Resident Evil 4

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1170 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,034 out of 1170
  2. Mixed: 70 out of 1170
  3. Negative: 66 out of 1170
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  1. DBZ19
    Nov 28, 2011
    6
    This game was ok. What i don't understand is this isn't a survival horror game, resident was always about zombies, surviving on minimal ammo.
  2. Speed4Runs
    Dec 16, 2012
    5
    The game is OK. It has good plot, gameplay (but very downgraded compared to the old ones) and OK graphics. A bad note for the graphics: RE4 for PS2 is just a port. That's why it has less graphics than GC version, so, the graphics aren't so good. 5.5 for me.
  3. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 23, 2016
    6
    I really don't understand what makes this game special for so many people. To me, it marks the point where resident evil starts going downhill, it's no longer about clever puzzles and being low on health and ammo and feeling the next step could very well be your last, instead this is more like a shooter were you are just shooting all the time against 1000 dudes on the outside, no fear, noI really don't understand what makes this game special for so many people. To me, it marks the point where resident evil starts going downhill, it's no longer about clever puzzles and being low on health and ammo and feeling the next step could very well be your last, instead this is more like a shooter were you are just shooting all the time against 1000 dudes on the outside, no fear, no horror, no anything, just shooting and shooting. And they even add a shop? What the hell, is this resident evil or Counter strike? The game kinda starts to get boring after the first two massacres. Also, you have "over the shoulder" perspective but the character moves like in old resident evils, it's SOOOO unintuitive.

