Resident Evil 4 is a 2005 survival horror game created and released by Capcom for the GameCube. Players control Leon S. Kennedy, a special agent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the daughter of the president of the United States, who has been taken by a religious group in rural Spain. Leon battles many enemies infected by a parasite that controls their minds and teams up with Ada Wong, a female spy and mercenary. Unlike earlier Resident Evil games, which used fixed camera angles and slower gameplay, Resident Evil 4 includes a camera that moves with the action and focuses on fast-paced, action-oriented horror gameplay.
Development for the game started in 1999 for the PlayStation 2. Four early versions were canceled. The first was directed by Hideki Kamiya, but the game’s creator, Shinji Mikami, believed it was too different from the Resident Evil series, so it became the separate game Devil May Cry (2001). Other versions were also canceled until Mikami took charge as director. Resident Evil 4 was introduced as part of the Capcom Five, a partnership between Capcom and Nintendo to make five exclusive games for the GameCube.
The game received praise for its story, gameplay, graphics, voice acting, and characters. It is considered one of the best video games, winning several Game of the Year awards. It was released on many platforms and became a popular game worldwide, selling 15.2 million copies by March 2025. The game influenced the survival horror and third-person action genres, helping to popularize the "over-the-shoulder" third-person view used in games like Gears of War, Dead Space, and The Last of Us. Resident Evil 5 was released in 2009, and a remake of Resident Evil 4 was released in 2023.
Gameplay
The player controls Leon S. Kennedy from a third-person perspective, meaning the action is viewed from a distance, not through Leon's eyes. This game changes from earlier games in the series by focusing more on fighting and shooting. The camera is positioned behind Leon and changes to an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon, or a first-person view when using a sniper rifle. There is no crosshair for firearms; instead, each weapon has a laser sight. Unlike earlier games, where players could only shoot straight, up, or down, players now have more choices. For example, shooting an enemy's feet can make them stumble, and shooting their arms can cause them to drop their weapons. Players can also shoot down thrown objects like axes or scythes.
Resident Evil 4 includes context-sensitive controls, meaning players can perform actions based on the situation. These actions include kicking down ladders, jumping out of windows, dodging attacks, or using a "finishing move" on weakened enemies. Quick time events are also included, where players must press buttons shown on-screen to perform actions, such as dodging a falling boulder or wrestling an enemy to survive. These events are often used during boss fights, where players must avoid attacks that can instantly kill them.
The main enemies are violent villagers called Los Ganados, which means "The Cattle" in Spanish. These enemies can dodge, use melee and projectile weapons, and work together. Originally simple farmers, they became infected by a parasite called Las Plagas, which means "The Plague" in Spanish. This infection allows them to grow mutated parasites from their heads.
The inventory system uses a grid layout, shown as an attaché case. Each item takes up a specific number of spaces in the case. The case can be upgraded to hold more items. Weapons, bullets, and healing items are stored in the case, while key items and treasures are kept in a separate menu. Players can buy and sell items to a merchant who appears in different locations. The merchant sells first aid sprays, weapons, allows weapons to be upgraded, and buys treasures Leon finds. Each weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Capcom added extra content for the PlayStation 2 version, which was later added to the PC and Wii versions. The largest addition is "Separate Ways," a side story that explains Ada Wong's role in Resident Evil 4 and her connection to the series' villain, Albert Wesker. "Ada's Report," a five-part documentary, examines Ada's relationship with Wesker and his role in the story. Other unlockable content in all versions includes the minigame "The Mercenaries," a short scenario called "Assignment Ada" (where Ada retrieves parasite samples), new costumes for Leon and Ashley, new weapons, and a cutscene browser.
Plot
In 2004, U.S. government agent Leon S. Kennedy (Paul Mercier) is sent on a mission to save Ashley Graham (Carolyn Lawrence), the daughter of the U.S. President, who has been kidnapped by a secret group. Leon travels to a small village in Spain, where he meets villagers who have joined a group called Los Iluminados, the same group that took Ashley. These villagers were once farmers, but they were infected by a parasite called Las Plagas, which controls their minds.
While in the village, Leon is captured by Bitores Mendez, the leader of the village, and injected with Las Plagas. He is held with Luis Sera (Rino Romano), a former police officer from Madrid and a former researcher for Los Iluminados. The two work together to escape but later go their separate ways. Leon learns that Ashley is being held in a church and rescues her. After escaping the church, they learn that Osmund Saddler (Michael Gough), the leader of the cult, plans to use the parasite in Ashley’s body to make her inject the U.S. President with a sample, allowing Saddler to take control of the world.
