History Videogame / ResidentEvil4

** Luis frequently refers to himself as knights rescuing and protecting the princess Ashley, and even (half) jokingly referred to his shotgun as his lance. Leon even [[spoiler: eulogizes him as a "Fine Knight" like the equally goofy but well-meaning and kind Don Quioxote, as he dies with his OneLastSmoke. ]]

* TheBait: Late in the game, [[spoiler:Ada attempts to fight Saddler]] to get his attention away from Leon while he rescues Ashley. This goes poorly [[spoiler:for her and Saddler, instead of killing her, ties her up hanging from some scaffolding]] to lure Leon out into a fight. Sure enough, just after [[spoiler:he's able to get Ada down, Saddler]] attacks Leon.

* InstantDeathBullet: Ashley and the Merchant can both be killed by accidentally grazing both or getting knifed once.

* KnifeFight: Leon's first encounter with his old buddy Krauser is a QTE-filled cutscene of the two exchancing words and attempts to shank each other.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Luis, former associate of Saddler's]], delivers some pills to Leon that will slow down the infection process of the plagas in Leon and Ashley right before getting shanked.
* ReformulatedGame: The mobile port on the Nokia N-Gage, Apple [=iOS=], Android, and Zeebo port features cutdown versions of certain areas of the game that are broken up into levels players can select from list, the Merchant is only seen before starting a level (and sells ammo and Green Herbs unlike the console/PC versions), fewer enemy variety and enemies attack in smaller groups, your attache case holds a number of "space" with items and weapons taking up an amount of "size" in your inventory (which can be made smaller by upgrading a weapon's "Size" stat), a redesigned HUD, all of the game's cutscenes were replaced with static images from the game with text (save for the opening and ending scenes), prices of weapons are cheaper than their console/PC counterparts, among many other changes to make the game fit on a mobile device and a low-end console hardware.

** The Gigante is nearly indestructible, but causing it significant injury forces the Plaga to expose itself as a reflex reaction to the pain. Destroying the Plaga kills the giant.

* PoseOfSupplication: Leon falls on his knees and hands if Ashley dies during gameplay.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Luis, former associate of Saddler's]], tries to deliver a sample of Las Plagas to Leon right before getting shanked.

** Subverted in Professional Mode. [[spoiler: If you kill the Merchant in Professional, (And don't have a full kit and a Handcannon, infinite launcher, or Chicago Typewriter, you might as well restart because he will not appear in any other location for the rest of the game.]]

** Mendez pulls this on Leon when you enter the warehouse where you fight him.

** The Dr. Salvadors. They are fairly uncommon, take alot of damage, can OneHitKill, and can be avoided most of the time, but taking one down nets you 10,000 pesetas.

* ParasiteZombie: The Ganados; although they revert to normal human behavior when an uninfested person isn't around-[[GlamourFailure except they don't find rotten food utterly revolting; nor do they bathe]]. They also ''worship'' the parasite.

* ReplayMode: After completing the game, an option is unlocked to replay the cutscenes. Those of Separate Ways are included when that mode is completed as well except for the report lores, which instead are accessed through an option known as Ada's Report.

* PaperCutting: In Chapter 2 of Separate Ways, Ada is seen lying on a sacrificial altar of some sort while some villagers speak an incantation. One villager, wielding a two-handed axe, then swings it to kill her, but she wakes up and vaults herself off the table. Although she escapes death, Ada receives a small cut on her thigh from the axe.

''[=RE4=]'' was announced in 2001 alongside [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake a remake]] of the original ''VideoGame/{{Resident Evil|1}}'' and the prequel ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil0 Resident Evil Zero]]'', forming a loose trilogy of sort (ports of the previous sequels were also released to help new fans familiarize themselves with the series). The game languished for a few years in DevelopmentHell, however, as a result of changes to the game's premise and staff (with one pitch [[DivorcedInstallment being spun off into]] ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''); Creator/ShinjiMikami's role also changed from producer to director. The game was finally released four years after its initial announcement, taking the series into a radically new direction.

''Resident Evil 4'' is the [[SequelNumberSnarl sixth]] main game in the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' franchise.

''[=RE4=]'' was announced in 2001 alongside [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake a remake]] of the original ''VideoGame/{{Resident Evil|1}}'' and the prequel ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil0 Resident Evil Zero]]'', forming a loose trilogy of sort (ports of the previous sequels were also released to help new fans familiarize themselves with the series). The game languished for a few years in DevelopmentHell, however, as a result of changes to the game's premise and staff; Creator/ShinjiMikami's role also changed from producer to director. The game was finally released four years after its initial announcement, taking the series into a radically new direction.