    To finish, something really annoying was he fact that the action takes place in Spain and the voice actors are clearly speaking mexican dialect, it makes me feel the game is kind of a joke, they didn't even research anything about the place the game was taking place in? I only give it a 6 because graphically it's kinda nice even if it's old and because the storyline was good despite the mexican thing kinda taking away the immersion.    … Expand
  4. TomG.
    Aug 17, 2007
    6
    It's the same game as you saw on the 'Cube, with more extra's. but the graphics and sound detail sabotage the game in alot of ways. Attention to detail is RE4's selling points, so why sabotage it with low polygon counts, decreased texture detail, and PRE-RENDERED cutscenes? It's overall a rent, but a buy if you have no other way to play it.
  5. BobK.
    Oct 27, 2005
    6
    Could've been great, but the lack of multiplayer and co-op mode makes RE4 a single-player experience only hermits can enjoy. It's a shame because there was plenty of potential. Now, RE4 is nothing but a pseudo-FPS (1 player to boot) with an unoriginal plotline.
  6. warmonger
    Oct 4, 2005
    5
    I can't believe that this game got such a great rating for Gamecube,there is nothing really that special about this version of Resident evil. I found the graphics really nice( lots of outdoor environments) but the bad controls simply took any enjoyment out of it (for me anyway) and why is it so difficult to kill these enemy's? ... even when shot directly in the head, theyI can't believe that this game got such a great rating for Gamecube,there is nothing really that special about this version of Resident evil. I found the graphics really nice( lots of outdoor environments) but the bad controls simply took any enjoyment out of it (for me anyway) and why is it so difficult to kill these enemy's? ... even when shot directly in the head, they continue to advance??? I'm a huge Resident evil fan, I loved the past games (except the outbreak series) and movies but I'll pass on this one, it's nothing but frustration...what a disappointment!!!… Expand
  7. BrianS.
    Jan 23, 2006
    5
    Because of insane critical praise I tried to play RE4 at least a dozen times between GC & PS2. Because of the worst aiming controls ever, I have concluded this is the most overrated game ever. I'm used to playing games where you can actually move with a weapon drawn, and L stick is always move, and R stick is camera/view. Having to use L stick to aim once you draw a weapon and being Because of insane critical praise I tried to play RE4 at least a dozen times between GC & PS2. Because of the worst aiming controls ever, I have concluded this is the most overrated game ever. I'm used to playing games where you can actually move with a weapon drawn, and L stick is always move, and R stick is camera/view. Having to use L stick to aim once you draw a weapon and being rooted to your position is clumsy, difficult to get used to, and what ruined any chance of me enjoying this game. Try Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and you'll understand why I couldn't tolerate RE4.… Expand
  8. KentC.
    Jan 14, 2008
    6
    Simply put, this game is as easy as performing brain surgery.Even in the very beginning of the game, there is little to no room for error. Despite what people say about this being an accessible game, if you aren't a RE fan or a fan of action 3rd person shooters, you'll have trouble with this game. Casual gamers beware. The lack of ammo you find forces you to aim at vital spots, Simply put, this game is as easy as performing brain surgery.Even in the very beginning of the game, there is little to no room for error. Despite what people say about this being an accessible game, if you aren't a RE fan or a fan of action 3rd person shooters, you'll have trouble with this game. Casual gamers beware. The lack of ammo you find forces you to aim at vital spots, but that's a little hard when possessed spanish zombies and monsters are swarming right at you. At first, you'll want to aim for the head and it saves you ammo, but later in the game when you shoot enemies in the head, a parasite pops out which you then have to spend even more ammo blasting it. With that in mind, you'll want to avoid headshots. Most people have nothing but good words for the "behind the shoulder" view, but I thought it was clunky and very hard to move Leon. You'll be constantly moving around trying to find where you are, since the camera moves when you move. Since you can't move when aiming with a gun or knife, you'll be running all over the place out of harm's way only to aim again and then run away again. Finally, the parts of the game where you escort Ashley are very tedious, as she can't defend herself and you are forced to rescue her when (and that's a definite WHEN) she gets carried away by an enemy. On a good note, the graphics are pretty good and the script and dialogue are deliciously cheesy and fun. The campaign is fairly long, and the extra bonus missions will keep you playing for a while (if you haven't already given up from the difficulty like I have).… Expand
  9. hyker
    Oct 31, 2008
    7
    We say to a game its a good game if you played it through and say "that money and time I spent on this game wasn't in vein" and that what happened I played through the game and I liked it,however,I played the previous resident evil games which was also good and I said the quote after playing it,but resident evil 4 was nothing like it.Awesome shooter, but there's nothing horror We say to a game its a good game if you played it through and say "that money and time I spent on this game wasn't in vein" and that what happened I played through the game and I liked it,however,I played the previous resident evil games which was also good and I said the quote after playing it,but resident evil 4 was nothing like it.Awesome shooter, but there's nothing horror or scary which was a bit disappointment to me. That's why I give it a 7,its an awesome shooter but it has nothing to do with the style of the previous games and as said above I liked it and thats enough for me to give it a good point.… Expand
  10. Brandon
    Nov 20, 2005
    5
    Don't waste your money. Buy a gamecube and play it the way it was intended to be played. Even if you already have a ps2 and you don't have a gamecube, you would be well advised to get a gamecube and play the gamecube version. But maybe if you have bad eyesight you won't notice the inferiority of this version.
  11. MikeC.
    Dec 21, 2005
    6
    Dull, over hyped game Im glad I didnt buy. Borrowed it off a friend after he'd got caught up in the resi butt kissing. Trust me, If you havent bought this yet, dont. Its dull, clunky, soulless and dull some more. The only plus point is that it has more extras than the Cube version but dont let that tempt you, it just means more life sucking and the Cube ones probably much cheaper by Dull, over hyped game Im glad I didnt buy. Borrowed it off a friend after he'd got caught up in the resi butt kissing. Trust me, If you havent bought this yet, dont. Its dull, clunky, soulless and dull some more. The only plus point is that it has more extras than the Cube version but dont let that tempt you, it just means more life sucking and the Cube ones probably much cheaper by now so get that one if your desperate. Nice enough graphics but its mostly all sloshed over with shades of brown. Just forget it. Go get God of War or pay the heating bill or something.… Expand
  12. KarlMarx
    Oct 26, 2005
    7
    To the person who said "way better than the gamecube version" are you joking or was that serious. I have completed both versions and can say that the Gamecube version is better overall. If u have both systems get the cube version. Still a great game though.
  13. [Anonymous]
    Jan 29, 2006
    7
