Resident Evil 4released in 2005 for the GameCube and was a radical shift in the iconic franchise’s formula. The series went from utilizing tank controls and fixed camera angles to putting the view behind the character’s shoulder and focusing more on intense action.
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The road to this game was not easy, as the facts about the title below showcase. However, it was certainly worth it consideringResident Evil 4is often regarded as one of the best video games ever made. A lot happened during its development, which explains why fans had to wait so long for it afterResident Evil 3andCode Veronica.
10Development Started On The PS2 In 1999
For the beginning of its life,Resident Evilwas more closely associated with the PlayStation, even though entriescame out for the Sega Saturnand Nintendo 64. Because of this, development for the gamestarted in 1999 on Sony’s second mainline system. Everybody knows this changed, however.Resident Evil 4would only come out on the PS2 about nine months after its release on the GameCube.
9Hideki Kamiya Was The Original Director
In its original incarnation,Hideki Kamiya was the director ofResident Evil 4.Fans of the series should already recognize the man as thedirector ofResident Evil 2.
Related:Every Game Hideki Kamiya Worked On (Ranked By Metacritic)
After his turn with the series and leaving the director’s seat for this title, Hideki Kamiya would go on to direct such highly acclaimed titles likeDevil May Cry,Okami, andBayonetta.He helped create PlatinumGames, which is responsible for some of the finest action games of the past 15 years.
8The Team Went To Spain And The UK
It is not uncommon for development teams to visit real-world locations for inspiration and photoshoots. They even use the photos for textures within the game. Members of theResident Evil 4team went to Spain and the UK to take pictures and scout locations. The final game takes place in Spain and is divided into a village, a castle, and an island area, so there is no doubt the trip served as proper inspiration.
7Devil May Cry Was Born From This Game’s Development
Hideki Kamiya was trying to make aResident Evilgame that was more action-focused. Apparently, he felt the game he was making eventually went too far in the action-packed direction,which caused him to leave the project and makeDevil May Cry. Playing the originalDevil May Cryreveals numerous similarities between it andResident Evil. The game still focuses on puzzle-solving and primarily operates with camera angles.
6It Was A Part Of The Capcom 5
Early in the GameCube’s life, Nintendo and Capcom announced a partnership to bringseveral games exclusively to the platform.Resident Evil 4was one of these. Also included on this list were theResident Evilremake andResident Evil 0. WhileResident Evil 4would come to the PS2 shortly after its GameCube release, the former two did not come to non-Nintendo platforms for more than ten years.Resident Evilremake is on par withResident Evil 4in terms of quality.
5There Is No Japanese Dialogue
Resident Evilhas notoriously bad dialogue, though it is endearing. You might be surprised to learn that most of the series,Resident Evil 4included, lacks any Japanese voice tracks. Even so, it’s a bit difficult to believe there’s anyone out there whodoesn’trealize how cheesy the English voice acting sounds. Such a choice is kind of a rarity since most prefer playing a game in its original language.
4Ashley Graham Is Sandy Cheeks From SpongeBob SquarePants
Ashley Graham is a polarizing character. Some consider escorting her the worst part of the game, while others appreciate the added challenge of the combat during her segments.
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Those who grew up on irreverent children’s cartoons in the early 2000s might recognize her as the character of Sandy Cheeks fromSpongeBob SquarePants. Just imagine Ashley with a southern accent and you have Sandy Cheeks' voice.
3There Were Four Different Versions In Development
The game went through as many asfour different versionsbefore the team settled on what would become the final game. After Hideki Kamiya left, Hiroshi Shibata was directing a version where Leon infiltrates Umbrella’s main headquarters. The next incarnation, known as the “Hook Man” version, was actually shown to the public. After this version was dropped, another scenario where Leon attacks Oswell Spencer’s mansion was in the early planning stages before changing it up once again to what fans eventually got.
2Shinji Mikami Directed It
While the game jumped around to different directors, Shinji Mikami eventually helmed the final product. Who better to reinvent the series than the man who created it in the first place? This is the last game in the storied franchise he ever worked on, though he was far from done with survival horror. After founding Tango Gameworks,he would directThe Evil Withinand produce its sequel,both of which expand uponResident Evil 4’smechanics.
1The Change In Direction Was Not Welcomed By The Team
Certain fans still thinkResident Evil 4spelled doom for the “true"Resident Evil. Even members of the development team were uneasy with the game’s new direction, even though it was being headed by the series' creator. Eventually, the new scenario and settinghelped differentiate it from other gamesin the franchise and helped it seem less like just a gimmick. It also helped the series expand beyond just being about theevents that occurred in Raccoon City.
Next:Every Weapon In Resident Evil 4, Ranked From Worst To Best
