Pros: just about everything
Cons: getting comfortable with the new controls
The bottom line: Resident Evil 4 is the best Gamecube game I've ever played! And it's one of the best PS2 games of 2005!
Story
The game's protagonist, Leon Kennedy, is a government agent on a mission to rescue the President’s daughter. She’s been kidnapped and taken to a village somewhere in Europe. Leon soon discovers that the village and accompanying countrysides are filled with hostile townspeople, strange structures, and blood thirsty creatures.

Gameplay
The gameplay revolves around Leon exploring roads, houses, and other buildings. However, traveling won’t be as easy as entering and leaving a room. You’ll have to do a bit of searching for keys and tools in order to open doors. Then there’s the whole thing about villagers chasing you and trying to kill you (damn, what drugs are they on?). You’ll have to dodge flying objects, kill anything that moves, and run for your life. But to alleviate some of the stressful run-ins with the locals, you’ll come across a few puzzles that involve moving boxes, shooting objects, and flipping switches. No big worries though, there’s nothing that leaves you hanging for hours and backtracking is kept to a minimum.

Now this wouldn’t be a Resident Evil adventure if there wasn’t a wide assortment of weapons. You first start out with a handgun and make your way from there. Leon can break wooden barrels and search areas for ammo, valuable treasures, grenades, healing items, and money. Money? Yes, along the way there are “pleasant” merchants that buy/sell guns and other items. Weapons for sale include shotguns, rifles, machine guns, modified handguns, and rocket launchers. And as if your selection of weapons wasn’t rewarding enough, there’s an extremely effective upgrade feature. These tune-ups increase the firing rate, reload speed, bullet capacity, and power of your guns.

New Action Sequences
What really sets RE4 apart from its early incarnations are the Action Button moves/sequences. In certain situations, Leon is able to hop over small fences, jump out of windows, pick up ladders, and perform a handful of other useful techniques. If he’s trapped inside a house and faced with outside opposition, he can push a bookshelf against a window to block intruders. There are also moments in the game where button icons flash across the screen and you must press the corresponding buttons in order to escape danger. Another great aspect of RE4 is that it moves along at a great pace. For one thing, there is a detailed map that displays your destinations, merchants, and save points. Speaking of save points, you no longer need to find and carry ribbons to save your game, and the inclusion of well-placed checkpoints provide even more comfort.

Controls & Camera
Survival horror games have had a tradition of supplying clunky controls and unresponsive character movements. Capcom finally decided to change the control and camera setup. They’ve implemented an interesting third person view. A fixed camera hovers closely over Leon’s shoulder and from there he can perform various actions. Holding the R button raises his gun and allows him to aim using a red laser sight. The new targeting system gives you total control of what you’re shooting at; firing at an enemy’s head inflicts major damage while leg shots bring them to the floor in a matter of seconds. Shooting barrels and oil lamps will also cause damage to anything nearby. In the end, it’s a pretty cool control setup once you get the hang of things.

Graphics
*Gamecube
RE4’s graphics are miles ahead of anything on the console market. The opening cut-scenes and first steps in the woods will play tricks with your eyes. Everything looks so vivid and detailed. Outdoor scenery contains muddy roads, swaying trees, and rundown structures. Indoor details are equally impressive: aging wooden walls, antique furniture, moving curtains, and leaking ceilings paint a realistic world. Animations for both the enemies and Leon are exceptional. Enemies possess various physical characteristics and react differently depending on where they’ve been shot. Cut-scenes are well-directed and contain superb action sequences. Lastly, the violence! RE4 has gained the top honors for being the most violent game in the series. Blood splatters just about everywhere and there are some gruesome decapitation scenes.

*Playstation 2
The Gamecube’s visuals are a bit sharper and vibrant. The PS2 version’s textures are toned down and in some parts things look a bit blurry. Nonetheless, this is one of the best looking PS2 games. Load times are good and the overall presentation is identical to the GC version.

Sound
A solid soundtrack and immersive sound effects seem to be the norm for all games in the series, and RE4 holds true to that statement. Music plays mostly the ambient roll but picks up when necessary. A loud, distorted song will play when surrounded by villagers, while a softer piece will kick in when roaming isolated hallways. Sound effects complement the dark and ominous soundtrack. Moving branches, howling winds, creaky doors, and devastating explosions fall perfectly into place. Lastly, the cut-scene acting is solid and villager voices give the game an even creepier and mysterious atmosphere.

Playstation 2 Extras
Once you’ve completed the game, you’ll be awarded with a couple new things. The most notable feature is Separate Ways. This side story features Ada Wong. She has her own missions and visits many places from the main game. However, there are new cut-scenes, story info, weapons, and new areas to explore. All in all, it’s a cool extra that provides 4-5 hours of additional play. Aside from that, the PS2 version offers a movie browser, two new costumes, and a new gun that can be purchased once the game is completed on the Pro setting.

Overall
RE4 is unlike anything you’ll find on the Gamecube or Playstation 2. It’s got a deep story, intense gamplay, and amazing graphics. Playtime easily hits the 20 hour mark, and once that’s done some extra modes supply even more action. Anyway, there’s no way a fan of the series or genre should miss out on this title.