Racoon City has been blasted off the face of the earth, the entire population incinerated. The Umbrella Corporation is in ruins. Leon Kennedy, previously a rookie cop, is now working for the US government and is on a mission to rescue the President's daughter. It's Resident Evil, but not as you knew it.

 

Think about this: it has been nine years since Resident Evil 1 on the Playstation. And since that point there has been sequel after sequel, with little change in thebasic gameplay. The best we got was a minor tweaking in RE Zero, but it's easy to see why many have already dismissed the series as one rehash after the other. And coming from the developers of Street Fighter too. But we can finally, faithfully, say, without hyperbole, that Resident Evil is undergoing a revolution. It's a wholenew direction for Shinji Mikami's most prized baby.

Some plot details first. It is six years since the nuking of Racoon City, when the US government took a rather overkill approach to solving the zombie problem.But, hey, it got results. Leon hasn't been seen since Resident Evil 2, and has been promoted from STARS agent to the service of the President himself. Resi 4 begins with Leon being sent off by the big boss himself to an unknown east-European country, with the objective of rescuing the Commander-In-Chief's daughter. Herkidnappers are mysterious - their identities are unknown and no demands have been made. Part of the game features a shrine and hooded figures, so perhaps shehas been taken by some kind of cult. While traveling to his destination, Leon's car is attacked and the game begins.

 

That first level constitutes most of what we have seen of the game. It's full of grey hues, reminescent of the classic Transalvania-ish villages featured in many horrorfilms. While Mikami was famously influenced by George Romero's well-known 'Dead' zombie trilogy, this new Resident Evil context owes a lot to films like Evil Deadand the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with enemies borrowed from stellar Brit flick 28 Days Later. There's a disctinct sense of foreboding, translated well from theshadow interiors of mansions to an alien and creepy secluded village.

The villagers aren't the most welcoming… unless charging at newcomers, wielding torches and pitchforks and clubs counts as welcoming. Good newsthough; there's no zombies to be found. They've been left in the rubble of Racoon City, letting Leon go up against a new breed of threat. The ditching of zombiesis hugely significant; they have been the mainstay of the series and getting rid of them was the clearest sign Capcom could make to assure us they're really changing things. And thank God, too. Zombies ceased being intimidating around the time of RE3: Nemesis, and it's not difficult to see why. They're slow, lumbering, unintelligentand their gob's their only weapon. The crazed villagers of Resi 4 are a whole world apart.

 

They can run. Like the wind. Remember how much being chased by the remake's Crimson Heads got the blood pumping? Imagine being chased by a whole gang ofthem through a forest, in pitch black. And they've got chainsaws. They're also smarter, meaning you'll have to keep your wits about you. They might try to lure youinto a trap, or they might ambush you when you least expect it. If one sees you he mightn't instantly attack, instead leaving to get his mates first. It'll certainly spice theaction up. But that's not to say the monsters of old have been forgotten; we've already seen a LOTR cave troll, and wouldn't be surprised to see similar bosses showup later in the game.

The zombies aren't the only relics dumped on the scrap heap. Gone too are the static camera angles, an effective tool to heighten suspense in claustrophobiccorridors but inadequate for RE4's open environments. It's fully 3D now, allowing greater control over your perspective. Another change is the introduction of a first-person viewpoint, which you'll need to deal with the new enemies. Whip out a weapon and you can shoot off specific limbs, maiming an attacker as you please.Get a headshot and watch the blood fly. It'll be more fun than the vague aiming of previous RE games. We're also assuming things like typewriter saving andteleporting chests have bitten the dust. But what about the controls, that bane of survival horror? It seems the revamping doesn't extend to the controls, althoughwe hear they've been tweaked and actually work decently in outdoor environments.

 

It appears that at some point during the game, Leon finds the President's daughter and the gameplay takes a maternal twist. The player is forced into a protectiverole and has to keep her, you know, not dead. This could end up being tiresome, to be honest. Does anyone like having to watch over a female tag-along in games?I don't think I was alone in wanting to blast that damned Natalya for messing up my mission in Goldeneye, and RE4's Ashley does threaten to irritate similarly. Buthey, we could be wrong. Although we're not looking forward to having to actually be considerate of others when deciding whether or not to just cut loose and get thehell out of there. We'll see.

There are no surprises in the visual department; it looks as polished as we would expect from Capcom. Both Resident Evil 1 and Zero on the Gamecube weren'tshabby in the graphics department, showcasing excellent use of lighting and shadowing and beefing up the gory details. RE4 goes beyond even those games, presenting the outdoor environments in crisp, organic detail. The series' natural grays and dark hues remain, but the outdoor locations mean more interesting use oflighting and shadow effects. The day shifts from morning to dusk, allowing you to experience from the bright morning sunshine to the fading twilight. This extends to day/nightchanges, but these only happen after designated events. The prospect of playing at night is an enticing one, which should put the lighting effects to good use. Picturethe scene; you're sprinting through a forest, in the middle of night, chased by a gang of crazed villagers. The only sources of lighting are the torches they're carrying, throwingup what are sure to be thrilling scenes, running through the darkness, the torchlight bouncing of the trees and letting you know how close you are to the wacked-outmob who want to tear you to pieces. The atmosphere will be tense.

 

Another benefit of better visuals; more realistic gore. And there will be gore, oh yes. RE4 promises even more of the red stuff, and we're only happy to oblige. Thefirst-person mode means sharper aiming and more opportunities for some sadism. And Leon will thankfully be armed to the teeth, with a sniper rifle, rocket launcherand grenades at your disposal. Body parts are going to be soaring through the air when we get our hands on the game. One of the superlative gore moments is whena chainsaw-armed villager takes a successful swipe at you and rips your head right off. Obviously, it means game over.

All these details compound to create a new kind of survival horror experience. The biggest change is the pace; rather than the slow build-up culminating in a short shockmoment, RE4's pace looks to remain on a constant high. The foreboding atmosphere is there, but it's a much more action-orientated game now. Not in the vein ofRE3: Nemesis' zombie fodder gameplay, but a more fluid, thrilling way. There's a heavier emphasis on blasting and running, and Shenmue-style button promptsallow you to jump through windows and leap over objects easily, maintaining the pace and preventing cumbersome controls from spoiling your getaway. Puzzleelements won't be done away with, but expect more logical and natural brainteasers.

 

Some RE diehards have been miffed with the series' new direction, but pragmatism must prevail. Resident Evil was long overdue an update and big changes areafoot to gaming's premier survival horror franchise. It's a new lease of life for the genre, which was growing stale under the weight of clichés and unwelcomingelements of game design. For the first time in what seems like ages, we're excited about survival horror again. And so should you.