off 10 rounds into a zombie that is taking 4 minutes just to limp to you* . More like a few shots here, jump out the window, hop in the boat, etc... Rember the action choices in Bio-3 they gave you sometimes? but this time on the fly.

Not a single photo out of the dozen or so on the last 2 pages have the typical Bio stand around and shoot zombie look to them. All of them are actions of some sort.

Thanks goes to poster Simo of N-philes and REhorror forums for the translation.

Deathstroke

03-10-2004, 03:44 PM

A link to two new scans:

http://www.planetdreamcast.com/residentevil/

Scroll down; there's a lot of info there.

no.1gamer

03-15-2004, 10:38 PM

So Deathstroke, do you think that RE4 will become the new standard for the sub-genre of survival horror gaming?

I think it will for several reasons:

The REmake blew everyone away and RE0 is just as good. RE4 looks drastically different than those 2 though.

I think Street Fighter will have to step down to Resident Evil as Capcom's best franchise. We can expect that the company will deliver on this title.

The last Capcom game released for the Gamecube was Viewtiful Joe. Anyone who has played VJ I think will agree with me that its one of the best games yet on the Gamecube.

You see Resident Evil is the game I'm anticipating the most this year. That is if it even comes out this year...

Deathstroke

03-16-2004, 03:58 AM

I think that if they get it right, then by next year, you're going to end up seeing a bunch of clones. What I'm really looking forward to though is if Silent Hill will ever imitate it, that should shut all the SH fanboy up. Sorry but I had an encounter on another forum.

However, this game could just as easily go wrong. For one thing, it seems to bear more of an emphasis on action and that could be its downfall. But then again, it seems to be promising open ended exploration and that's something that could keep the steady pace that SH title requires. All in all, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

And for the record, the last Capcom game released for GC was Gotcha Force. Not a bad game but it doesn't really compare to Viewtiful Joe. This year though, RE4 is the only big game I'm really looking forward to. Everything else is just blah, I'll get it when it comes out or not.

Deathstroke

03-16-2004, 12:10 PM

Some new info from UK magazine, Edge. This preview of their's has a little more info about gameplay details.

this is a direct quote from Kobayashi: "There are no- repeat, no- zombies". he also stated that the villagers weren't human or zombies but something in between. the word being bandied around was 'infected'.

The HUD has been explained. It only tells you your health+ammo. in the screens you will see a gauge in the bottom right hand corner. the green bar tells you your health and the number represents the ammo you have left. that little symbol above the number is actually an icon of a bullet.

There is no item screen. There could also possibly be no items. They said ammo was much simpler to pick up (no 'do you wish to take the shotgun ammo' screen), I'm guessing you just stand near it and press the action button. and seeing as there are no more puzzles (see below) I think all we'll have are just a few keys to pick up and the doors for them automatically unlock.

The villagers have great AI. they can communicate, an example of this was a villager whistling to attract the attention of his comrades. They can also set up ambushes and retreat if you kick there asses. They use crossbows and farming implements as weapons.

It is confirmed the the whole of the previous build (hook mansion et al) was canned completely by Shinji.

Edge said it was set in an 'unnamed European country'. GI said it was South America but some other mags have stated it as Europe. I think it is Europe because: The villagers' skin tone and whole look is more appropiate for European, those type of trees+scenery we have seen is Europeans, you do not get wolves in South America (see below).

Leon is a US secret agent. It is confirmed he has been sent to rescue the US president's daughter.

RE4 is set 6 years after RE2, meaning 2004.

Umbrella Inc was destroyed in part of a government crackdown (Dead Aim? STRATCOM?).

But Wesker is expected to make a final appearance.

TGS Video: shows the zombie fmv from re1 original where you first encounter a zombie. zombie turn to face the camera, then it morphs in to Shinji Mikami! He apologises for being unable to attedn TGS, but invites viewers to 'have a nightmare'.

BEST GRAPHICS EVER apparently. Edge could not seem to heap enough praise on Capcom for this point. better than anything seen on any console before according to them.

There are vehicles, the TGS vid showed Leon using the motorboat.

2 camera views: first one is the traditional 3rd person one that tracks Leon. but when you encounter an enemy press R1 to raise your gun and the camera zooms in on Leon's shoulder leaving most of the screen unobscured for targeting.

Enemies have specific damage modelling. shoot them in the knee and they hobble around. you can shoot weapons out of their hands. headshots=instant kill+lots of gore.

When enemies throw axes+pitchforks (+probably other weapons as well) at you, which happens frequently, you can shoot them out the air!

It is not unusual to face a dozen enemies at a time.

The chainsaw guy is a boss. I think you fight him hand to hand when you lose all your weapons somehow.

The troll is a boss and stands 2 storeys high. He attacks Leon by throwing him up in the air and trying to stamp on his head.

The control scheme is unchanged for the most part. in fac the only change was that at specific points you can press the A button to perform a special action (a pic of the A button appears on the bottom right hand corner of the screen when this is possible). these actions include using binoculars, jumping a fence, ducking behind an object, knocking down a ladder to prevent villagers from chasing you, diving through windows and kicking down doors.

Physics are much better. When you shoot a villager with the shotgun they go flying backwards, and it looks even better when they fly backwards, hit a wall and bounce off.

Weapons are USP or MK23 with laser site (unsure which one), a shotgun (looks like the advanced shotgun from re2), a sub-machine gun (1 mag said it was an UZI, we have a pic of this but the muzzle flash is obscuring too much of the gun, it could be an UZI or any type of machine pistol), an assault rifle, a sniper rifle and grenades (1 mag mentioned molotov cocktails). all these weapons have been confrimed by other mags.

The gameplay is supposed to be more action-orientated but still balanced by some 'puzzles'.

The conventional puzzles are gone. there is no more 'find the crest, press the buttons in the right order' type of thing. it's all gone. here is a puzzle Edge encountered when playing the demo:
Leon is making his way through a large area of ofrest coverd in laser trip mines. Once you have negotiated that, you come upon some man traps. a wolf is caught in the man trap and is hurt. you could shoot the wolf. you could shoot the trap, releasing the wolf, but the animal is understandably wary and slinks off. you couldcarefully remove its paw from the trap and the wolf "temporarily becomes your best friend".

Only loading times seen were with cutscenes and even then the time was said to be negligible.

There are no FMVs. All cutscenes use the ingame engine.

There are no door-loading animations.

