One of my favorite games for the Gamecube (and then ps2, and sadly not the PC..thanks for that one Capcom..) will always be Resident Evil 4. I had always loved the idea of a zombie survival horror game and I just loved the stories behind these games (I also just love Zombies in general), but I always had problems with the controls. I just didn't feel that you needed to feel the fear..of not being able to turn around and run because your character moves like a freaking tank. Then came RE4. What glory this game brought to the 3rd person perspective. I never played a game where I enjoyed the controls so much that it made the entire experience sooo much better. Now in 2008 we have the game Dead Space, which is trying give you chills in the dark corridors of space, with equipment upgrades and 3rd person perspectives similar to my all time favorite game..and I must say..they pulled it off.
Basic Story:
Resident Evil 4 stars Leon Kennedy, from the second Resident Evil title, who is in search of the President's kidnapped daughter. What was thought to be a terrorist situation ends up involving a parasitic zombie plot involving creatures called Las Plagas and some of the best hours you could put into a game. (Some people say it was long..I say it wasn't enough!)
Dead Space stars Isaac Clarke an engineer stuck in a similar situation as Mr. Kennedy, involving an alien race known as the Necromorphes who steal the bodies of their victims and violently mutate them. Isaac and his fellow crew members crash land into the abandon ship USG Ishimura (a mining ship that is known as a planet cracker) and are soon welcomed by the hideous creatures and Isaac is forced to do the heavy lifting for the crew with a very linear mission in each chapter. (Linear yet like RE4 never boring. )
Winner: Resident Evil 4 (Zombies > Aliens)
Gameplay:
Both games follow the same idea, find the mystery behind these infested events and escape safely. Both games have the same sort of upgrade system for the weapons as well as areas in which to buy and upgrade the weapons. (I miss RE4's Merchant.."What are ya sellin'?" ) Both games include a system for holding your equipment, RE4's suitcases and space management, and Dead Space's Suit that holds and counts as your armor. But with additional time Dead Space had over it's older brother RE4, it was given a chance to grow. Dead Space doesn't pause the game when you search inside of your item menu but rather just gives you a heads up display, in fact all messages show as a holographic image for Isaac. A very interesting idea for a game where countless horrors could be around any turn. Also Isaac's health and special abilities (freeze opponents, kinesis..) are represented on the back of his suit and in dark areas give a lovely glow. While RE4 gave players more of a challenge with constant barrages of enemies, Dead Space limits it's players to fewer groups of enemies that continue to pop up from behind for that extra scare. Unlike RE4, you don't get the chance to interact with buildings. Such as when Leon and Luis have to barricade a wooden home from invading plaga victims. Or even just being able to blow through a wooden door to see the enemy behind it. The AI on the enemies alone are much better in Resident Evil 4 then on the few enemies you see in Dead Space.
Winner: Resident Evil 4.
Graphics:
As beautiful as Resident Evil 4 was on the Gamecube (less so on ps2), nothing compares to the pure darkness that Dead Space can achieve. It's sadly just a matter of who was released sooner. But seeing Dead Space in action is a real treat.
Winner: Dead Space.
Controls:
Aim with one trigger, shoot with the other, bring up storage with this button and reload only while aiming, swing a knife in one game and swing your weapon of choice in the other (+ curb stomping action :D). You would think this would be a tie but Dead Space doesn't have a 90 degree turn setup that made RE4 such a breeze to play.
Winner: Resident Evil 4.
Fear Level:
Resident Evil 4 has countless enemies ripping open doors, climbing through windows, and even the great chainsaw maniac..but it doesn't have creepy little mutated babies. Dead Space's character design is just down right creepy. From babies with tentacles growing on their backs to screaming walls, it's all there to make you jump out of your seat. Resident Evil 4 has creepy moments but the level of darkness that Dead Space brings blows it out of the water. The Los Plagas victims just can't give me as much of a freight as the eerie sounds of the "abandoned" spaceship. Countless times you'll be walking in a corridor only to see a man standing on the side staring at you..and just walk away. Or flickers of light that suddenly explode when you step a few feet away.
Winner: Dead Space.
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Ratings
Resident Evil 4
Rating: 5/5 Fear Rating: 4/5
Pros: Greatest game you can find on the previous generation of games. Fantastic 3rd person action with amazing choices in guns. Long length game that will have you on the edge until the end.
Cons: No such thing in this game.
Dead Space
Rating: 4/5 Fear Rating: 5/5
Pros: A clone of one of my favorite games of all times. Beautifully gruesome graphics along with an interesting science horror plot. Great menu ideas such as holographic views.
Cons: Too few enemies per encounter. Very Linear gameplay may lead to less replay value. Random body glitches such as carrying a dead corpse around.
Winner: Resident Evil 4!
Hands down Resident Evil 4 is still king. Dead Space puts up a great fight and on a Halloween night such as tonight it would be my best choice with the lights off and headphones on, but when it comes down to great gameplay Resident Evil 4 is just tops. Either of these games should be played to they're fullest.
Happy Halloween n_n.