Leon and Ashley fight many villagers, including Mendez, during a violent battle. They try to find safety in a castle but are attacked by more members of Los Iluminados led by Ramon Salazar (Rene Mujica), who owns the castle. Leon and Ashley are separated by traps set by Salazar. Meanwhile, Luis searches for medicine to slow the effects of the parasite and a sample of Las Plagas. He gives these items to Leon but is killed by Saddler, who takes the sample. The medicine remains with Leon. During his time in the castle, Leon meets Ada Wong (Sally Cahill), a woman from his past who helps him during his mission but also works to recover a sample of Las Plagas for her employer, a rival of a company called Umbrella. Leon fights through the castle and defeats Salazar.
After leaving the village, Leon goes to a nearby island research facility to find Ashley. He discovers that Jack Krauser (Jim Ward), a former training partner who was thought to have died in a helicopter crash two years earlier, is responsible for Ashley’s kidnapping. Krauser wants to get close to Saddler to steal a new sample of Las Plagas. Ada and Krauser are working with Albert Wesker (Richard Waugh), who wants to obtain a sample of Las Plagas. Krauser is unsure of Ada’s true intentions. Saddler orders Krauser to kill Leon, believing he will benefit no matter who dies. After defeating Krauser, Leon rescues Ashley. They use a special device to remove the parasite from their bodies. Leon fights Saddler, and with Ada’s help, he kills him. However, Ada takes the sample from Leon and escapes in a helicopter sent by her employer. Leon and Ashley leave the island on a Jet Ski as it explodes.
Development
In 1999, producer Shinji Mikami said a new Resident Evil game was being made for the PlayStation 2. Resident Evil 4 took a long time to create, and four different versions were not used. The first version was directed by Hideki Kamiya. Around the year 2000, Noboru Sugimura, the writer of Resident Evil 2, created a story based on Kamiya’s idea to make a game that was "cool" and "stylish." The story focused on solving the mystery of Tony, a powerful man with abilities explained through science. Kamiya thought the character looked too weak in battles from a fixed angle, so he decided to use a moving camera system instead of pre-made backgrounds. The team traveled to the United Kingdom and Spain for 11 days to take photos of objects like statues, bricks, and stone paths to use in the game’s textures.
Although the developers tried to include the "coolness" theme, Mikami felt it moved too far from the survival horror style of Resident Evil. He convinced the team to make a different game, which became Devil May Cry. This game was released for the PlayStation 2 in August 2001.
Development on Resident Evil 4 began again in late 2001. The first announcement was made in November 2002, when it was one of five games made only for the GameCube by Capcom Production Studio 4, known as the Capcom Five. This version, called the "fog version," was directed by Hiroshi Shibata and was about 40% complete. The story followed Leon S. Kennedy as he tried to survive after entering a castle-like building owned by Umbrella in Europe. Traditional Resident Evil monsters like zombies appeared. Leon later became infected with the Progenitor Virus and gained a hidden power in his left hand. At this time, Ashley was not in the game, but a different girl was included. The game also had some first-person gameplay.
The story of the Progenitor Virus was later explained in Resident Evil 5 (2009). The Spencer Estate, a location from Resident Evil 5’s downloadable content, was inspired by the events of Resident Evil 4.
At E3 2003, Capcom showed a different version of the game. Mikami said development was going well and claimed the game was scarier than ever. The story was set in a haunted building where Leon caught a strange disease and fought enemies like animated armor, dolls, and a ghost with a hook. The game had a strange, dreamlike feel with flashing lights and shaking cameras. It also included gameplay features like the over-the-shoulder camera and quick-time events, which later appeared in the final version.
The "Hook Man" version had a basic story idea and dropped the previous plan by Noboru Sugimura. In 2012, Yasuhisa Kawamura, the writer of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, said he created this version to make the game scarier. He used an idea from the movie Lost Souls, where a character is trapped in a building with a killer. He later apologized for this version being scrapped. After this, the team tried using classic zombies again, but this version was canceled before being shown to the public.
A short clip of this version was included on a Japanese pre-order bonus DVD called Biohazard 4 Secret DVD, released in January 2005. This version was named Maboroshi no Biohazard 4 ("The Phantom Biohazard 4").
The team decided to completely change the game. Mikami took over from Shibata and worked on the final version. Mikami said he changed the gameplay system because the older style felt too similar to previous games like Resident Evil Zero. He said he only felt nervous once when testing the new system. Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said the team was tired of the same style and some members left to work on other projects. He also said the old format felt like "shackles" holding them back.