Edge are comparing what RE4 will do to the series with what Metroid Prime did to its series.

There weren't many new screens in the mag, just all the ones previoulsy shown, but with much higher definition. 1 screen showed Leon using the shotgun and getting a headshot on a villager. I say headshot but the whole of the guy's upper body exploded. The gore is much better and more detailed than any of the other RE games. Another screen showing Leon on the lake had 3D hills stretching into the distance. another screen showed the mantraps lying around. There were 2 pre-rendered pics showing the areas you will visit. 1 pic showed an old shack by the lake, with the boat moored next to it. another showed the village centre. it was deserted and looked really run down and decrepit.

Deathstroke

03-17-2004, 02:34 AM

The NDA on RE4 has been lifted and there has been a massive update in screenshots and impressions and what not. I will provide a link to the two most prominent places, IGN and Gamespot. From what I have read so far, GOTY is looking to be a very real possibility for this game:

Gamespot Impressions
http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/adventure/residentevil4/preview_6091563.html
A little excerpt showing off enemy AI:

To make matters even more interesting, they reacted with a good measure of intelligence to our actions. For example, when we came upon a lone man in the misty forest, we figured we may as well do him in before his friends showed up and took a shot at him. Sadly, our aim was off a little, resulting in a miss that got his attention. Not only did he look our way, but he moved for cover and whistled, which resulted in the arrival of several more equally intelligent folk.

Gamespot Screenshots
http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/adventure/residentevil4/screenindex.html

IGN Impressions
http://cube.ign.com/articles/499/499572p1.html

The IGN page isn't loading for me, probably because of the high levels of traffic, so you'll have to search around for the images there yourself.

Here's two that have been only seen in scans so far:

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/535840_20040316_screen002.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/535840_20040316_screen005.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/535840_20040316_screen004.jpg

My frothing demand for this game increases every day.

Deathstroke

03-17-2004, 02:59 AM

Here's a link to more screenshots:

http://watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20040317/bio.htm

P.S. Anyone know why I can't seem to edit my posts anymore.

no.1gamer

03-17-2004, 08:43 AM

P.S. Anyone know why I can't seem to edit my posts anymore.

You can only edit your posts 15 minutes after submitting it. It used to be a lot longer. I remember being able to edit posts several days after it was submitted.

I can tell from some of these screen shots that the game is in full 3D. The environments aren't as detailed or atmospheric as REmake and RE0. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends the gameplay of course. I could be delusional though. Hopefully we'll get some nice high rez screen shots after E3 this year.

Deathstroke

03-17-2004, 03:06 PM

Not as detailed? I don't know about that. It looks pretty detailed to me and with the rotatable camera, you'll be able to look around unlike in REmake or RE0. As for atmosphere, I agree with you somewhat there. This isn't as spooky as a mansion and it is set during the day time so that may hinder it somewhat. However, I know that night will fall sometime during the game so future pictures may well show better atmosphere.

Oh, and one weird thing is how all the online articles seem to be contradicting each other on various little details. For instance, IGN says the game takes place shortly after RE2 while Gamespot and other sources say it is six years after RE2. Then there's the other reports that said there would not be an items menu or even any items and this is disputed by all the sources now. I think we're going to have to wait until Capcom actually starts making official statements about the game to find out what's up.

Finally, in the interview with Kobayashi that IGN linked to at the end of their impressions, it's practically confirmed that there will be another character besides Leon that you'll get to play as. Heck, it may end up being more then two.

EvilSonyCorpHenchman

03-18-2004, 09:34 AM

Deathstroke

03-18-2004, 10:58 AM

EvilSonyCorpHenchman

03-18-2004, 12:01 PM

You know, it could be Ada. She's not dead:

http://www.residentevilfan.ws/largeimages/gallery/epilogueAda_lg.jpg

I'm hoping that the rumor that there will be four recurring characters from past games turns out to be true. I want Ada, Claire, Chris and Jill to be in the game.

Can you say "love story?" RE2 and CV flirted with that and never pushed through with it. Be nice if Leon and Ada hooked up.

Deathstroke

03-18-2004, 03:01 PM

EvilSonyCorpHenchman

03-18-2004, 03:14 PM

You know, I always thought Claire could have been as big a love interest as Ada. It never was really clear who he would go for although Ada got all the angst factor. Anyways, it would be cool if they threw both girls into the game again.

Yeah there was some sexual tension with Leon and Ada (didn't they even kiss?... memory is fuzzy) and I didn't feel like they really explored that with Claire at all. Although I thought Claire and Steve had a little thing going, but we know what happened to him. :p

Deathstroke

03-18-2004, 04:16 PM

no.1gamer

03-18-2004, 04:39 PM

Wow, you guys are pretty hard core Resident Evil Fans huh? Well I already knew that Slade was a big fan. Have you guys checked out some of the Resident Evil fan sites?

Resident Evil Fan (http://www.residentevilfan.com/)

Totally Resident Evil (http://www.totallyre.com/)

My favorite is:

Resident Evil Horror (http://www.rehorror.com/)

You guys are probably already members to one of them right?

I've only played the REmake and RE0. So you can call me a RE noob if you like...

EvilSonyCorpHenchman

03-18-2004, 04:41 PM

Hmmm, don't know if they kissed or not. Its been nearly four years since I last played RE2. I've been meaning to get it for GC but I'm not paying full retail. The bad thing though is that I can't find it used either.

As for Steve, that was just him trying to get it on with Claire. Claire only thought of him as a friend. I have... um.. proof. Yeah, that's right, proof. Seriously though, Steve was a mini Leon. Now she can go after the real thing. Hehehehe!!!!!!

Yeah I admit Steve was kind of Leon Lite. :p

Now that I think about it... if you played as Leon, she falls... if you played as Claire, she gets hurt fighting the Tyrant thingy. She and Leon have some last words, and I think they kiss before she dies... I could be wrong... I haven't played it since 98 or 99.

What I mean is if you play as Leon during the first cd storyline (falls) and then as the second cd storyline (kiss). Cause you could play either Leon's or Claire's story first.

EvilSonyCorpHenchman

03-18-2004, 04:57 PM

Deathstroke

03-18-2004, 08:48 PM

Yeah I admit Steve was kind of Leon Lite. :p

Now that I think about it... if you played as Leon, she falls... if you played as Claire, she gets hurt fighting the Tyrant thingy. She and Leon have some last words, and I think they kiss before she dies... I could be wrong... I haven't played it since 98 or 99.

