GregLombardi
Member
I know many a thread have been written on this game. Many a tome could be written in game design philosophy as to why the game belongs in the gaming Hall of Fame of Forever.
But why did this title absolutely destroy the trajectory on which the Resident Evil series traveled? Why is it this title that shines above the rest as a potential climax of its respective generation?
We can talk about Resident Evil 4 as it fits within the context of the series. But that discussion is irrelevant to the greater topic: How did a developer / team buck the trend of a series, buck the trend of a generation, and place their gameplay / game so far ahead of its time?
Unless Mikami and co. discuss why their technique worked so well, we may never know. But I have some theories that are relevant to Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, and other developers who are looking to reinvent franchises:
1. Don't give the time of day to history. History serves to guide us on what worked in the past, but it does not clarify that the past is relevant to the present or to the future.
2. In successive iterations of franchises that are multiple generations old, cling only to the aspects of games that were integral to making those games an enjoyable experience. To any true game designer, those things should be plainly obvious. If something is traditional, rather than necessary, it should likely be discarded in favor of necessary and modern things.
3. Make the game until it is fun for you yourself to play. Resident Evil 4 went through many iterations, all of which looked crazy compared with the series history. Its final iteration, however, was so far ahead of its time and so much fun -- you couldn't put it down. It bore no resemblance to the past, and yet it felt so right. If I recall, it was developed spanning half of each of 2 generations. Perhaps the business of making games doesn't like things like that -- but as gamers and artists, those who are in this industry ought to prefer an artistic outcome over an insanely profitable one. And Resident Evil 4, to me, is like a perfect mosaic not painted since the likes of Ocarina of Time...and one not painted since.
These are the best things I can come up with as explanations of Resident Evil 4 as a phenomena. Still, after having played the game 10+ times, and way overthinking it -- the mystery of its success as an output still baffles me to some extent.
Anyone on GAF have any thoughts?
But why did this title absolutely destroy the trajectory on which the Resident Evil series traveled? Why is it this title that shines above the rest as a potential climax of its respective generation?
We can talk about Resident Evil 4 as it fits within the context of the series. But that discussion is irrelevant to the greater topic: How did a developer / team buck the trend of a series, buck the trend of a generation, and place their gameplay / game so far ahead of its time?
Unless Mikami and co. discuss why their technique worked so well, we may never know. But I have some theories that are relevant to Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, and other developers who are looking to reinvent franchises:
1. Don't give the time of day to history. History serves to guide us on what worked in the past, but it does not clarify that the past is relevant to the present or to the future.
2. In successive iterations of franchises that are multiple generations old, cling only to the aspects of games that were integral to making those games an enjoyable experience. To any true game designer, those things should be plainly obvious. If something is traditional, rather than necessary, it should likely be discarded in favor of necessary and modern things.
3. Make the game until it is fun for you yourself to play. Resident Evil 4 went through many iterations, all of which looked crazy compared with the series history. Its final iteration, however, was so far ahead of its time and so much fun -- you couldn't put it down. It bore no resemblance to the past, and yet it felt so right. If I recall, it was developed spanning half of each of 2 generations. Perhaps the business of making games doesn't like things like that -- but as gamers and artists, those who are in this industry ought to prefer an artistic outcome over an insanely profitable one. And Resident Evil 4, to me, is like a perfect mosaic not painted since the likes of Ocarina of Time...and one not painted since.
These are the best things I can come up with as explanations of Resident Evil 4 as a phenomena. Still, after having played the game 10+ times, and way overthinking it -- the mystery of its success as an output still baffles me to some extent.
Anyone on GAF have any thoughts?