    I don't like PS2 games but this one I liked. Which is not to say it's perfect. It starts off as survival horror and then about half way through, it turns into Quake or Aliens or some sci-fi movie. So I liked the first half, not so much the second half. Plus the inability to go back to previous chapters is a huge let down. This ought to be doable since it's all one I don't like PS2 games but this one I liked. Which is not to say it's perfect. It starts off as survival horror and then about half way through, it turns into Quake or Aliens or some sci-fi movie. So I liked the first half, not so much the second half. Plus the inability to go back to previous chapters is a huge let down. This ought to be doable since it's all one contiguous world. Nonetheless, it's addictive because the save points are spaced really close to each other. You keep on going for one more save point. Game took me about 26 hours to complete. One good thing is that you can replay the game with all of your advanced-level weapons. Too bad the game doesn't provide enough incentives to play a second round. The only gameplay element that was uncharacteristically poor was Krauser, where you had a three minute time limit and his pattern was impossible to figure out. Graphics are stunning for a PS2 game. Gameplay is 100000x less frustrating than God of War or MGS2. If they ended the game after you saved the girl, I would have given this ten out of ten. They just dragged the story out way too long.… Expand
  14. Muddypoof
    Dec 21, 2005
    6
    I too was sucked in by the hype generated by this game. It looked so cool and so easy to play when I watched the in-game videos. When I actually got ahold of the game, the controls were clunky and the difficulty was just too much to handle. I suppose if I stuck with it for awhile, I might gain a better understanding of what makes this game tick. But I don't see myself doing that I too was sucked in by the hype generated by this game. It looked so cool and so easy to play when I watched the in-game videos. When I actually got ahold of the game, the controls were clunky and the difficulty was just too much to handle. I suppose if I stuck with it for awhile, I might gain a better understanding of what makes this game tick. But I don't see myself doing that anytime soon. Give me a perfectly tuned control scheme, then you can throw tough enemies my way. Don't make the controls the foundation for a games difficulty.… Expand
  15. Markos-
    Mar 11, 2013
    7
    No doubt this is a strong title for the PlayStation2, good graphics and polished gameplay, the story is not really innovative but at least does its job: keeps you moving on and opening new doors between curious and afraid...
  16. GarethB.
    Oct 27, 2005
    5
    Awful turn for the Resi games. The action is deeply flawed in that it's terribly boring to play, the controls are no where near as smooth as they need to be to pull it off either. Anoying characters galore (exept the brilliant merchant), tedious story about something or other, who cares? You wont listen to it, lack of proper zombies, lame cleshe set pieces, no scares and no Awful turn for the Resi games. The action is deeply flawed in that it's terribly boring to play, the controls are no where near as smooth as they need to be to pull it off either. Anoying characters galore (exept the brilliant merchant), tedious story about something or other, who cares? You wont listen to it, lack of proper zombies, lame cleshe set pieces, no scares and no atmosphere. Some decent boss design and nice graphics (youve seen it all before though and its a rhapsody in browns and grey) and the merchant just scrape a 5 for this. If your desperate for a decent length good looking game get this. Chances are youve got better things to be doing though. Go buy Snake eater or the Resi 1 remake if you want the best adventures the consoles of this generation can offer. Do not be fooled by the hype.… Expand
  17. ChazS.
    Jan 23, 2006
    5
    I can't believe how many people are fawning over this game like it's the Second Coming. All right, finally you can actually control your movement in an RE game that's on par with a quality 3rd-person title, but as far as shooting goes forget it because you can't move once you draw your gun and left stick becomes your aim. How backwards ass is that? The scariest thing I can't believe how many people are fawning over this game like it's the Second Coming. All right, finally you can actually control your movement in an RE game that's on par with a quality 3rd-person title, but as far as shooting goes forget it because you can't move once you draw your gun and left stick becomes your aim. How backwards ass is that? The scariest thing about this survival horror game is fumbling through the clumsy controls as you are surrounded by enemies that show up at the end of a cut-scene and have no trouble moving and attacking YOU at the same time. I can appreciate RE fans being diehard about finally getting a game with half-playable controls, and maybe I'm too used to fluid 3rd-person control flow between moving and shooting from playing games like Max Payne and Splinter Cell, but every RE game on GC & PS2 has only been an unintuitive, and frustrating experience.… Expand
  18. Mel
    Feb 21, 2006
    5
    Straight to the point. Dont buy this. There. The story is standard rubish, the gameplay is as dull as your monotone uncles holiday photos from the desert. Decent enough graphics but we've seen it all before. Too much of the same thing. 'oh but the castle bit' - says some fan. Yawn, no thanks. Just thinking about this game is making me bored so i'll end with some Straight to the point. Dont buy this. There. The story is standard rubish, the gameplay is as dull as your monotone uncles holiday photos from the desert. Decent enough graphics but we've seen it all before. Too much of the same thing. 'oh but the castle bit' - says some fan. Yawn, no thanks. Just thinking about this game is making me bored so i'll end with some recomendations: REmake on the GC, Metal Gear 3, Kill zone, Devil may cry 1+3 and some gems i picked up cheap lately, Total overdose and the punisher. All well worth your money unlike this. Fair play to capcom for trying something new but falls too short by sucking all the fun and scares out of it.… Expand
  19. ERJ
    Mar 25, 2009
    7
    Although the graphics are fantastic and the accessibilty of shooting, this game still remains partially hyped. I found myself answering the puzzles within short breaths, the scares non-existant and all the "hidden treasure" to be blatant (esp. in the castle). The game managed to create an interesting plot line, but after the castle, the storyline delves into a very atypical ending and the Although the graphics are fantastic and the accessibilty of shooting, this game still remains partially hyped. I found myself answering the puzzles within short breaths, the scares non-existant and all the "hidden treasure" to be blatant (esp. in the castle). The game managed to create an interesting plot line, but after the castle, the storyline delves into a very atypical ending and the loose ends of the story are unnerving. I will also state that the game was a wonder to play through; rather easy, interesting and fun. However, my biggest beefs with RE4 are the way the game managed to not entice me to continue; I found myself thinking, "wow, this is very classic RE" and not in a good way. I personally prefer the claustrophobic interiors of RE2. And worst of all, I wonder how this is a resident evil game, and i find it oddly reminiscent to SH: The Room to the SH series. However, this game does contain substantial gameplay, but the story still remains rather dull to me. Also, I found myself loving Assignment Ada and Separate Ways, more than I did the regular game. 7/10. definitely, not my top 10 of all games.… Expand
  20. Tayskasi
    Sep 10, 2011
    5
    This game ruined Resident Evil series. It replaced Zombies with parasites, and removed anything that resembled puzzles. It is action game nothing else.
  21. Von_Fred54
    Jun 21, 2015
    7
    Don't get me wrong, this game is outstanding with its top-notch graphics and sound.. But the problem is: IT'S NOT RESIDENT EVIL !!! The whole "preserving health and ammunition" which gave the previous games a suspenseful and horrific aspect is totally gone!!