What I mean is if you play as Leon during the first cd storyline (falls) and then as the second cd storyline (kiss). Cause you could play either Leon's or Claire's story first.

Hmmm, one of these days I'm going to have to go back and check it out. I don't think I saw a kiss but they were genuinely worried about each other but then again so was Claire about Leon and vice versa.

I think they should toss in Chris too. He can play the overprotective brother. :D

Wow, you guys are pretty hard core Resident Evil Fans huh? Well I already knew that Slade was a big fan. Have you guys checked out some of the Resident Evil fan sites?

Resident Evil Fan

Totally Resident Evil

My favorite is:

Resident Evil Horror

You guys are probably already members to one of them right?

I've only played the REmake and RE0. So you can call me a RE noob if you like...

Heh, you know what's funny; I signed up to Rehorror's board this morning. Still haven't posted there yet. Actually, RE4 has been the biggest motivator for me to go out there and check out other RE communities. And let me tell you, some of the fans at these boards have played every single title in the series, even the sidestories like Dead Aim, Gaiden or Survivor. Those are real fans. I just stick to the main storyline.

no.1gamer

03-18-2004, 09:27 PM

Hmmm, one of these days I'm going to have to go back and check it out. I don't think I saw a kiss but they were genuinely worried about each other but then again so was Claire about Leon and vice versa.

I think they should toss in Chris too. He can play the overprotective brother. :D

Heh, you know what's funny; I signed up to Rehorror's board this morning. Still haven't posted there yet. Actually, RE4 has been the biggest motivator for me to go out there and check out other RE communities. And let me tell you, some of the fans at these boards have played every single title in the series, even the sidestories like Dead Aim, Gaiden or Survivor. Those are real fans. I just stick to the main storyline.

I've only checked out the site a few times, but it seems very active. I was tempted to become a member so I could reply to the, "If there was an outbreak in your town, what weapon would you use" thread. :p

Deathstroke

03-19-2004, 04:23 PM

Heh, yeah, like most fan sites, it does have its quirky topics. One question, did you watch the first RE movie? And what did you think of it?

And Capcom has released updated info about RE4. It's basically like all the other articles but it's all official and should dispense some of the contradictory info.

http://www.capcom.com/news/news.xpml?prid=450125

FAMILIAR HERO RETURNS TO WORLD FAMOUS FRANCHISE
TO EXPLORE UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - March 17, 2004 — Capcom® today presented Resident Evil® 4, a terrifying new chapter in the world renowned series exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube™. Based on the popular Resident Evil series, which has sold more than 24 million units worldwide, Resident Evil 4 sees the return of a familiar hero on a mission of the highest level. Capcom plans to release Resident Evil 4 this winter throughout North America.

In Resident Evil 4 players are reacquainted with Leon S. Kennedy, Raccoon City Police Department’s idealistic rookie cop from Resident Evil 2. It has been six years since the destruction of Raccoon City and in that time, the U.S. government has been able to destroy the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. Fast forward to 2004 and players rejoin Leon, who is now a U.S. agent with a top-secret mission. He has been tasked to look into the abduction of the President’s daughter and his investigation has led him to a mysterious location in Europe. As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out who or what is behind everything.

“Capcom’s Resident Evil series is synonymous with survival horror. The games have a long standing reputation for introducing innovation and raising the bar to create intensely terrifying experiences for players,” said Todd Thorson, director of marketing, Capcom USA. “With a slew of new and redesigned concepts, Resident Evil 4 presents a fear more real than ever before.”

Resident Evil 4 includes the following new features:
• Unsurpassed visuals – Resident Evil 4 utilizes the GameCube’s technological powers to the fullest, creating breathtaking 3D graphics and effects
• Behind the camera view – Camera follows the player from behind and allows for intuitive movement
• New never before seen enemies – You’ll be wishing for the usual Resident Evil zombies!
• Advanced AI – Enemies are now smarter than ever and use their cunning abilities to attack the player
• Enhanced features – Conversations and monologues can be heard in real time
• Action button – Pressing the “A” button allows players to perform various actions
• Aim and shoot – Ability to zero in on enemies with weapons

Deathstroke

03-20-2004, 10:08 AM

36 seconds of RE4 footage. I haven't been able to download this yet so can't comment on the quality. Here's the link:

http://nintendoinsider.com/site/EpZAlpkyFyWlvicQfc.php

Deathstroke

03-20-2004, 10:52 AM

All right, just downloaded and watched the video. There are really only two things to comment on:

1) You can shoot through doors and windows.

and

2) The villagers are anything but the slow zombies of old. They're frikkin' running at you like the Crimson Heads did. I'm sure that will add a lot to the survivor aspect of the game.

Lara

03-20-2004, 01:30 PM

Here's a link to more screenshots:

http://watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20040317/bio.htm

P.S. Anyone know why I can't seem to edit my posts anymore.
You should be able to edit your post shortly after you post it. After a short time, edit option is closed. If you want something edited, I can make changes or additions for you if you pm me. I'm willing to edit posts per request. You'd have to ask Rob or E.T. if they are.

The reason we did this is because we had instances of a member/s posting flames and then editing/changing their post after it was up for a while before moderators could see them. So this is why we resorted to changing to edit time.

Deathstroke

03-20-2004, 06:24 PM

Oh ok, cool. It's not that big a deal anyways. I was just curious.

spielundspass

03-20-2004, 09:09 PM

Some new info from UK magazine, Edge. This preview of their's has a little more info about gameplay details.

Somebody likes me out there :D , good magazine, huh? Deathstroke.

no.1gamer

03-20-2004, 10:11 PM

Heh, yeah, like most fan sites, it does have its quirky topics. One question, did you watch the first RE movie? And what did you think of it?

Heh, I just actually posted about the Resident Evil movie over on System Wars about 2 minutes ago before I read this. :p

I own the Resident Evil DVD. It's one of the best video game turned movie I've ever seen. Any self respecting Resident Evil fan who hasn't seen it should go rent it. Of course you'll enjoy the movie much more if you've played any of the games.

Do NOT dismiss Resident Evil because of Capcom's last video game turned movie fiasco that is Street Fighter. Resident Evil is a great movie.

"The Game"Evolution

03-23-2004, 05:56 AM

PS2. . .baaah!! Cough up the measley $99 bucks and play this work of art on a graphical powerhouse with the shortest load-times of any console. How can you truly be "evolution" if you refuse to "evolve" beyond blind devotion to sony and ms.

