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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 2023 remake, see Resident Evil 4 (2023 video game).
"RE 4" redirects here. For the German rail service, see Wupper-Express.
Resident Evil 4

North American GameCube cover art

Developer(s) Capcom Production Studio 4[a]
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Director(s) Shinji Mikami
Producer(s) Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Designer(s)
Hiroshi Shibata
Kouji Kakae
Shigenori Nishikawa
Programmer(s) Kiyohiko Sakata
Writer(s) Shinji Mikami
Composer(s) Misao Senbongi
Shusaku Uchiyama
Series Resident Evil
Platform(s)
GameCube
Release
January 11, 2005
Genre(s) Survival horror, third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player
Resident Evil 4[b] is a survival horror game by Capcom, originally released for the
GameCube in 2005. Players control the special agent Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to
rescue the US president's daughter, Ashley Graham, who has been kidnapped by a
religious cult in rural Spain. Leon fights hordes of enemies infected by a mind-
controlling parasite and reunites with the spy Ada Wong. In a departure from the
fixed camera angles and slower gameplay of previous Resident Evil games, Resident
Evil 4 features a dynamic camera system and action-oriented gameplay.

Development on Resident Evil 4 began for the PlayStation 2 in 1999. Four proposed
versions were discarded; the first was directed by Hideki Kamiya, but series
creator Shinji Mikami felt it was too great a departure from the previous games, so
it was spun off as Devil May Cry (2001). Other versions were scrapped until Mikami
took directorial duties for what became the final version. The game was announced
as part of the Capcom Five, a collaboration between Capcom and Nintendo to create
five exclusives for the GameCube.

Resident Evil 4 garnered acclaim for its story, gameplay, graphics, voice acting,
and characters, and is cited as one of the best video games of all time, winning
multiple Game of the Year awards in 2005. It was ported to numerous formats, and
became a cross-platform hit, selling 12.3 million units by December 2022. It
influenced the evolution of the survival horror and third-person genres,
popularizing the "over-the-shoulder" third-person view used in games such as Gears
of War, Dead Space, and The Last of Us. A remake of Resident Evil 4 was released in
2023.[1]

Gameplay
The player controls the protagonist, Leon S. Kennedy, from a third-person
perspective. Departing significantly from the series' previous games, the gameplay
focuses on action and shootouts with fewer survival horror elements. The camera is
placed behind Leon and zooms in for an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon,
or a first-person view when aiming with a sniper rifle.[2] There is no crosshair
for firearms; instead, every firearm has a laser sight. Unlike previous games where
players can only shoot straight, up, or down, players have more options. For
example, shots to the feet can cause enemies to stumble, and shots to the arms can
make them drop their weapons. Players can also shoot down projectiles like thrown
axes or scythes.[3]

An image of a young man defending himself against a horde of humanoid enemies in a

village setting. The camera is behind the man's shoulder, placing him in the bottom
left corner and the attackers in the background of the picture.
Leon fighting a group of Ganados. Unlike previous entries in the series, Resident
Evil 4 has the camera following directly behind the character. The laser sight
enables the player to target key zones on enemies.[3]
Resident Evil 4 adds context-sensitive controls. Based on the situation, players
can interact with the environment: kicking down a ladder, jumping out of a window,
dodging an attack or executing a "finishing move" on weakened enemies. There are
also quick time events, in which the player must press buttons indicated on-screen
to execute actions such as dodging a falling boulder or wrestling an enemy to stay
alive. These are often incorporated into the game's many boss fights, in which the
player must avoid instant-kill attacks.[4]

The main enemies are violent villagers referred to as Los Ganados ("The Cattle" in
Spanish). Unlike the franchise's traditional zombies, Los Ganados can dodge, wield
weaponry like chainsaws and projectile weapons, and are capable of working
collectively and communicating with each other. The villagers' leaders may
transform into grotesque monstrous forms to do battle with the player when
encountered. Other prominent enemies include the "Regeneradors", a type of mutated
humanoid creature with potent regenerative abilities; the troll-like El Gigante;
and the gigantic sea creature Del Lago.[5]

