Analisis de Resident Evil 4 desde la perspectiva Cristiana.

APPROPRIATENESS ISSUES:
Violence:

If you’re reading this review, chances are you probably already know the game is a veritable gorefest. Most any wound inflicted in the game results in a spattering of blood, and oftentimes the wounds will linger. Leon will gun down several hundred enemies during the course of the game, and in turn will be crushed, cleaved, ingested (yes, ingested), or gunned down several times himself. Several locations look like veritable morgues, with bloody bodies in piles or in some sort of unsettling post-execution position. While the dead on display are not as rampant as, say, Diablo, there is still a lot of death to be seen here, leaving little doubt about the “survival horror” classification of this game.

Language:

Although the box itself does not indicate it, there are a few stronger profanities in RE4, and there are several mild profanities scattered throughout the game. There isn’t a lot of language in the game, but the language that is there is a little stronger than what you see in most video games.

Occult Themes:

A religious cult with monastic trappings is at the center of this game’s plot, and although this cult is never associated with Christianity, it is apparent that the developers borrowed some Christian conventions in designing the group. The cult’s followers can often be heard from afar muttering Gregorian-like chants, and these religious zealots will infrequently employ some of the jargon of Christianity, including references to sin and atonement. No less disturbing is the sadistic bent of the cult’s members, who are sometimes involved in bloody rituals within the confines of medieval-style chapels. That being said, the primary angle of this game is scientific rather than paranormal, and there is nary a zombie, ghoul, or other supernatural creature to be found.

Sexuality:

There are one or two suggestive comments by certain characters toward Ashley, the President’s daughter. A second female character in the game is a little on the underdressed side and makes a couple of suggestive poses.

Moral/Ethical Issues:

Resident Evil 4 doesn’t present any dialogue trees and offers limited moral options for the main character. To be sure, Leon is an honorable and determined protagonist. His charge to save the President’s daughter, likewise, is a prime example of self-sacrifice and courage in the face of evil. At the same time, the bare fact that Leon is forced to kill hundreds of humans, with no other alternative course of action, lends itself to a few ethical questions. Notwithstanding the fact that RE4 is a survival horror game – a genre which, by definition, revolves around a kill-or-be-killed theme – the lack of any “stun” moves (such as those in Deus Ex) or dialogue trees (such as those as in KOTOR) to avoid bloodshed is nevertheless a notable omission.

Closing Comments:

From a secular standpoint, this is the magnum opus of survival horror games. Fans of Nintendo, in particular, will no doubt be flush with joy over the critical success of a game that will be a GameCube exclusive for most of 2005, and it is not out of the realm of reason that many such fans will remember this as the best game ever on the Cube. That is an easy case to make – the production values on this game are as good as they come. This is Metal Gear Solid meets Resident Evil with a bit of Metroid Prime thrown in, and the results are predictably spectacular.

From a Christian perspective, there are elements to this game that are unavoidably troublesome. As a 27 year-old Christian man, I struggled some as to whether or not to purchase a game with this level of gratuitous gore and violence, to say nothing of the disturbing creatures and images that permeate the game. Circumstances, however, allowed me to borrow the game from someone else and play it through. Even now I have seriously mixed emotions about whether or not I would be willing to buy this game for my own library. Resident Evil 4 is definitely a game that is better-suited for an adult audience… and even some older Christian gamers may also find this game to be more than they’re comfortable with. Those who are uncertain about whether or not to get it might want to rent it first.

Final Ratings:

Game Play: 10/10
Graphics: 10 /10
Sound: 10/10
Control: 9/10
Longevity: 9/10
GAMING TOTAL: 48/50

Violence: 3/10
Language: 6/10
Occult Themes: 6/10
Sexuality: 7/10
Moral/Ethical Issues: 7/10
APPROPRIATENESS TOTAL: 29/50

Overall Score: 77%