Good but gruesome more or less sums up “Resident Evil 4” (Capcom). While this remake of a 2005 title is well done, it remains a zombie-slaying survival horror game that’s most appropriate for grown-ups with strong stomachs.
Players control United States government agent Leon S. Kennedy (voice of Nick Apostolides). Kennedy has been dispatched to a rural town in Spain to rescue Ashley Graham (voice of Genevieve Buechner), the president’s daughter, after her kidnapping by a mysterious cult called Los Iluminados.
Upon arrival, however, Kennedy discovers that the cultists aren’t at all what they seem. Infected by a mind-controlling parasite called Las Plagas, they hope to use Graham to spread this affliction to the highest levels of the federal government.
An impressive overhaul of mechanics and visuals makes this an appealing update. Improved puzzles for Kennedy to solve as well as new controls are also on offer.
However, combat is frequent as Kennedy engages in battle with any and all adversaries who would stand between him and freedom for Graham. These include monsters and animals but also undead villagers.
The persistent gory effects draw heavily on classic Hollywood B-movie chillers as enemies are seen being decapitated or dismembered. Kennedy himself can end up dying in a similar manner.
There’s a scene depicting a man being burned alive. And corpses are on display that show clear signs of having been tortured. Some enemies, moreover, have a grotesque aesthetic intended to unnerve gamers.
Sexual content, by contrast, is entirely absent. But the grisly mayhem through which Kennedy passes constitutes graphic material that even many mature gamers may wish to shun.
On the one hand, the skillful design behind “Resident Evil 4” reminds us that thrillers are not to be dismissed wholesale. The Vatican, after all, included several chillfests in its 1995 list of great films.
Yet, it is a genre that needs to be approached with caution. So parents in particular would do well to be wary of this well-wrought but unrestrained descent into darkness.
Playable on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and Windows.
The game contains pervasive combat violence with bloody effects and disturbing images as well as considerable rough language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Entertainment Software Rating Board rating is M — mature.
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