The inventory system features a grid system, represented by an attach� case, that
has each item take up a certain number of spaces. The case can be upgraded several
times, allowing for more space. Weapons, ammunition, and healing items are kept in
the case, while key items and treasures are kept in a separate menu. Items may be
bought from and sold to a merchant that appears in various locations. He sells
first aid sprays, weapons, allows for weapons to be upgraded and buys various
treasures that Leon finds. The various weapons each have their own advantages and
disadvantages.[6][7]

Capcom added content for the PlayStation 2 version, which was later incorporated
into the PC and Wii releases. The largest addition is "Separate Ways", a side story
which focuses on Ada Wong's involvement in Resident Evil 4 and her connection to
the series' villain Albert Wesker.[8] "Ada's Report", a five-part documentary,
analyzes Ada's relationship with Wesker and his role in the plot.[9] Other
unlockable content in all versions includes the minigame "The Mercenaries" and
short scenario "Assignment Ada" (using Ada to retrieve Las Plagas samples), new
costumes for Leon and Ashley, new weapons, and a cutscene browser.[10]

Plot
In 2004, U.S. government agent Leon S. Kennedy (Paul Mercier) is on a mission to
rescue Ashley Graham (Carolyn Lawrence), the U.S. President's daughter, who has
been abducted by a mysterious cult.[11] He travels to an unnamed rural village in
Spain,[12] where he encounters a group of hostile villagers who pledge their lives
to Los Iluminados, the cult that kidnapped Ashley. The villagers were once simple
farmers until becoming infected by a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas.
[13]

While in the village, Leon is captured by its chief, Bitores Mendez, and injected
with Las Plagas.[14] He finds himself held captive with Luis Sera (Rino Romano), a
former police officer in Madrid, and former Los Iluminados researcher.[15] The two
work together to escape, but soon go their separate ways. Leon finds out Ashley is
being held in a church and rescues her.[16] They both escape from the church after
Osmund Saddler (Michael Gough), leader of Los Iluminados, reveals his plan to use
the parasite they injected into Ashley to manipulate her into injecting the
president of the United States with a "sample" once she returns home, allowing
Saddler to begin his conquest of the world.[17]

After killing Mendez, Leon and Ashley try to take refuge in a castle but are
attacked by more Iluminados under the command of Ramon Salazar (Rene Mujica),
another of Saddler's henchmen who owns the castle,[14] and the two become separated
by Salazar's traps. Meanwhile, Luis searches for pills that will slow Leon and
Ashley's infection, as well as a sample of Las Plagas. He brings the two items to
Leon but is killed by Saddler, who takes the sample, while the pills to suppress
the infection remain in Leon's hands.[18] While in the castle, Leon briefly
encounters Ada Wong (Sally Cahill), a woman from his past who supports him during
his mission. He battles his way through the castle before killing Salazar.[19]

Afterward, Leon travels to a nearby island research facility, where he continues

the search for Ashley. He discovers that one of his former training comrades, Jack
Krauser (Jim Ward), who was believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash two
years prior, is responsible for her kidnapping in an attempt to get close enough to
Saddler to steal his new Plagas sample.[20] Ada and Krauser are working with Albert
Wesker (Richard Waugh), for whom both intend to secure a Plagas sample, though
Krauser is suspicious of Ada.[21] Suspicious of the mercenary's intentions, Saddler
orders Krauser to kill Leon, believing that no matter which one dies, he will
benefit.[22] After Krauser's defeat, Leon rescues Ashley, and they remove the
Plagas from their bodies using a specialized radiotherapeutic device. Leon
confronts Saddler, and with Ada's help, manages to kill him. However, Ada takes the
sample from Leon at gunpoint before escaping in a helicopter,[23] leaving Leon and
Ashley to escape via her jet-ski as the island explodes.[24]

