Let's start at the beginnig. Resident Evil 4 radically differs from its predecessors. First of all, the hideous fixed camera angles, for which the series is known and loathed, have been replaced by a manually adjustable third person camera that makes the game infinitely more enjoyable. When you pull out a weapon and take aim, the camera will automatically shift to Leon's (the main character that already appeared in previous Resident Evil games) shoulder, which you will find quite useful. Furthermore, you won't see any crosshairs, but each firearm comes equipped with a laser to help you aim. Most guns can be upgraded during the game, which makes things more tactical. Will you buy a new (and potentially more powerful) shotgun or will you improve the one you're carrying?

The braindead zombies from previous games have been substituted for more 'human' adversaries with bigger intellectual capabilities. This means you can just forget about recklessly shooting everything that moves. Enemies are a lot harder to kill (on normal difficulty, you'll sometimes need multiple headshots to gun down a simple peasant) and ammunition is in short supply. Health items are not omnipresent, so being careful is the key to survive. If you play the game on the easiest setting, a lot of the tension that comes with using your bullets and life energy wisely is lost.

The continuous, sinister threat that stems from the environments is one of the strongest points of the game. You'll never feel at ease and it speaks for itself that your heart will pound like mad during game sessions. Resident Evil 4 is one of the most captivating games of the last few years and the experience is further enhanced by the music. RE4 contains some horrifying melodies that will awe you every time. The music ranges from gothic themes, over more quiet interludes to razorsharp rock tunes during combat.

The addictive action in the game is exceeding brutal, with a lot of blood & gore. Blood is splattered around by the gallon and dismemberment and exploding heads are shown in their full uncensored glory. The many different enemies are products from a sick and twisted mind over at Capcom. Especially the dozen or so bosses exceed all expectations. A gigantic lake monstrosity, giant hulking humps of flesh (which you can see in the accompanying screen) and even a mutated, jellyfish-like 'thing' with tentacles: they all make a stunning impression.

Another thing that impresses are the graphics. Though the textures on the PlayStation 2 are slightly less detailed than on the GameCube, the game still looks amazing. The PS2 version even has a widescreen option, which wasn't present in tghe original. The characters are beautiful in any way and the balanced lighting really sets the mood. The levels offer a lot of variety: none of the different chapters look alike. Sound is also top-notch. Environment noises make the game incomparably atmospheric. The typical 'splatter' you hear whenever a head explodes has never been so lifelike. Metal also behaves realistically; the first time you hit a bell will send a chill down your spine. One kind of enemy is even deaf, so you'll have to distract him by making noises. All of these effects seriously benefit from having a decent surround system. The acting is also laudable and that's not something we're used to saying from the series. Just think about the laughable dialogue from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The voices of Leon and Ashley are believable, but the bad guys earn the most credit.

With its lifespan of over 20 hours, Resident Evil 4 is already a lengthy experience, but on the PlayStation 2 the fun lasts even longer. After completing the main quest, you unlock Separate Ways, an adventure that lets you assume the role of Ada Wong. You'll cross the path of Leon S. Kennedy on several occasions. Separate Ways answers a lot of questions from the story mode, so it's actually a must-play if you want to know more. Ada also has some nice gadgets in her inventory, such as a grappling hook. Then we have the Mercenaries mode, which revolves around killing a certain ammount of bad guys within a set time. The more consecutive kills, the higher your score. You can also find items that add a little bonus time. Mercenaries is nice for the few hours it lasts, but the modes previously mentioned are definitely better. Other extras include Assignment Ada, a short story with Ada, a PS2-exclusive laser weapon and a Movie browser, that lets you watch the ingame cinematics once more