This game should be on the PS2.But why complain about that? Hell the commericials for Resident Evil:Outbreak for the PS2 looks pretty damn impressive too.Looks like both Resident Evil games will be making alot of noise for 2004.Outbreak for the PS2 is online playable and forces you to play with others in order to survive.RE4 on the GC this time out only lets you play with one character(Leon) and for the first time in a Resident Evil game:No Zombies.I just may have to go pick up Outbreak for the PS2 next week.

RE4:A Resident Evil game with no Zombies or umbrella to contend with? Thanks,but no thanks.The pics of it looks good though.Cant deny that.

no.1gamer

03-23-2004, 09:53 AM

This game should be on the PS2.But why complain about that? Hell the commericials for Resident Evil:Outbreak for the PS2 looks pretty damn impressive too.Looks like both Resident Evil games will be making alot of noise for 2004.Outbreak for the PS2 is online playable and forces you to play with others in order to survive.RE4 on the GC this time out only lets you play with one character(Leon) and for the first time in a Resident Evil game:No Zombies.I just may have to go pick up Outbreak for the PS2 next week.

RE4:A Resident Evil game with no Zombies or umbrella to contend with? Thanks,but no thanks.The pics of it looks good though.Cant deny that.

Well Evolution I would think that if perhaps Resident Evil 4 doesn't warrent the purchase of a Gamecube, try the REmake and RE0! Another survival horror masterpiece is Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requim. The Gamecube the place to game if you like survival horror. There's no doubt about that. Don't quickly dismiss RE4 because of some of the early details that have been released.

Deathstroke

03-23-2004, 10:09 AM

Oh btw, Leon isn't going to be the only playable character in RE4. They've already hinted that you'll get to play as someone else.

P.S. Wish I knew why people had this fetish for Umbrella and Zombies. The Zombies were a failed experiment anyway. It makes sense to get rid of them and get someone more powerful.

Deathstroke

03-24-2004, 10:32 AM

Tidbits of new info from an IGN interview:

http://cube.ign.com/articles/501/501208p1.html

Is the Umbrella Corporation in the game?
According to Capcom's official Resident Evil 4 press release, the title takes place in 2004 some six years after the events that transpired in Resident Evil 2. The government has destroyed the Umbrella Corporation, which has been behind just about every plot and disgusting bio-chemical mutation in the survival horror series. Now-US agent Leon Kennedy has been dispatched to Europe to save the President's daughter from "crazed organizations."

But is Umbrella gone for good? We don't think so. Asked whether the infamous corporation played some role in Resident Evil 4, Kobayashi responded: "Yes, it will play some role in Resident Evil 4." Pushed on the issue, though, the Capcom producer remained quiet. "Come on, you know I can't let that cat out of the bag! Play the game and all will be revealed," he said.

Our guess is that the Umbrella Corporation is directly involved with the unexplainable state of the villagers at the beginning of the title. The townspeople seem to roam about the environment in an angry and dazed state. Just how deep the rabbit hole goes, though, we don't know.

Does Resident Evil 4 feature dark and scary environments like the kind seen in the E3 2003 demo?
The demo of Resident Evil 4 we played took place in broad daylight and seemed very action focused. Leon explored the village and the townspeople came after him in endless groups, all armed with sharp pitchforks and axes, with chainsaws and knives, and mumbling incoherently. The demo also showed night sequences in which lighting flashes danced in the background and atmospherically illuminated the environments for split seconds at a time. What we didn't see, though, were traditional Resident Evil areas such as eerie hallways that might house hidden creatures and classic scares.

The E3 2003 demo is gone, but the classic shock moments have not been forgotten. "Yes, there will still be some classic scares in Resident Evil 4, although the game does focus more on action than any previous installments," admitted Kobayashi.

In the old E3 2003 RE4 footage, Capcom hinted that Leon might be infected with a virus. Does this still hold true with the re-made game?
"No it does not," said Kobayashi. "That game's story has changed quite a lot." In fact, the two stories are completely different from one another.

Are the villagers in the Resident Evil 4 infected with the T-Virus?
There is definitely something wrong with these guys. Whenever the church bell chimes, they drop their weapons stupidly and stumble back toward the structure. Capcom has said in the past that these creepy beings are neither human nor zombie. But is Umbrella's deadly virus to blame? According to Kobayashi, the answer is no. "I can't be too specific, but I can say this: the villagers aren't infected with the T-Virus," the producer explained.

Are there ever zombies in the game?
"No zombies," said Kobayashi. This revelation comes as a first for the franchise. Whatever is going on in the village where Kennedy finds himself stranded, it doesn't involve the undead. That noted, the villagers themselves are abnormal in many ways and video snippets of scenes from the game showcase battles with water creatures and ogre-like characters.

Who is the other playable character in the game?
Resident Evil 4 features another playable character in addition to Leon S. Kennedy, but who? Is it a character from Resident Evil 0, perhaps? Or one of the classics? Neither, according to Kobayashi. "[It's] a new character that you haven't seen before," he admitted. It is not yet known if it will be possible to switch between the two characters at random as you could in Resident Evil 0 or if each character plays through specific chapters in the game.

Does the game take place entirely outside or are there some big structures to explore, too?
In the single level demo we played Leon explored around a village and the majority of the scenario took place in outside environments. But that doesn't mean there aren't some traditional inside locations in store for you. "Yes, of course there are some big structures you can go into," said Kobayashi. "A lot of people seem to be under the impression that you can't enter the different houses in the village, but you can enter almost every one of them as well."

Are there environmental puzzles in the game?
Capcom isn't offering up specifics, but the puzzles are definitely back. "Yep, this really wouldn't be a Resident Evil game without the puzzles. They are in there," said Kobayashi.

Does Resident Evil 4 feature FMV cut-scenes as many previous installments of the series have?
"All of Resident Evil 4's cut-scenes use the game's real-time graphics engine," said Kobayashi. Good news, as far as we're concerned because the graphics engine is very capable and this means that the action will never break for story inserts. Also, there's the possibility that Resident Evil 4 may appear on a single GameCube Optical Disc now that it's running in full 3D and dropped the storage-sucking pre-rendered video sequences.

How long is the game?
"It's on par with other action games at about 10-15 hours to clear," said Kobayashi. "The length is definitely going to depend on how skilled the person playing it is at these type of games, especially in this genre."