Development
In 1999, producer Shinji Mikami said a Resident Evil sequel was in development for
PlayStation 2.[25] Resident Evil 4 underwent a lengthy development, during which at
least four versions of the game were discarded.[26] The first version was directed
by Hideki Kamiya.[27] Around the turn of the millennium,[28] Resident Evil 2 writer
Noboru Sugimura created a story for the game,[29] based on Kamiya's idea to make a
"cool" and "stylish" action game.[30] The story was based on unraveling the mystery
surrounding the body of the protagonist, Tony,[31] an invincible man with skills
and an intellect exceeding that of normal people, with his superhuman abilities
explained with biotechnology.[28] As Kamiya felt the playable character did not
look brave and heroic enough in battles from a fixed angle, he decided to drop the
prerendered backgrounds from previous installments and use a dynamic camera system.
[27] The team spent 11 days in the United Kingdom and Spain, photographing objects
such as Gothic statues, bricks, and stone pavements for use in textures.[32][33]

Though the developers tried to make the "coolness" theme fit into the world of
Resident Evil,[34] Mikami felt it strayed too far from the series' survival horror
roots and gradually convinced the staff to make an independent game. This became a
new Capcom franchise, Devil May Cry, released for the PlayStation 2 in August 2001.
[35]
"Fog" version
Development on Resident Evil 4 restarted at the end of 2001.[36] The first
announcement was made in November 2002, as one of five games exclusively developed
for the GameCube by Capcom Production Studio 4, the Capcom Five.[37][38] This
revision, commonly dubbed the "fog version", was directed by Hiroshi Shibata[39]
and was 40 percent finished at that time.[40] The game saw Leon S. Kennedy
struggling to survive[39] after having infiltrated Umbrella's castle-like main
headquarters located in Europe and featured traditional Resident Evil monsters such
as zombies.[26][41][42] During the course of the new story which was again written
by Sugimura's scenario creation company Flagship,[43] Leon became infected with the
Progenitor Virus and possessed a hidden power in his left hand.[26][44][45] The
producer of the final version also pointed out that Ashley did not appear back
then, though there was a different girl who was never revealed to the public.[26]
The game was to feature some first-person elements.[46]

"Hook Man" version

An image of a young man aiming his gun and flashlight at a hostile male figure
wielding a large hook. The whole scene is marked by a bluish hue, giving the
mansion environment an otherworldly feel.
This screenshot of a cancelled version depicts Leon fighting the hook man. Though
this earlier revision still used fixed camera angles while exploring environments,
the battles already employed the over-the-shoulder view seen in the final build.
At E3 2003, Capcom showcased a version widely known as the "hook man version".[47]
It was later titled Maboroshi no Biohazard 4 (??????????4?, lit. "The Phantom
Biohazard 4") on the Biohazard 4 Secret DVD. During Mikami's introduction of the
trailer, he assured that development was proceeding smoothly and claimed the game
was scarier than ever before.[47] The story was set in a haunted building where
Leon contracted a bizarre disease and fought paranormal enemies, such as animated
suits of armor, living dolls, and a ghostlike man armed with a large hook.[41][47]
The game had an otherworldly feel to it, containing elements like flashbacks and
hallucinations that were marked by a bluish tint and a shaking camera.[26] It also
displayed various gameplay mechanics that carried over to the final release, like
the over-the-shoulder camera and a laser sight for aiming in battles and quick time
events.[47] Other features, such as dialogue choices, were removed later.[26] Five
minutes of gameplay footage were released on the Biohazard 4 Secret DVD, a Japanese
pre-order bonus given out in January 2005.[48]