Some team members were upset about the changes and felt discouraged when the game shifted to focus more on action. Mikami explained his ideas and wrote a new story that did not center on the Umbrella company. He finished the story in three weeks. Inspired by Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, he placed the camera behind the player. New enemies called "Ganado" were created instead of using undead creatures from earlier games. Characters from previous games were also redesigned. Hideki Kamiya said he wanted Leon Kennedy to look stronger and more stylish.
Kobayashi designed enemies like the Regenerators, which are byproducts of experiments by a group called Los Iluminados. These creatures breathe heavily before appearing, alerting players to their presence. They move slowly and regenerate unless players use an infrared scope to find and destroy the Plaga parasites inside them. Mikami said these enemies helped keep the survival horror feel of the game by balancing fear and challenge.
Voice actors recorded their parts in four sessions over three to four months. Shinsaku Ohara translated and coordinated the voice work. Carolyn Lawrence, who voiced Ashley Graham, said her character was "vulnerable" because Leon often had to save her. She also described Leon as more strong than clever. The game’s designer detailed each cinematic scene for the final version.
Release
The original version of the GameCube had two collector's editions. The first was available for pre-order and included the game, a Prologue art book, and a T-shirt. GameStop sold another limited edition in a tin box with the art book, a cel of Leon, and a soundtrack CD. Australia received an exclusive collector's edition that included the game and a bonus disc with interviews and creator footage. Nintendo managed marketing, sales, and distribution in Europe and Australia.
Resident Evil 4 was later released for the PlayStation 2 after Capcom said it was not part of an exclusivity deal with Nintendo. It was released in North America on October 25, 2005. A new scenario called "Separate Ways" was added, written by Haruo Murata. Producer Masachika Kawata explained that the "Separate Ways" campaign was created by the PS2 porting team and approved by Shinji Mikami. The PlayStation 2 version had two pre-order bundles: a standard package with the game and a T-shirt, and a collector's bundle that also included a Leon figurine and the Biohazard Sound Chronicle Best Track Box. This sold quickly, and a second version was released with an Ada figurine. Another version, called the Resident Evil 4: Premium Edition, came in a SteelBook case with the art book, a documentary DVD, and a cel of Ada.
A PC version of Resident Evil 4, developed by Sourcenext, was released in Hong Kong on February 1, 2007, by Typhoon Games. It was later released in Europe, North America, and Australia in March 2007 by Ubisoft. This version included bonus features from the PS2 edition, such as "Separate Ways," the P.R.L. 412 laser cannon, extra unlockable costumes, and an Easy difficulty level. It also supported multiple widescreen resolutions. A patch called Version 1.10 fixed shadow and lighting issues.
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition was released for the Wii on May 31, 2007, in Japan and June 19, 2007, in the United States. It used the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for pointing and motion controls, though the GameCube controller and Classic Controller were also supported. The Wii Remote could aim and shoot anywhere on the screen with a reticle instead of a laser sight, and motion gestures were used for actions like dodging or slashing. This version included extra content from the PS2 and PC editions, as well as a trailer for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. It became available for download on the Wii U's Nintendo eShop in Europe on October 29, 2015.
Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition was released in Japan for au's BREW 4.0 on February 1, 2008, after being announced at TGS 2007. The story was divided into sections like "Village," "Ravine," "Fortress," and "Subterranean Tunnel" instead of being continuous. It also included a more challenging Mercenary Mode. The game used the MascotCapsule eruption engine and was adapted for the Zeebo and iOS platforms. On July 13, 2009, Capcom released the mobile version for iOS in Japan but quickly removed it. Some players still managed to download it. Later, Capcom released a version called Resident Evil 4 for Beginners, which included only the first two levels (plus a training level) of Story Mode and Mercenary Mode, with the rest available as downloadable content. Due to the iPad's release, Capcom updated the iPhone version to HD graphics as Resident Evil 4: iPad Edition.
On March 23, 2011, Capcom announced high-definition (HD) remastered versions of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 4 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as part of the Resident Evil: Revival Selection series. These versions included all bonus content from earlier releases, such as "Separate Ways." On July 23, 2011, Capcom announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2011 that Resident Evil 4 would be released on September 20 for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Games on Demand. In Japan, both games were released on a single disc as Biohazard Revival Selection on September 8, 2011. In North America and Europe, they were only available as downloads. On February 27, 2014, Capcom released Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition for Windows, featuring improved graphics. Resident Evil 4 was later rereleased on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 30, 2016. It was also released on Android in April 2013, with Samsung's Galaxy Store as the exclusive platform outside Japan. In October 2018, Capcom announced that Resident Evil 4 would be released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019, along with Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero.