Gamer88

03-24-2004, 02:04 PM

I think I'm gonna buy this game. It will be my first Resident Evil game. Should I pick up RE remake or any of the others first?

Deathstroke

03-24-2004, 02:16 PM

I think I'm gonna buy this game. It will be my first Resident Evil game. Should I pick up RE remake or any of the others first?

Considering we don't know much about the story of RE4, I would suggest you either wait for more info to become available or wait for my initial impressions of RE4 which I'll provide a few hours after the game is in my hands. I'll let you know whether the story ties into past RE's or not. At this point, it looks like it will so if you want to take the plunge, go ahead.

no.1gamer

03-24-2004, 03:45 PM

I think I'm gonna buy this game. It will be my first Resident Evil game. Should I pick up RE remake or any of the others first?

You should absolutely go pick up the REmake! I can sit here and rave about it all night but instead I'll just tell you to go pay $20 for a brand new copy. While you're at it buy RE0 for $25! They're possibly the best deal on the Gamecube right now.

Deathstroke:

It's too bad all these people from Capcom being interivewed aren't giving any strait answers!

:p

Maybe they're holding out the best info. for E3?

Deathstroke

03-24-2004, 04:30 PM

Heh, well they've got to maintain some secrecy. Half the fun is in the speculation right now. I think by E3, we'll have the full trailer for the game and may find out who this new second character is. I was hoping for an old one though because it's time they started to wind this series down. Still, the others might show up but not be playable. Like I said, it's fun speculating.

T.Tashi

03-24-2004, 05:33 PM

I think I'm gonna buy this game. It will be my first Resident Evil game. Should I pick up RE remake or any of the others first?
Nah not really. RE4 looks to be a departure from past gameplay and the story seems detatched as well. You might like to play Leon's adventure in RE2 though. It's the only RE game that features RE4's main character. If you're just interested in catching up with the timeline check out http://www.capcom.com/ResidentEvil/

Deathstroke

03-30-2004, 02:03 AM

Well, videos for RE4 have shown up on the web. Get them now while they're still hot. Head over to Gaming Age for a 70 MB download. The trailer contains footage of both RE4 and Killer 7. If you just want the RE4 footage, head on over to IGN:

http://media.cube.ign.com/media/015/015821/vids_1.html

Deathstroke

03-30-2004, 03:26 AM

For those without high speed connections or like me who are unable to download a proper DivX decompresser, I've found you a better alternative then IGN's grainy video.

http://www.cube-europe.com/news.php?nid=6297

Deathstroke

05-18-2004, 03:26 PM

Ok, it's about time I updated this with all the E3 2004 coverage.

First up is details on the game and the gameplay trailer from Gametrailers:

IGN: http://cube.ign.com/articles/514/514091p1.html

May 12, 2004 - A nuclear explosion rocks the city. Buildings fall. Houses are incinerated. The population obliterated. It's the stylistic opening cinematic for Capcom's hugely anticipated "survival horror" sequel Resident Evil 4 and it's also the official goodbye to one of the franchise's longest-running zombie hangouts. That's right. Raccoon City is no more.

When RE4 writer and director Shinji Mikami decides that it's time to redesign a series, he doesn't play around.
Of course, Raccoon City did have it coming. The eerie location, saturated with the walking, flesh-hungry dead, has too long been the aftermath of the Umbrella Corporation's dirty deeds. The US government eventually found out about the city and the experiments contained within and when it did, it didn't hesitate. It set out to find and destroy the evil maker of the T-Virus and it largely succeeded. Which brings us back to that nasty nuke. Kaboom!

Speaking at a private event held just days before E3 2004, RE4 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi goes over it all again. In this latest addition to the series, the Umbrella Corporation has been destroyed. The enemy is entirely new and just as deadly. There are no zombies in the game. But there is a wide assortment of other dark creatures.

"Six years have passed since that horrendous incident," Leon S. Kennedy narrates as the intro progresses. We notice right away that the cheesy voice work for the character we heard so many months ago in Vegas has been replaced entirely. Kennedy, whose voice is deeper and calmer, sounds every bit as realistic as he looks. "I've received special training via a secret organization working under the direction of the president," he continues. The camera slides back and reveals that two foreign soldiers are chauffeuring the hero to some unseen location. They seem to mock him from the upfront compartment. He doesn't notice.

Leon is deep in thought. He has a big mission ahead of him. The president himself has requested that Kennedy travel to an undisclosed European country and try to rescue his kidnapped daughter. The kidnappers are every bit as mysterious as the once-prominent Umbrella Corporation. Their leader -- if they have one -- has not been revealed. Their demands have not been stated. And before Kennedy has another second to ponder his situation, his car is attacked.

And this about brings us back to the first playable demo of the game. To summarize, Leon finds himself in an old, dusty village in the middle of nowhere, and groups of crazed townsfolk -- armed with everything from pitchforks to knives and chainsaws -- seem intent on slicing him to pieces. We wrote about this same single-level demo back in March, but a number of changes have since been implemented.

In the original demo, Kennedy could only use his binoculars in one spot during one of the cut-sequences. Now the character can use them at any point to zoom in on anything. Chickens now run about the level, adding an extra layer of atmosphere. There are more herb items. Mikami's Watch, a special pick-up in the March demo, is now gone. Oh -- and remember Mr. Chainsaw Man? If he swings his saw into Leon's neck now, he cuts the hero's head clean off in a red eruption of blood. How's that for disturbing? We also noticed that the level is overall generally more polished. It looks cleaner, runs smoother and overall knocks our socks off from a technical standpoint.

The demo still amazes, but it was once again what wasn't playable that has us most excited for what's to come. Capcom showed a brand new RE4 teaser trailer that debuted new play mechanics and never-before-seen areas from the game. The footage clarified the play relationship between Kennedy and the president's daughter, whose name is Ashley. Evidently about halfway through the game, Leon will rescue the kidnapped girl and then he will have to lead her safely out of danger. At that point, as in the Sony PlayStation 2 title Ico, gamers will as Leon actually have to guide Ashley around the environments and protect her from evil creatures and crazed villagers. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye for Ashley is not nearly as strong or as capable as the hero. As a result, players must consider both characters when exploring. For instance, just because Leon can jump out of a window doesn't necessarily mean Ashley can. There will be occasions even when Kennedy will have to catch the president's daughter as she jumps down behind him.