"Hallucination" version
The Hallucination version had only a basic story concept, having dropped the
previous scenario penned by Noboru Sugimura of Flagship. In 2012, Resident Evil 3:
Nemesis scenario writer Yasuhisa Kawamura said he was responsible for this version,
as he wanted to make Biohazard 4 scarier "and suggested using a particular scene
from the film Lost Souls, where the main character [...] suddenly finds herself in
a derelict building with a killer on the loose. An arranged version of this idea
eventually turned into Hook Man. The idea went through several iterations as Mr.
Sugimura and I carefully refined this world (which, I have to say, was very
romantic). Leon infiltrates the castle of Spencer seeking the truth, while inside a
laboratory located deep within, a young girl wakes up. Accompanied by a B.O.W. [an
abbreviation for "Bio Organic Weapon" in the series' lore] dog, the two start to
make their way up the castle. Unfortunately, there were many obstacles that needed
to be overcome and the cost of development was deemed too expensive." Kawamura
added he was very sorry and "even ashamed" that Mikami had to step in and scrap
this version.[49] After this attempt, the last cancelled revision featured classic
zombies again. However, it was discontinued after a few months, and before it was
ever shown to the public, as the developers felt it was too formulaic.[26]

The story of the Progenitor Virus was eventually covered in Resident Evil 5 and the
Spencer Estate became the setting for Resident Evil 5's downloadable content (DLC)
pack "Lost in Nightmares" (featuring Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine).[50]

Final version
Following that, it was decided to reinvent the series.[41] Mikami took over
directorial duties from Shibata and began working on the version that was released.
[51] In an interview with Game Informer, Mikami explained his decision to shift to
a new gameplay system is due to the feeling that the older system is "more of the
same" after playing Resident Evil Zero. He says that he only felt nervous once more
when playing with the newer system.[52] Speaking for the team, game producer
Hiroyuki Kobayashi[51] mentioned how the staff was "tired of the same thing"[53]
and how some got bored and moved on to other projects.[54] In addition to that, the
producer also felt that the older format was "stuck in a cookie cutter mold" and
described it as "shackles holding us down".[55]

However, some of the staff members disagreed about changing the gameplay system.
These members felt depressed and were hard to motivate after the game's focus
shifted to be more action-oriented.[36] Although Mikami demanded the camera system
be revised, the team had reservations about making big changes to the series he had
created.[56] Eventually, he intervened, explained his proposed changes, and wrote a
new story that, unlike previous installments, was not centered on the company
Umbrella.[56][57][58] Mikami wrote the entire story in just three weeks due to time
constraints.[59] Inspired by Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, a game Mikami had enjoyed
playing but felt could have been better with a different view, he decided to place
the camera behind the playable character.[60] To go along with the new gameplay and
story, a new type of enemy called "Ganado" was created, as opposed to using the
undead creatures from previous Resident Evil games.[58] Furthermore, producers
expended additional detail to modify and update characters that had previously
appeared in the series. In a documentary explaining the conception of the
characters, Kamiya stated he intended to make Leon Kennedy "look tougher, but also
cool".[61]

Kobayashi was responsible for the design of some of the final game's enemies, such
as the Regenerators.[62] Kobayashi described the creatures' origins within universe
lore as byproducts of Los Iluminados' research into bio organic weapons, malformed
creations implanted with multiple Plaga parasites during the experimentation
process.[63] Regenerators are designed to take distinct heavy breaths before they
are seen, which alerts the player to their presence. When encountered, often in
small confined spaces, they would walk slowly towards the player character. The
Regenerator is capable of continuously regenerating itself and cannot easily be
dispatched unless the player is able to find the Plaga parasites within its body,
which can only be seen with the infrared scope, and specifically target them first.
[64][65][66][67] During an interview with Famitsu, Mikami explained that elements
like the Regenerators help maintain the survival horror aspect of Resident Evil 4
as a balance between a "scary kind of gameplay and the challenge of overcoming that
fear", with the goal of giving players a sense of achievement when they manage to
overcome the monster.[68]

