Resident Evil 4: Ultimate Hi-Res Screens

At last... those jaw-dropping Resident Evil 4 screens are here in glorious hi-res (in the 'regular 640' sense). You must see these.

It looks like Resident Evil 4 will be a real show stopper at E3 this year. Shinji Mikami's biggest project to date has received high praise from all those who've seen it, and judging by these latest official (phew) screens, it's not hard to see why.

These images had previously only been around as scans from an embargo-shattering magazine piece, but now you can see them as they were supposed to look. Which, for those who are stupid, is utterly astounding.

These GameCube-powered shots offer clearly the best visuals ever seen on the machine - but according to insiders, it's not just the visuals that will blow gamers away.

The game is set in 2004, six years after Resident Evil 2, and the Umbrealla Corporation is no more. The main character, Leon, is a special agent who must protect the president's daughter, but it all goes horribly wrong when she's kidnapped. After tracking her to a small village in South America, Leon is faced not with traditional RE zombies, but by more human-looking voodoo zombies.

One of the new gameplay additions is the choice of three perspectives - first-person, close range third-person, and raised third-person.

The control system is similar to previous instalments, with the right trigger used to aim and button A to fire - but the addition of a new action button enables Leon to attack, pick up items and so on. Irritating door animations have been dumped and the environments are more interactive.

As well as the voodoo zombies, Leon must face a range of non-human-like creatures, including some particularly gruesome bosses. The game's AI system is said to be much improved, making for more challenging opponents.

A full unveiling is expected soon, with a playable version at E3 and a release towards the end of the year, possibly early next year. Stay tuned for all the latest and click here for more on the game.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com

Click here for additional new screens