The teaser also showed more new, completely dazzling play scenarios, grotesque graphic elements and story sequences. It appears that Leon's weapons, which now include everything from hand grenades to a sniper rifle and a rocket launcher, do more damage than ever before. Villager body parts explode into bloody pulps quite often. Meanwhile, in one intriguing story cut-scene we saw a group of villagers paddle a small boat out into the lake and unload a group of dead bodies into the water. In another, we saw Leon being choked by a gargantuan-sized bald man with a beard and rippling muscles, one of his eyes not completely functional. In another still, we watched as Leon fight the even bigger Ogre-like creature featured in the original RE4 trailer; as the thing tried to literally squeeze the guts out of the hero (we could see blood squirting from the hero's body), he could use his knife to slash at the monster. On the ground again, players could press L and R at the same time to dodge the enormous monster's swipes. In another scene still, Kennedy fought off hordes of near-zombie-like creatures, some of which wore black priest robes and shot fire. Believe us when we write that these latter foes were incredibly spooky.

Resident Evil 4 does not take place entirely outside. The video showcased to us previewed a giant castle area that Kennedy could explore. Using context-sensitive commands, the character could jump atop dangling chandeliers and then swing across chasms to other levels of the structure. The place looked incredibly large and gothic in design.

A new character was also introduced. His name was not revealed, but we assume he's something of an alley to Kennedy. He's got long, dark hair and talks with an accent. He can twirl a gun like Revolver Ocelot from the Metal Gear Solid franchise. And he doesn't seem to care much about the president's daughter, who may run into bigger troubles than being kidnapped. In one cut-scene, Ashley looks frightened and almost sick. The new character, unsympathetic, turns to Leon and says: "There's supposed to be some kind of symptoms before you turn into one, anyway."

Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most beautiful games we've seen not just on GameCube, but on any console. The gorgeous art style, vividly detailed character models, crisp texture effects, lighting and shadow models, particle system, and animation system all come together for an overall visual presentation that is largely unequaled. Capcom was of course quick to point out that everything shown, but in playable and video form, was running entirely in-game on Nintendo's hardware.

The single-level demo of Resident Evil 4 is playable on the E3 2004 show floor. Which means that, as the new character to the series said at the end of Capcom's video teaser, "it's game time."

But even readers who can't attend E3 can dig into the Resident Evil 4 goodness because IGNcube has posted an incredible new trailer of the game in motion in our media section. Click and be blown away.

Gametrailers: http://www.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_residentevil4_e3_2k4.html

IGN's Gameplay Movies: http://media.cube.ign.com/media/015/015821/vids_1.html
The Windows Media files are free.

Deathstroke

05-18-2004, 03:37 PM

Interview with Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi.
http://cube.ign.com/articles/515/515402p1.html

IGN: You've said in the past that the villagers in Resident Evil 4 are not zombies, but that they are not human either. What are they then?

Kobayashi: They're not humans and that's actually one of the big mysteries that surrounds the game itself. It's one of the mysteries that you begin to uncover as you play the game. They're not villagers. They're not zombies. They are these things.

IGN: The latest trailer of the game shows off quite a new gameplay elements and story aspects, from satanic looking monks to castles and fire fights. How do these all tie in? Can you give us some idea of the story and how it progresses?

Kobayashi: Basically the village itself is connected to the second area, where you see those monk-type enemies appear. Leon, whose part of a security force which protects the President, goes to a European country -- he doesn't state which one it is -- to rescue the President's daughter, who has been kidnapped. When he gets to the village he seeks help from one of the villagers as you can see in the video and he gets attacked. As he's proceeding through the village he realizes these are not people at all and yet they're not zombies either -- he knows what a zombie is. He continues to go forward looking for the President's daughter and about halfway through the game he does find her.

After he finds her he tries escape from the location that he finds her at, this new almost cult-like organization of people who are all wearing these black robes attacks him. They try to get in his way as well. So as he proceeds through that area he starts to realize what this groups is, what their motivations are and etcetera. It's just one more mystery that he begins to unravel has he progresses through the game.

IGN: There are signs in the new RE4 trailer that there is an infection plaguing the village. In a cut-scene featuring Leon, Ashley and an all-new character, we see Ashley coughing violently as if sick and the mystery man says that there are symptoms before the change. What is the infection?

Kobayashi: First of all, you really have sharp eyes for pointing that out. A lot of people have watched the videos several times and never thought to say, "Oh, that's a virus. She's coughing and she's sick."

This time there is no Umbrella, there are no zombies and of course that also means there is no T-Virus. And unfortunately the only thing I can say right now is that after you buy the game you're going to realize what's causing these non-villager/non-zombie things to become the way they are. And that thing also has an affect on Ashley, which is why she's coughing and sick as well.

IGN: There are extraordinary new enemies. We've seen a giant monster that resembles an ogre. Another gargantuan-sized being picks Leon up with one hand and chokes him. There's also a giant water creature. How do these characters play into the storyline?

Kobayashi: That's also kind of a mystery of the game, but if you think back to the trailer you'll remember a scene where people are actually opening the gates to release the beast. One hint I can offer is that they had to seal that beast up in the first place. They're not necessarily on the same side. That thing was originally sealed off so that it wouldn't do any damage, but in order to stop Leon they freed it and let it loose on him. They didn't want to free it in the first place because as you saw in the video it grabbed on person and smashed another person, so obviously it was very risky to try and release it. They opened Pandora's box, so to speak, in letting that thing out.

IGN: How deep is the Leon/Ashley system and is it inspired by the Sony PlayStation 2 game Ico?

Kobayashi: I don't really know much about Ico. I've seen pictures and roughly know what it's about, but I have never played it personally. I think probably, from what he knows of Ico, that you are protecting this girl the whole time in the game. In Resident Evil 4, you don't even find her until halfway through the game and even when you do find her you get split up through certain circumstances and meet up again later to protect her. It's not like you're protecting her for half the game. You're with her sometimes and split up other times.
Basically, as you could see in the video, she's a very weak, fragile female. She can't do any special action moves like crashing through a window as Leon can. As the video showed, he helped her down from the cliff because it was kind of high up. So there will be times when you'll be leading her and helping her through these various obstacles, but also you'll have to protect her so when the enemy comes you'll have to shoot it and stop it from getting her. If it does pick her up and start to run away, you'll have to shoot it and it'll drop her. You are protecting her when you are together like that. But you will be separated for plot reasons and you'll have to search for her. And other times you'll intentionally go different routes. You'll say, "Okay, let's meet back here at a different time."