The English voice actors recorded their parts in four sessions, over three to four
months.[69] Capcom assigned Shinsaku Ohara as script translator and voice over
coordinator.[70] Carolyn Lawrence, who provided the voice for Ashley Graham,
described her character as "vulnerable, because Leon has to come to her rescue all
the time".[69] She also described Kennedy's character as "more brawn, perhaps, than
brain".[69] In addition to the voice acting, the game's designer detailed each
cinematic sequence so that each character's facial expressions matched the tone of
their voice actor.[61]

Along with Resident Evil: Dead Aim and Resident Evil Outbreak, two side story games
that did not fall under the exclusive policy, it was announced on October 31, 2004
that Resident Evil 4 would come to the PlayStation 2 in 2005, citing increased
profit, changing market conditions, and increased consumer satisfaction as the key
reasons. The PlayStation 2 version included new features, primarily a new sub-game
featuring Ada Wong. On February 1, 2006, Ubisoft announced that they would be
publishing the game on the PC for Windows.[71] On April 4, 2007, a Wii version was
announced and was launched later in the year. The game features all of the extras
in the PS2 version, along with other additions, including a trailer for Resident
Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.[72][73]

Release
The original version for the GameCube featured two different collector's editions.
The first was available as a pre-order that included the game, the Prologue art
book, and a T-shirt. GameStop offered another limited edition that was packaged in
a tin box with the art book, a cel of Leon, and a soundtrack CD.[74] Australia
received an exclusive collector's edition that came with the game and a bonus disc
with interviews and creator's footage.[75]

Ports
Resident Evil 4 was ported to the PlayStation 2 after Capcom stated that it did not
fall under the exclusivity deal with Nintendo. It was released in North America on
October 25, 2005. The largest addition is "Separate Ways", a new scenario for Ada
written by Haruo Murata.[70] According to producer Masachika Kawata, the Separate
Ways campaign was something thought up by the PS2 porting team and was added after
getting approval from Shinji Mikami.[76] The port was later included with Code:
Veronica X and Resident Evil Outbreak as part of the compilation Resident Evil: The
Essentials.[77] The PlayStation 2 version featured two standard and collector's
bundles from pre-orders. The standard package included the game and a T-shirt,
while the collector's bundle also included a figurine of Leon, and the soundtrack
Biohazard Sound Chronicle Best Track Box. This quickly sold out, and a second
pressing was released that included an Ada figurine. Another, called the Resident
Evil 4: Premium Edition, was packaged in a SteelBook media case, along with the art
book, a documentary DVD, and a cel art of Ada.[78]

A PC port of Resident Evil 4 developed by Sourcenext was released in Hong Kong on

February 1, 2007, published by Typhoon Games. It was released in Europe, North
America, and Australia in March 2007 and was published by Ubisoft. The port
contains the bonus features from the PS2 version, such as "Separate Ways", the
P.R.L. 412 laser cannon and a second set of unlockable costumes for Leon and
Ashley, as well as an Easy difficulty level. It also supports multiple widescreen
resolutions.[79] The shadow and lighting problems were fixed in the only patch,
Version 1.10.[80]

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition was released for the Wii on May 31, 2007 in Japan and
on June 19, 2007 in the United States. It features updated controls that utilize
the pointing and motion-sensing abilities of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, though
both the GameCube controller and the Classic Controller are also supported.[73] The
Wii Remote is able to aim and shoot anywhere on the screen with a reticle that
replaces the laser sight found in the other versions, and motion-based gestures are
used to perform some context-sensitive actions, such as dodging or slashing. The
Wii Edition also includes the extra content from the PS2 and PC versions, and a
trailer for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.[72] The Wii Edition became
available for download from the Wii U's Nintendo eShop in Europe on October 29,
2015.[81][82]

Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition was released in Japan for au's BREW 4.0 on February
1, 2008. It was announced by Capcom at TGS 2007.[83] Differences from the original
include changing the flow of the story from being continuous to being divided into
sections such as "Village", "Ravene", "Fortress" and "Subterranean Tunnel". There
is also a more challenging Mercenary Mode.[84][85] The game uses the MascotCapsule
eruption engine[86] and was adapted to the Zeebo and iOS platforms.[87][88] On July
13, 2009, without any formal announcement, Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition was
released by Capcom for the iOS platform via the App Store in Japan, but was quickly
removed,[89][90] though some players were able to purchase and download it. The
game has since been released in Japan and North America.[88] Later, Capcom made an
update that had different difficulty levels and high scores. Capcom released a new
separate version called Resident Evil 4 for Beginners, which offers the first two
levels (three counting a training level) of both Story Mode and Mercenary Mode.
However, the rest of the levels are available for purchase in-game as downloadable
content. Due to the release of the iPad, Capcom recreated the iPhone version of
Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition and updated it to HD graphics as Resident Evil 4:
iPad Edition.[91]

On March 23, 2011, high-definition remastered versions of both Resident Evil �

Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 4 were announced to be in development for the Xbox
360 and PlayStation 3, as part of the Resident Evil: Revival Selection series.[92]
The ports feature all the bonus content from the previous releases, including
"Separate Ways". On July 23, 2011, Capcom announced at Comic-Con 2011 that Resident
Evil 4 would be released on September 20, 2011[93] for the PlayStation Network and
Xbox Live Games on Demand.[94] In Japan, Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil - Code:
Veronica were released on a single disc with the title Biohazard Revival Selection
on September 8, 2011.[95] For North America and Europe, both games, including
Resident Evil 4 HD, were only released as downloads on Xbox Live Games on Demand
and PlayStation Network.[96] On February 27, 2014, Capcom released Resident Evil 4
Ultimate HD Edition for Windows. The port features improved graphics and many other
enhancements that were included in Resident Evil 4 HD. Resident Evil 4 was re-
released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 30, 2016.

In April 2013, Resident Evil 4 was released on Android, but outside of Japan, it is
exclusive to Samsung through Samsung Galaxy Store.[97]

Capcom announced in October 2018 that Resident Evil 4 would be published for the
Nintendo Switch sometime in 2019, along with releases of Resident Evil and Resident
Evil Zero.[98] All three games were released on May 21, 2019 worldwide and on May
23, 2019 in Japan.

In October 2021, Capcom released a virtual reality (VR) version of Resident Evil 4
for the Oculus Quest 2. Developed by the American Armature Studio,[99] many
elements of gameplay like combat and inventory management were changed to
accommodate VR.[100] This version, which runs on Unreal Engine 4, also includes
redesigned textures with increased resolution.[100] The VR version was heavily
criticized by fans, both in Japan and the West, due to Armature Studio's censorship
of content. The developers and executive producer Tom Ivey, who stated that the
changes were made to "update the game for a modern audience", removed a number of
in-game animations (such as the animation triggered when players attempted to look
up Ashley's skirt), dialogue and flirtatious banter between characters. Some of
these changes were made at the expense of continuity and context in cutscenes
essential to the game's plot. The controversy continued when in April 2022 the VR
version's executive producer Tom Ivey stood by the changes: "I definitely agree
with the changes we made to the game so, we're definitely on board with that, we
think it's the right thing".[c]

Merchandise
Biohazard 4 Original Soundtrack was released in Japan on December 22, 2005. It
contains 62 compositions from the game and the 48-page Visual Booklet with liner
notes from composers Shusaku Uchiyama and Misao Senbongi.[109] Other merchandise
included figures by McFarlane Toys,[110][111] NECA[112] and Hot Toys.[113] Agatsuma
Entertainment has also created various miniature collectibles based on several main
characters and enemies from Resident Evil 4.[114] Two special controllers designed
to resemble chainsaws were designed by NubyTech for use with the GameCube and
PlayStation 2 versions.[115]