I don't know. Does a game need to have a strong focus on puzzles to be considered "surival-horror"? Just look at the name of the genre: "survival-horror." It's not "Surival-puzzle-solver-horror."
I've been playing RE4 on professional, and I have to say that there are plenty of surival and horror aspects. Just because the aiming is much better in RE4, and there is a lack of puzzles, doesn't mean scwat. You surive from hordes of enemies, much more than any other RE game before it. You need to know the level's layout in order to find the best spots to hide so you can reload, lead enemies down narrow paths so it will be easier to blow them away with your shotgun, and you can use the environmental hazards (like explosive barrels, or even doors when you kick them in while a Ganado is on the other side) to help you out. Enemies aren't stupid either. Unlike the classic RE games, you're not safe once you make it to the next door; enemies will follow. In fact, running through that door may end up a bad idea if more enemies are in that room because now you'll be surrounded.
Also, keep in mind that RE4 still does not throw as much ammo at you as you think; it's still very important to conserve your ammo, and use your knife as often as possible. Yes, you do get a lot more ammo in RE4 than previous RE games, but look at how many more monsters you have to fight! In each new area, you are basically fighting a small army. Just the village in RE4 has you fighting more ganados than all the zombies in RE2 combined, and all at once too! RE4 requires the player to need more ammo, which allows for a wider array of weapons as well.
Resident Evil 4 does is a survival game, moreso than any other RE game in my opinion. Then I hear people saying that Resident Evil 4 isn't a horror game. Seriously? But Resident Evil 0-CV are?
Everyone probably has different opinions on what's scary and what isn't, but I fail to see how any of the other Resident Evil games are scary. When I was 12, yes, they were terrorfying, but not anymore. The only classic RE game that still creeps me out is REmake. I'm not gonna lie, that mansion is very spooky; Lisa Trevor still makes me uneasy, and the Crimson Heads get my blood pumping fast. With that said, I think Resident Evil has more than enough horror elements to make it a horror game. The atmosphere isn't always spooky, and maybe it doesn't make it to the level of REmake, but it succeeds in another type of horror. See, when I was getting chased by a Crimson Head or the sharks in REmake, that was intense. I would yet "Oh shit! Oh shit! Run! Run! RUN!" It's intense. It get's you up on the edge of your seat. THAT'S the type of horror RE4 nails. Getting chased by Dr. Salvadors, getting trapped in a cage with Garrodors, having to run from Salazar's "right hand," having an Iron Maiden spot you, and pretty much any time you hear the creepy laugh of a monk directly behind you, you think "Oh shit!"
Now, let's be fair. RE4 does have an uneasy atmosphere throughout most of the game. You always feel alone (with a few exceptions; being with Ashley doesn't count since she is completely useless), and you rarely feel safe. When you come back to the village after rescuing Ashley, exploring any room in the castle, going deep into the mines, getting lost in a garden maze full of infected dogs, and being on a island, alone with a army of mind-controlled freaks, there is just something in the air that makes you feel like you're gonna die a horrific death. RE4 doesn't have the atmosphere of an action game; you know you're playing a horror game.
Resident Evil 4 is survival-horror. There's no question about it. The real question is: Is Resident Evil 5 going to be surival-horror? That's one I'm not very sure about. Based on the demo, and all the videos I've seen on the net, there is nothing that indicates this game will be "horror." It seems to be intense like RE4 at times, but it's hard to be worried when it's bright outside, and you have a partner that has your back. We'll see, but I'm not too confident, but I am excited.