"Greetings Stranger!!"

1998, I'll never forget it...it was the year those grisly Pokemon took place. Soon after, it was found that it twas the fault of Nintendo, was behind all this. Not taking any chances, the President of the United States ordered a contingency plan, to sterilize, Viridian City. Soon after, the United States Government ordered a definite suspension of business decree on Nintendo. Soon their stock prices crashed, and for all intents and purposes, the Pokemon were far from finished....

...WHOOPS, Uh wrong game. But over here Stranger, I got something that might interest you. Hehehe. Thank You.

While not your typical survival horror Resident Evil game, this game still, minus Resident Evil 2, is by far, one of the Best Resident Evil games ever made. Practically Genius, this game has far superior reflexes that have improved since then and now. Even though it's more of action suspense, it's still really great. Gone are the days of zombies for the moment, and come forth the spanish speaking Ganados, a group of parasitic organisms, add flavor as well as intrigue. Fast pace, compelling storyline, and a whiny girl named Ashley Graham make this title unlike anything you have ever seen.

Story 10/10 - While it's original and unique, this storyline doesn't follow the very concept of the previous games, though the idealized concepts are still there. Tyrant is in there(a.k.a. Jack Krauser with monster arm) and bomb explosion(the island). But it's not too obvious and ends differently. Other than the fact it continues the storyline, what makes this one different from the others is that it's Very Fast Paced, has Great Flow, and you are never bored or dulled by what is being said or going on. Plus the writing, script, and lines delivered are quite the excellent. It continues with Resident Evil 2's rookie cop, Leon S. Kennedy, now American Government Agent, to search for the president's missing daughter. His first job, now a rescue mission. With some returning characters, and some new ones, plus an oddball merchant that sells you goodies, makes this quite an interesting catch. She has been kidnapped and taken hostage. Quick turns and unexpected surprises make this one a treat.

Control 8/10 - Though I would like to give this game perfect control score, I can't. But it's still very good. Gone are the tank controls of the previous installments. They now have a 3rd person free motion camera moving in a realistic, real-time, reactive environment. It's so good so, that you would think that it has always been like this and should've been like this to the start. The biggest plus, other than the movement, is the fact that you could aim your firearm wherever you want. As for another plus, you don't have to equip the knife, it's already attached to you, as it's a part of your automatic weapons. What's nice is that it's a quick switch. Control is very very good.

Graphics 10/10 - This game pushes the ps2 graphics to it's max. So much so, that they had to port it differently from the gamecube's. But minus that, the rich text environment, the highly detailed characters, and interactive surrounding's make it so, that you could put the game down for a minute, and sit down and really appreciate the true beauty and artwork of this game. It is so incredibly amazing. Very well layered. From the grains to the structures, even tiny shadows and light make it really something else. Special in a sort of way. By far, some of the best graphics you will see in or on a game for something like this.

Music/Sound 9/10 - I really want to give this perfect 10s, but I can't but super unrealistic and I should be fair and balanced to some extent. While I would, I have to distinct my flavored opinion over what is really there. But regardless, the music played is true movie quality. Orchestra and pieces that move the cinematics quite well. Even the silence in the game is well placed. The sounds for the enemies is disturbing yet intriguing. The only downside is those darn Ganados speaking blatant spanish curses, and telling you off not knowing what they're saying unless you know the language of Spanish fluently. Otherwise, the scores are absolutely beautiful, smoothly rolling, and quite probably, a wonderful masterpiece.

Gameplay 10/10 - From the main storyline, the side quests, extras, easter eggs, and mini games make this game good every single time you play it. It's almost always new and for some reason, it never gets old. In this edition though, there are quick time events which you have to press certain buttons to trigger the gameplay and storyline. From dodging attacks, to escaping narrow death, make this one quick a run for you pesos. Once you beat the game, you unlock certain secrets, plus there are many bonuses and collectibles that you can accumulate after multiple replay. Storywise, it's awesome. Gameplay wise, you better be quick or suffer the wrath of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dr. Salvador(he's the dumbnut with the chainsaw and paper bag over his head). They have taken away the whole box thing and added a big inventory. Plus, no more ink ribbons, you can now save with just the typewriter. Yes, the typewriter makes its return, and so do the crows. They don't peck this time around, but you can shoot them and the buzzards won't bite back. Serves those lil suckers right. Die vermin. LOL. Ahem. It feels good to shot them. Oh, and also, there is a buy and sell feature which you do business with the Merchant. He always greets you with the term, Stranger, and says,"I've got a lot of good things on sale, stranger". Funny how you can shoot the dude, but if you do, you can't buy or sell anything from that Merchant area ever again so be careful if you decide to do so. Shoot a crow instead, or a snake. The bosses are gigantic on a massive scale, both in size and detail. You do have to deal with this cult called the Los Illuminados led by Saddler. The minor enemies are okay, but the freakiest are the Regenerators. Watch out for those guys. Oh, and by the way, if you see a dog that needs help, go do a good deed and help the little guy out, he might just pay back the favor later. Certain comebacks by certain returning characters, make for great plot twists. You're in for a shock.

Characters 7/10 - The only reason the score is lower, is because of two Reasons, and they are Ashley and Graham. Yes, she is quite possibly, the dumbest follow around girl that doesn't help much and makes certain situations tedious, and sometimes, downright annoying. But the rest of the characters minus a few, are awesome, cool, stylish, and sometimes flirty as well as sexy. Quite appealing, and well sounding taste. Leon, is one of the few guys, that refuses to smoke. Now take that mr. solid snake. You can still be a kick ass agent without smoking a cigarette. Just to show, you can be a cool cat character without the aid of tobacco. Oh, and there's a Hottie named Ingrid Hunningan. She is the support via radio contact. Really funny at the end.

Overall 10/10 - This is a really great game. You don't need to be a seasoned RE veteran to play this one through. Worth the time, effort and expense. By far a life changing experience for a game. A must play. Don't miss out on this one. A true classic. Fun, exciting, and enjoyable. Overall this is one that is surely worth it.

Come back anytime. It's the part of me that I can't let go. Let's just leave it at that.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/11/06