In October 2021, Capcom released a virtual reality (VR) version of Resident Evil 4 for the Oculus Quest 2, developed by Armature Studio. Changes were made to accommodate VR, including updates to combat and inventory management. This version, built on Unreal Engine 4, had redesigned textures with higher resolution. Some in-game animations, dialogue, and flirtatious interactions were removed to update the game for modern audiences. This version did not include "Separate Ways" or "Assignment: Ada."
The Biohazard 4 Original Soundtrack was released in Japan on December 22, 2005. It included 62 compositions from the game and a 48-page Visual Booklet with liner notes from composers Shusaku Uchiyama and Misao Senbongi. Other merchandise included figures by McFarlane Toys, NECA, and Hot Toys. Agatsuma Entertainment created miniature collectibles based on characters and enemies from the game. NubyTech designed two special controllers shaped like chainsaws for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions.
Reception
The GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions of Resident Evil 4 received a score of 96 out of 100 on Metacritic, showing that most people loved the game. These versions were ranked highest on Metacritic’s list of the top video games in 2005. Critics praised the gameplay, characters, and story, calling the game one of the best ever made. GameSpot’s Greg Kasavin liked the voice acting but said some dialogue was silly. Yahoo! Games’ Adam Pavlacka and GameSpot’s Kevin VanOrd said Capcom added many details to the characters. IGN’s Matt Casamassina praised the character designs, fight scenes, and movie-like scenes. He also said the voice actors, especially Paul Mercier (who played Leon), did a great job, making the characters believable. IGN and Nintendo Power specifically highlighted the character design and voice acting. Gaming publications like GamePro and Game Over Online praised the variety of weapons. The G4 TV show X-Play gave the game a 5 out of 5, saying it introduced new gameplay styles and let players interact with movie-like scenes. Soon after, it was called the best game ever reviewed on the show. Developers added new ideas about using and storing weapons. Game Over said players could aim for enemies’ heads. Game Informer said the game had more bullets than other games in the series, making it more action-focused.
The PC version and the Ultimate HD Edition received lower scores than the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions. The original PC version had problems, like no mouse support, hard-to-use keyboard controls, low-quality movie scenes, and graphics that looked broken or unclear. Despite these issues, critics like IGN and GameSpot praised the gameplay, character designs, and sound. GameRevolution called the Ultimate HD Edition a basic version of a great game, saying it had only small changes compared to the 2007 PC version. It said the true "Ultimate Edition" is the Wii version. Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the Wii version a score of 38 out of 40, with two editors giving it a perfect 10 and the others giving it a 9. They said the new controls added something fresh. Many reviewers said even people who owned the original version would enjoy the Wii version. British magazine NGamer gave the Wii version 96%, slightly lower than the 97% for the GameCube version. They praised the visuals, controls, and features but said the Wii controls were not as special as the GameCube version. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Wii version 94%, 3% less than the original, because it did not feel as impactful. In 2009, Nintendo Power ranked the game 9th on a list of the greatest Nintendo games of all time. IGN said the Wii version was the best edition but did not use the Wii’s features as much as the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions. GameSpot praised the Wii controls but said there were no exclusive features for the Wii. Hyper’s Jonti Davies said the Wii version had better visuals but no new content. The PlayStation 3 version of Resident Evil 4 HD received a 9.0 from Destructoid, calling it "a hallmark of excellence." In 2013, Edge gave it a perfect score of 10.
Resident Evil 4 was named Game of the Year by many publications, including Edge, Electronic Gaming Monthly, GameTrailers, Game Informer, GamePro, GameRevolution, the Chicago Tribune, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was also listed as one of the best games of 2005 by outlets like Play, the Associated Press, Universal Press Syndicate, The Mercury News, Maxim, Sound & Vision, The News Tribune, the Hartford Courant, and The Oregonian. GameSpy called it the best GameCube game of the year, the second-best PlayStation 2 game (after God of War), and the second-best overall game (after Civilization IV). PlayStation Magazine also called it the second-best game of the year, best graphics, and most improved sequel.
At GameSpot’s Best of 2005 Awards, Resident Evil 4 won Game of the Year, Best GameCube Game, Best Action Adventure Game, and Most Improved Sequel. At IGN’s awards, it won Game of the Year, Best Action Game, Best Graphics Technology, Best Artistic Design, Best Original Score, and Best Use of Sound in the GameCube category. It also won the Overall – Best Graphics Technology award and was a runner-up in the Overall – Game of the Year and Overall – Best Action Game categories. 1UP Awards named it Game of the Year and Best Action Game. It won Game of the Year 2005, Best Horror Game of the Year 2005, GameCube Game of the Year 2005, and GameCube Action Game of the Year 2005 at GameZone’s awards. It was also a runner-up for PlayStation 2 Game of the Year 2005 and PlayStation 2 Action Game of the Year 2005. Nintendo Power gave it Game of the Year, Best Adventure Game, Best GameCube Game, Best GameCube Graphics, and Best Sound/Voice Acting. At Nintendojo’s awards, it was a runner-up for Best Gameplay Innovation and Most Engrossing Game. It won Best Game, Best GameCube Visuals, Best GameCube Gameplay, and Best GameCube Overall. At the PALGN Awards, it won Action Game of the Year, GameCube Game of the Year, and Overall Game of the Year for 2005. It was a runner-up for PlayStation 2 Game of the Year for 2005.
