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The original survival horror is back with Resident Evil 4. Iain Davidson finds out if it really is a return to form.
o you know what‘s so great about trees‘.’ Yeah OK. without them we
would never have discovered fire. been able to build dwellings or
paddle across water to further the development of our species. And yeah. without them we would have no mass produced paper. something that allows thoughts and ideas to be shared across great distances and even time itself. But do you know what is so great about trees‘.’ They scare us.
Blair Wire/i. Evil Dead. Cabin lever and Friday l3tli are among the many movies that profit from this base fear. the unknown spaces between these silent. immobile yet breathing things. And now Resident Evil is adding its own brand of horror to the woodpile.
Gone are the creepy mansions. underground research bunkers and deserted cities. replaced by the heavy malevolence of the forest. But it isn’t just the gnarled wood you have to wony about. This is Resident Evil after all. Take the local inhabitants. for example. They make Deliveranee or Southern Conifer! seem like adverts for Saga holidays. And soon enough there's all manner of monstrous meaty madness to contend with.
The initial freedom promised by the woodland setting never comes to fruition but such is the pace and exuberance of the experience that it matters little. This is the most frenetic Resident Evil game yet. Fewer puzzles and a change of view to a fantastic over-the-shoulder camera has amped up the action. making this more of an action horror title. The new weapon system also reflects this with a great upgrade system that allows individualisation as well as poking you to replay it once the carnage is complete.
There are a few ingredients that lack a final polish. like a control system that's a little clumsy and a few reaction tests that seem incongruous. But the
main thrust of exploration and creepy weirdness easily papers over any of
these cracks and ultimately surprises. ensuring that this feels more like an interactive movie than any previous Resident Evil title. if not any game ever. Such is the beauty of the surroundings. of the detail. the depth and the underlying ‘feel‘ that the cut scenes merge easily with the gameplay to produce a game that very nearly shares the same stage as all those movies mentioned earlier. And the brevity of the experience only reinforces this.
So wander into that dark forest. creep fearfully among the heavy boughs and branches to revel in one of mankind‘s oldest nightmares. And if you are lucky you will also rediscover what is so great about Resident Evil.
Game Cube: Resident Evil 4 is released by Capcom. 00000
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news and line-ups for all the UK's major festivals (as well as a good few you've never even heard of). You may have missed out on T but V. Reading or even Guilfest might be the perfect substitute. www.efestivals.co.uk
With the festival season creeping up and T in the Park tickets already sold out. this is 3 the best information resource for rumours.
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Reviews
P82 MEGAMAN X8 (Capcom) 000
Lovers of the wee blue chap Will be pleased to hear this is a vast improvement on the last instalment. And if you loved home gaming during the 908. this is the game for you. Back to ZD embracing the definition of Side- scrolling platformers. this is unashamed old school gaming. And that is exactly what underlies all its strength and weakness. It's fast pick up and play action. Sure. you can choose between three different heroes but essentially it doesn't really matter who you choose. The graphics are crisp but this is something that could have so easily been done on the PSOne or, hell. even the Super Nintendo way back when. It never dazzles you with anything but solid game play. yet there are still some annOying and unfair quirks (the one hit 2 death spikes lead to frustration-induced brain haemorrhaging). Sometimes you just want uncomplicated platfomers but. unfortunately. most the time you want to see the power of your machine at work. (Henry Northmore)
PS:
METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER
(Konami) £39.99 .0000
Please stick with it. The first three hours of Snake Eater in. so yen, hard to put you off, Wlill masswe cut scenes interspersed With a few tWiddles of the ioypad. This isn't an interactive inOVie. it's Simply a mowe. But please stick With it because when the game finally takes off it is as enjoyable as it is bold. Bold? Oh yes. this is something different both for M68 and for gaming. For Snake fans out there. gone is the radar that
shows enemy sightlines. Yep. you now have to judge your stealth for yourself. a fantastically brave choice that pays dividends. This is a true sneak-'em-up involving camouflage and quiet death. But Snake Eater Will be remembered by all gamers for more than just its continued genre clarification. No. it's the dynamics surrounding Snake himself that will have the greatest impact on gaming. His wounds must be treated as if they were real. He must eat and rest or he suffers. How powerful this becomes or how much this affects the gamer-avatar
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DILEMMAS
Pointless but strangely absorbing A or B dilemmas. It's all totally random but the real interest comes in finding out if your chOice matches the majority. Just what percentage of folk would rather taste of chocolate or smell like vanilla for the rest of their lives? Surely the
__= only place you can find the answer. www.youmustchoose.co.uk
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CAPCOM FIGHTING JAM (Capcom) 000
Nov. this is a l)'i of .i wewd one. Sure. we all
love Street Fighter but the words ‘(lead'. 'horse' and 'flogging' have been coming to mind of late when it comes to ()apeom's rerelez'ise. rej )ackagii ig programme. Here. its variOus incarnations are mashed together Wllll Darksta/kers and / led Earth to give a bizarre inish-mash of fighting styles and characters. You get kung-fu i,liii;ks squaring off With dinosaurs. or mummies (of the Egyptian variety) going head to head Wllll Russmn wrestlers, And while as a concept it's a laugh it just doesn't fit together. Some of the mismatched lighting styles lead to totally one-Sided fights. You can't just add games to each other Willy nilly. Imagine sticking Sonic into Mario World — his fast pace wouldn't gel With its intricate levels. Sure. you can happily waste a few hours on this harmless fun, but it can't touch the Original. (Henry Northmore)
17—31 Mar 2005 THE LIST 1 15