Who is this new character, why is he in the village and is he playable?

Kobayashi: He's actually one of the remaining survivors who has not been hit by this thing in the village. And when you meet up with him you really don't know if he's friend or foe, so he's kind of also shrouded in mystery. But you cannot play as him -- he's not a playable character.

IGN: Will you be able to play as Ashley then?

Kobayashi: Yes.

IGN: The villagers demonstrate noticeably smarter artificial intelligence. Can you give us some examples of just how smart they are?

Kobayashi: One good example is that if you look at a zombie when it approaches somebody it walks ever so slowly directly at them. These things will try to flank you on the sides. They'll get behind and to the sides of you and they'll also try to attack in groups so that you don't have a place to escape to. If you go into a building, maybe something that has two stories, Leon may barricade the first floor, but they're smart -- they'll try to come at him from the second floor instead. They come at you from all directions. They're not just going to try one way in to get you. If they can't get in that way, they will like a smart person -- a person who can actually think -- try another way.

They also use weapons, of course, which is something that zombies didn't do. They will try and pick you off from high locations and the ground floor. They use a variety of weapons from axes to picks to chainsaws -- basically whatever they can get their hands on. If you remember the castle scene from the video, the enemies fire cannons at him. Leon can also fire back. In one scene he gets his own cannon.

IGN: The Resident Evil franchise has traditionally provided gamers shock scares. A perfect example of this would be the dogs that crashed through the window in the first game. We haven't seen at lot of these elements in RE4. In contrast, it seems to emphasize action, albeit in a very eerie way. Are there old-style scary scenes in the game? Also, will there be points where Leon will simply have to run away from the oncoming villagers?

Kobayashi: When it comes to the action, sometimes you're going to be attacked by 10 or 20 villagers, so of course you're going to run. If you're talking about the jump scares from the original Resident Evil then yes, there are still those in the game. We still have scenes where things jump out and scare you, but there are not as much as the previous Resident Evil games because we really wanted to put a focus on action.

IGN: Don't take this the wrong way because we absolutely adore Resident Evil 4. But why is it such a grand departure from the rest of the games?

Kobayashi: There's Resident Evil 1, 2, 3, Code Veronica -- we've been pumping them out for the last seven years or so. The staff, which includes myself and of course Shinji Mikami, decided that we wanted to go in a new direction and re-create the series. We were tired of making the same stuff as well. We wanted to make something new and original. And that's how it started.

IGN: How is it still Resident Evil?

Kobayashi: Of course, for all the people who played Resident Evil and wanted something new, that was another reason we still wanted to re-design it. But we still feel it's Resident Evil because the controls are still exactly the same. Granted, they're the controls that a lot of the press in America doesn't like, but they are still the same [laughs]. In addition to that, Leon is back and he's a character that was from the series before. And little parts of the story really relates to Resident Evil games up until now. So we think that there's enough in there to warrant calling it Resident Evil.
And if you are going to go even one step further to specifics, we still have the typewriters, herbs and first aid sprays [laughs].

IGN: Are the enemies in the game scientific or supernatural in nature?

Kobayashi: It's closer to scientific. It's based in reality. It's not like some magical ghost or something spiritual like that. People made a mistake and these things appeared.

IGN: We know about some of the weapons in the game, but it would be nice to have a longer list of what Leon can use.

Kobayashi: Handgun. Shotgun. Sniper rifle. Rocket launcher. Grenades. Grenade launcher. And there's also a knife. And that's still not even half of the weapons in the game. There are a ton of weapons.

IGN: Excellent. Can you also give us an idea of what types of locales Leon will visit in the game? We've so far seen the village and the castle.

Kobayashi: There's a forest, caves, and lakes. The mainstay of the game will be in the village or town, but the village is huge. There are a lot of different parts to the village -- not just what you've seen here. It's really, really big.

IGN: Is the village set up in a non-linear or linear way? In other words, can you freely explore it or are you directed to the next sequence?

Kobayashi: That's a tough question. Obviously you have a starting point and a finishing point for each place that you have to get to. But in how you get there, there are a lot of different paths to go. Even in the demo we have there are at on of different houses you can go into or, oppositely, you don't have to go into any of those houses if you don't want to. There really just are a lot of possibilities. But if you define linear as a start and a finish then yeah, it's linear in that way.

IGN: The enemies seem to attack Leon as if they want nothing more than to murder him. They're almost rabid in that way. And yet they are very smart, too. In some story cut-scenes they dispose of dead bodies in the water and in the demo they have set up laser trip wires that are triggered to set off bombs. What are they hiding? Who are they trying to keep out?

Kobayashi: Basically, they are just defending their town or their village. They don't want anybody in there. The less suspicious the village looks, the less people are going to come. But for anybody who does come, they have traps set up to take them out right away. You take one look at the village and you think, "There's definitely something going on here."

IGN: You mentioned that the US press doesn't necessarily like the control mechanics in the Resident Evil series. Well, we do like the updated camera in RE4, which has a profound bearing on how control works -- and for the better. We actually like it very much. It feels good. But can you please, please add a strafing option so that Leon can quickly move from left to right to avoid attacks?

Kobayashi: Actually, when we were developing it, we were really thinking about putting that kind of option there. But the more we thought about it, the more we figured that would make it a Splinter Cell-like game and we didn't want to go into the shooting/army type genre. We wanted to keep enough of the Resident Evil essence in the game, yet still change it enough to offer a new feeling. So we made an active choice not to include a strafe in there.

IGN: Okay. It's still great.

Kobayashi: Instead of having that real-time strafing, we have included the A-button-activated action, where you can bust through windows, sprint, and things like that.

IGN: Do you have any final words for our readers who are greatly anticipating Resident Evil 4?

Kobayashi: I think I talked about it a little bit earlier, but we totally changed the camera and it has given it a brand new feeling. All those users who have played the series games before and might be thinking that this isn't Resident Evil, we want them to know that it still is Resident Evil. There's still enough in there that you're going play and think it's a lot of fun. On the other hand, we think we've added enough new stuff that all those people who played the previous games and didn't like them or grew bored with them, we just want them to try it one more time to see if they can appreciate this new style. It's a whole new game while still being Resident Evil.

Just one final comment. We are also releasing a game called Under the Skin and in it there is a Resident Evil stage. Once you've unlocked it Resident Evil brand things and characters appear. It's your first chance to play Resident Evil in a sort of funny, zany way, so you might want to check that out as well.