The virtual reality version of Resident Evil 4 won VR/AR Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2021 and XR Game of the Year at the SXSW Gaming Awards. It also won Best AR/VR Game and Best Remake at the 11th New York Game Awards. It was nominated for Immersive Reality Game of the Year and Immersive Reality Technical Achievement at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
The GameCube version sold more than 320,000 copies in North America in the first 20 days. The European release sold all 200,000 copies in its
Legacy
Resident Evil 4 is considered one of the best video games of all time. It is listed in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die (2014). In 2005, Nintendo Power ranked it as the top GameCube game of all time. In 2010, they also ranked it second among the best games of the 2000s. In 2008, readers of IGN ranked it first in their list of the best video games of all time, and IGN staff ranked it sixth among the best PlayStation 2 games. In 2021, IGN ranked it 40th on their list of the best games of all time. In 2009, Game Informer ranked it first on their list of top GameCube games and third on their list of top PlayStation 2 games. In 2022, Complex magazine named it the tenth-best PlayStation 2 game. GamePro ranked it the second best game for the PS2. In 2010, readers of PlayStation Official Magazine voted it the 10th greatest PlayStation game. In 2007, Edge ranked it second on its list of top games of all time, behind only The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998). That same year, G4 named it the 21st top video game of all time, calling it "a modern horror masterpiece." In 2015, it placed 7th on USgamer's list of the 15 best games since 2000. In 2006, Nintendo Power ranked it second on their list of the Top 200 Games of all time, behind only The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In 2025, Rolling Stone named it the 27th-greatest game.
Resident Evil 4 is regarded as one of the most influential games of the 2000s. It changed the third-person shooter genre by using camera angles that do not block the action. These changes made the game more accessible to players who were not familiar with the series. The over-the-shoulder viewpoint became a standard feature in many action games, including Gears of War, Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), Dead Space, Grand Theft Auto, Ratchet & Clank, Fallout, Uncharted, Mass Effect, and The Last of Us. In 2019, Game Informer called Resident Evil 4 the most important third-person shooter and said it "innovated two genres," inspiring developers of both survival horror and shooter games.
Resident Evil 4 changed the survival horror genre by focusing on reflexes and precise aiming. This added elements from action games to the series. However, some reviewers said the series moved away from survival horror by changing the rules it had set before. Other survival horror games, like Silent Hill: Homecoming and the 2008 version of Alone in the Dark, also added more action to their combat systems. These changes show a trend in console games toward more intense action gameplay.
While working on The Last of Us, Naughty Dog used ideas from Resident Evil 4, especially the tension and action. Dead Space designers Ben Wanat and Wright Bagwell said their game was originally planned as System Shock 3, but Resident Evil 4 inspired them to change their plans. BioShock (2007) was also influenced by Resident Evil 4, including its use of environments, combat, tools, game design, and storytelling. Cory Barlog said Resident Evil 4 influenced the God of War series, including God of War II (2007) and God of War (2018). Uncharted director Bruce Straley said the Resident Evil 4 village sequence was the best opening fight in a video game.
Resident Evil Village (2021) was influenced by Resident Evil 4. The director said, "If Resident Evil 7 was like a reboot that inherited the DNA of the original Resident Evil, then this time we are doing the same for Resident Evil 4. We designed the game and its structure with Resident Evil 4's essence in mind."
VentureBeat credits Resident Evil 4 HD as an early example of HD video game remasters. A remake of Resident Evil 4 was released on March 24, 2023, on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and the Xbox Series X and Series S. The remake was also announced for the iPhone 15 Pro, to be released between late 2023 and early 2024.
In June 2021, photographer and author Judy Juracek started legal action against Capcom for allegedly using images from her book Surfaces: Visual Research for Artists, Architects, and Designers (1996) without her permission to create textures for games like Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry. The parties reached a settlement outside of court in February 2022. Capcom and Juracek resolved their dispute amicably. A dismissal was filed on February 7, 2022, with the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut to end the lawsuit.