    I used to love and try to figure out how I was going to get out of situations such as being cornered by 4 zombies with only 2    Don't get me wrong, this game is outstanding with its top-notch graphics and sound.. But the problem is: IT'S NOT RESIDENT EVIL !!! The whole "preserving health and ammunition" which gave the previous games a suspenseful and horrific aspect is totally gone!!

    I used to love and try to figure out how I was going to get out of situations such as being cornered by 4 zombies with only 2 shotgun shells remaining...

    In RE4 you will have too much ammo... Enough to waste on Ashley's annoying face !!!    … Expand
  22. Kaprawiec
    Sep 9, 2016
    7
    I will never understand why Resident Evil 4 got all this praise. Although I played all of RE games and this was the first one I completed, all the horror from previous titles simply vanished. All that's left is an average 3rd person corridor shooter with quite nice setting. Really the best thing in this game was the rural spain and the grotesque enemies, especially rednecks and thisI will never understand why Resident Evil 4 got all this praise. Although I played all of RE games and this was the first one I completed, all the horror from previous titles simply vanished. All that's left is an average 3rd person corridor shooter with quite nice setting. Really the best thing in this game was the rural spain and the grotesque enemies, especially rednecks and this creature with the bag on its head. Resident Evil should be remembered for the original trilogy, not for this or the crappy movies.… Expand
  23. Wahfuu
    Oct 25, 2014
    7
    The harbinger of survival horror's extinction in the Triple A scene. Shame, because it's not a bad game.

    The game.. well, has a few jump scares and sometimes has a feeling of claustrophobia, but calling it a survival horror still feels wrong. More like a horrific action game. Anyways, the monster design is rather fun, boss fights are pretty varried, and your little companion doesn't get    The harbinger of survival horror's extinction in the Triple A scene. Shame, because it's not a bad game.

    The game.. well, has a few jump scares and sometimes has a feeling of claustrophobia, but calling it a survival horror still feels wrong. More like a horrific action game. Anyways, the monster design is rather fun, boss fights are pretty varried, and your little companion doesn't get in the way as much as you'd expect, since you can basically just toss her in a bin and leave her there, and more than a few times she just randomly gets seperated from you for extended periods of the game.

    So, yeah. The game can be pretty fun. I can't see the hype behind it being the greatest game ever, but gameplay wise it was certainly alot better than previous resident evils. However, the absolute abandonment of atmosphere in favor of it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. And the writing has never been very good in any resident evil, but 4 is what heralded the B grade hollywood action movie shenanigans. At least leon is painfully unfunning in every game he tries.

    Anyways, the game is fun enough, but I'm a bit sour over what it brought upon. I wish its dialogue just wasnt so.. ugh.    … Expand
  24. TheoneTrueKing
    Nov 6, 2017
    6
    I love the game, but it started the downfall of the plot going a completely different direction. Salazar was annoying, Verdugo was the only cool baddy. Some were okay, but most were just bland and it was too action packed for long sequences to be truly Resident Evil.

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PS2 Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 38 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. PSM Magazine
    100
    Not playing through it from beginning to end would be missing out on a major milestone in gaming history, not to mention a hell of a lot of fun. [Dec 2005, p.70]
  2. Game Informer
    100
    Simply put, Resident Evil 4 is a landmark video game, no matter what system you play it on... Truly brilliant. [Nov 2005, p.158]
  3. Play Magazine
    90
    Capcom turned the venerable but stagnant series around with Evil 4 [Nov p.72]
See all critic reviews »