Well, there you have it, more weapons and action but they're also going with suspense and the storyline is being guarded closely. Personally, this interview was the first time I've felt anything negative about this game. I'm all for the gameplay changes but the story doesn't need to change so radically. I would have been happy if there was some type of aftermath scenario concerning Umbrella and there might still be some type of scenario like this but the more I read about this game, the less likely that seems. Oh well, it is still my most anticipated GC game.

Deathstroke

11-09-2004, 11:40 AM

WARNING!!!!!! THE FIRST PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SOME STORYLINE SPOILERS ABOUT RESIDENT EVIL 4. THE SECOND PARAGRAPH CONCENTRATES ON NEW GAMEPLAY ADDITIONS TO THE GAME. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I suppose it is time to update this once again. A lot of things have happened since the last update. In the latest trailer of the game, we are given a glimpse of a woman's face and speculation has run rampant that it could be either Ada, Claire or Rebecca. My own personal opinion is that they are finally bringing Ada back. Looks like you'll get your wish ESCH. Also, it looks like they did not throw out many of the story elements that were talked about RE4 at first. In one of the new trailers it shows that Leon has become infected.

However, the biggest thing about the game is that it has further blurred the line between Survival Horror and Action/Adventure. It has been revealed that some time during the game you will encounter a merchant who you will be able to buy things from such as weapon upgrades and inventory slots.

Scan 1: http://ranobe.com/up/updata/up10872.jpg
Scan 2: http://ranobe.com/up/updata/up10873.jpg

From REhorror.com

Page 1 shows the merchant's shop. In the top-left pic you can make out the TMP, Thompson, RPG, etc and the different kinds of ammo. I am assuming the Wolf brand ammo is more powerful 9mm bullets. In the bottom-left of the pic you can see what look like artillery shells and ammo belts. Useable? (doubtful).

Page 2 shows the interface screen when dealing with the merchant. It shows how you level up the weapons and sell items. There are 2 different types of stock that can be added to weapons. There is the advanced stock shown in this screen that is used on modern weapons like the TMP. There is an old style of stock that is used with weapons like the Mauser. I assume there is only one type of silencer though. The "Scoop Agent" section compares the difficulty settings of RE4 with the previous games.

Other Famitsu stuff:

Famitsu had a new preview of RE4. A lot of it just confirms some previous info. xfactor posted some info

"1)You will be able to increase your inventory space by buying the slots from the merchant.

2)The 'merchant' idea was from Dino Crisis 2.

3)You can trade with the merchant. Buy healing items, weapons and even upgrade weapons.

4)The normal mode will be much harder compared to the past games, while the easy mode will be much easier.

5)2 discs for the GC RE4.

6)A special dvd will be included when you preorder the game (in Japan), which cost 8190 yen (highest price for a Biohazard game ever). The content of the dvd is unknown yet."

Two discs, and the gameplay time for the game has been upgraded from 10-15 hours which translated to probably eight hours at best to 20 hours which translates to roughly 10-14 hours.

Other stuff:

The monk BOWs are called Heretics and the sect is called "Los Iluminados" (The Visionaries).

There are many bonus games and side-puzzles Ã* la Zelda.

For some reason the Village Chief does not kill you on sight even when you meet him the second time.

Each weapon can be kitted out and upgraded similar to Parasite Eve.

There are indeed many chapters as at least 8 major locations are described (Just to note, 20 hours gameplay is PR speak for 12 hours including time taken to unlock secrets, so I'd say NGC has played through one third to a half of the game).

Anyway, that's all for now. Check REhorror.com if you want to know more.

Deathstroke

11-09-2004, 11:58 AM

Scans from NGC: http://homepage.eircom.net/~m_d_c/ngc.zip

These scans are filled with spoilers. The magazine in question apparently got to play an updated build of the game.

Deathstroke

12-05-2004, 07:08 AM

Gamespot has a preview of the updated demo up at: http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/adventure/residentevil4/preview_6114418.html?q=1&tag=gs_hp_flashtop_story

A few choice excerpts:

Capcom's dedication to reinventing Resident Evil as we know it appears to be resulting in the kind of overhaul that fans have lately been crying out for. The latest proof that RE4 is bringing the goods comes from some exclusive time we've spent with a build of the game. While not complete, the version we played offered even more tantalizing hints as to the greatness that may be in store for this title.

And just what will Leon be using to kill the forces of evil? A good mix of weapons that should be old hat to RE vets. You'll find a 9mm handgun, a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a .223-caliber bolt-action rifle, a TMP (a fully automatic machine pistol that shoots 9mm rounds), a Punisher (a powerful 9mm handgun that can take out two enemies at once), a rocket launcher, and assorted grenade types. The weapons are all upgradeable via the items you can purchase from the merchant, which include silencers for the handgun and TMP, a stock for the TMP to improve its stability, and a scope for the rifle.

While the opposition is pretty stiff early on in the game, it gets much worse, thanks to the eerie AI that motivates the creatures. Your enemies will actively try to keep you from targeting their heads, and they'll even coordinate their attacks against you.

In the cases where you do sustain some damage, you can expect to heal yourself with the usual assortment of herbs and first-aid sprays. New this time out are eggs and snakes that you can collect and use to restore your health, Ã* la Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Better yet is a new yellow herb that, when mixed with a green herb, will restore Leon's health and also increase his maximum amount of health.

Not too sure about this part myself. I liked the revamping they were doing of the health system but for herbs to still be in there is a mistake.

While we've already waxed poetic about the visuals in RE4, we'll say it again: It's doubtful that any GameCube release in 2005--except for Nintendo's own Zelda game--will rival what RE4 has to offer.

Given how long this love letter has rambled on, we doubt anyone will be surprised when we say that Resident Evil 4 should rock the house when it hits next year. The stunning visuals are matched by equally impressive gameplay, taking this series in an outstanding new direction. More importantly, the gameplay mechanics may make some genuine contributions to the action genre itself, which is nice to see, coming from a nine-year-old series.

Oh and Capcom has updated the U.S RE4 homepage.
http://www.capcom.com/re4/gui.html

37 days left.

theWacoKid

12-05-2004, 11:14 AM

Could you give us the Reader's Digest version of all this?

Deathstroke

12-05-2004, 01:17 PM

Sure, RE4 will be a great game.

LOL, this thread seems far too obsessive but I recently rethought it as an interesting experiment. If this game fails, I'll sue the media for getting my hopes up.