Resident Evil 4 Redux

Resident Evil 4 for the Nintendo Gamecube is, in my opinion, the best game of the year so far. Personally, I don’t care what else is planned down the line, it would have to take a very special game to replace RE4 in my heart. As such, I’ve played this game through at least six times, and I feel it’s time to start adding a few twists to how I play.

One Shot, One Kill – Get the sniper rifle ASAP. From this point on, as long as you have the ammo, you are only allowed one shot to kill the villagers or monks. Aim for the head!

Speed Run – How fast can you beat the game? (ESPECIALLY if you equip the Chicago Typewriter weapon…)

Hunting Season – How many different kinds of animals can you kill? Birds, wolves, snakes, fish, dogs, a spider or two, and a whole lot more. Gotta kill ‘em all!

Merchant? What Merchant? – You are not allowed to purchase anything from the merchant. You are only allowed to use whatever you find. This means no upgrades, no first aid sprays, nothing. (Exception: You ARE allowed to buy the sniper rifle, but only once you reach the base near the end in order to kill the Regenerators.) To resist temptation, just shoot the guy when you see him. Good luck!

Beware My Knife – You’re only allowed to use the knife, at least on non-boss enemies. Can you beat the game this way?

Kill Ashley – How many ways can you think of to kill Ashley? It’s hard to shoot her since she actually has a brain and can duck out of the way, so you have to be creative. One of my favorites is to have her stand underneath one of those exploding lamps and then let the lamp have it. BOOM!

Target Practice – There are lots of things in RE4 that you can destroy. Barrels, windows, boxes, lamps, etc. How much destruction can you create?

Eyes in the Back of Your Head – Here’s something completely different (and nearly impossible). As soon as you enter an area, immediately turn around and walk BACKWARDS through it. If an enemy approaches you, you have to wait until he/she/it appears in front of you. You are NOT allowed to turn around, but you can walk around, as long as it’s backwards. How far can you get?

Endurance Mode – You are not allowed to heal. How far into the game can you go?

Extreme Endurance Mode – You are not allowed to save the game or even pause it. In fact, if your hands leave the controller for ANY reason (answering the phone, going to the bathroom, going to work, etc.) the challenge is over. How long can you endure?

Suicidal Tendencies – Leon can be killed in several different ways. He can be eaten by the villagers, can have his head taken off by a chainsaw, blown up by exploding barrels, sliced in half by lasers, and so on. How many different ways can you kill yourself? (Hint: When you reach the pier with the motorboat, shoot into the water. Whee!)

Hope you’ve found some of those gameplay methods interesting and/or entertaining, and stay tuned for next time when I drag another tired old game out of the closet and examine it in ways no one else has before. I’m always open to game suggestions!