Mission Accomplished: Resident Evil 4 conquered...finally!

As you may remember from a previous blog, I was hot and heavy into the Wii version of the video game, Resident Evil 4. Well, after many nights of traveling from one horrifying level to another, I finally finished RE4 a few nights ago.

I found that the further I got toward the final chapter of the game, the more difficult the levels became. I ended up taking a rollercoaster ride in a abandoned mine with murderous Ganados and chainsaw-slinging manaics hopping aboard my mine-cart for close-contact warfare, fighting two El Gigantes in one cramped arena, and navigating a hedge maze full of rabid parasitic wolves. And then there was a frantic journey through an abandoned laboratory facility where I had to conquer several "iron maidens", horrifying gray-fleshed mutants that released long spikes like porcupine quills when you came close to them. One of the most difficult levels I encountered had me battling a half-man, half-crab mutant in a hanging cage called "the playground". If you reached the end of the playground and swung to a nearby ledge, believing that the hanging cage and its inhabitant had fallen into a bottomless abyss... surprise, the next level has the further mutated man-crab chasing you mercilessly through a tunneled cave. This mutant was nearly impossible to defeat, but, after two dozen attempts, I finally took the monster down with a magnum pistol and a rocket launcher.

Finally I came to the ending scenes. I encountered the mercenary Krauser, discovered that he, too, possessed the parasite, but eventually defeated him before the entire battle arena exploded. Then came the grande finale. The head honcho, Saddler, changed into a hulking scorpion/spider monstrosity with eyeballs on the joints of its elbows and knees. The key to weakening this almost undefeatable abomination was shooting the eyeballs and then leaping upon Saddler's back and stabbing the main eyeball. At one point, when Saddler is weakened sufficiently, the mysterious Ada Wong appears and throws you down a rocket launcher to take the monster out. After that, Ada reveals that she has rigged the entire island with explosives and that you have under two minutes to escape. You grab the President's daughter, Ashley, hop aboard a jet ski and have to transverse a maze of hazards in an underwater cave before escaping to the open sea and freedom.

When I had finally reached the end of the last level, I checked the Wii player's log and found that I had spent a whopping 41 hours, 23 minutes, and 55 seconds on Resident Evil 4. Now I am considering tackling the game again on the professional level. But I think I'll give it a few months before I give it another go.

I did discover one thing about playing such a high-tension game. You almost become addicted to the adrenalin rush that it produces. And when the game is over, the desire to feel that rush almost sends you into pangs of withdrawal, like a junkie without a fix.

Again, if you are a horror fan and a video game player, I highly recommend this game. It combines both worlds into one exciting, action-packed experience. The story is first-rate and the graphics have to be seen to be believed. If you own a Playstation 2, X-Box, or Wii, I suggest you snag yourself a copy and give it a try.