* ElevatorActionSequence: There's one elevator near the end of the castle. You are ambushed by groups of monks from above, and the best way to deal with these tightly-bunched groups of enemies is via shotgun.

** Half of the game. Fortunately, it's pretty endurable, all things considered. Ashley has decent AI (hiding behind you, ducking when you aim in her general direction, etc.), and there's usually a good place to stow her away in just about every map. The game also throws you a ''massive'' bone - the plot is structured such that you ''never'' have to protect Ashley during a boss fight.

* TooAwesomeToUse: The game has this with the Rocket Launcher, which is very powerful (can one-hit just about every boss in the game), but is still better to sell for cash and use that to upgrade one of your guns that gets more than one use. Downplayed because while they are very pricey, you can buy more of them from the Merchant, and [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity you're given the freebie Launcher shortly before entering a particularly difficult stretch of gameplay with a particularly difficult boss at the end of it]].

* TimedMission: The game actually makes fun of it with Leon, [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 who's dealt with such things before]], not being even remotely phased by the idea of having to escape a self-destruct system. Ashley ''is'' horrified, being a young girl and all:

* TooAwesomeToUse: The game has this with the Rocket Launcher, which is very powerful (can one-hit just about every boss in the game), but is still better to sell for cash and use that to upgrade one of your guns that gets more than one use.

* AntiRegeneration: The quickest way to kill Regenerators and Iron Maidens is if Leon uses a special scope on his rifle to aim and shoot at where the Las Plagas are located inside their bodies. Otherwise, you will be shooting them for a long time.

** The Regenerators and Iron Maidens can die when certain spots on their bodies are shot, which the infrared scope is needed to see. While they will die from regular damage, it will take a lot of it to accomplish this. As such, until you get one of the super weapons in a new game, hitting the weak points is the best option.

** Subverted with the Regenerators and Iron Maidens, where shooting them in the head does almost nothing. Even if you use an extremely powerful weapon, or blow its head off, it'll just regrow in a couple seconds.

** Regenerators. They are encountered late game and can kill Leon very easily, namely with a lunging attack, and like their name suggests, they can regenerate limbs and are nigh-unkillable [[spoiler:unless if you bring the thermal scope and kill the Plagas inside of them]]. The only consolation is that they are painfully slow and are rarely encountered.

* FullFrontalAssault: Regenerators and Iron Maidens. ''[[FanDisservice This isn't a good thing]]''.

* ImplacableMan: Verdugo, Regenerators, and Iron Maidens. They tend to come off like {{Hopeless Boss Fight}}s to most first time players. Furthermore, the latter two aren't even bosses.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: Not only are there ''three'' weapons with infinite ammo that are designed for three wildly different playstyles, but they're all balanced. To wit:

** The Handcannon, a ridiculously powerful magnum which can penetrate cover and disintegrate wooden doors. However, it has a slow rate of fire and next to no wide shot range, and is the hardest to get. You also have to [[MagikarpPower fully upgrade this weapon]] in order for it to become a Plagas-slaying beast, but it is cheaper than the two weapons above (790,000 pesetas vs. 1,000,000 pesetas).
** All versions after the [=GameCube=] version award the [[EnergyWeapon P.R.L. 412]] for free on NewGamePlus if you beat the game on Professional mode. When fired, this laser weapon stuns enemies and causes a small amount of damage to them. When fully charged, however, it instantly kills everything in front of you; in the ''Wii Edition'' and onward, it [[BeamSpam destroys]] ''anything'' in front of you, including [[DieChairDie inanimate objects]], and takes much less time to fully charge the weapon. You can even use it in Normal mode during New Game+, at least on the Wii version and onward.

** ''Novistador'': The insect-like InvisibleMonsters’s name means “the unseen”.

** The game has the Garradors. They drop a ton of cash upon their defeat. Upping the ante further, one Garrador that spawns in a cage actually guards a treasure chest with a very valuable piece of ShopFodder in it, and predictably, it's pretty hard to get the item without killing the Garrador first. Garradors appear about four times in the entire game ([[UniqueEnemy one of which]] is a ''[[HeavilyArmoredMook heavy Garrador]]''). Unlike Regenerators, who also share the aforementioned traits, defeating Garradors (or even damaging them) is almost never absolutely necessary, to the point where running from them is easier than fighting them thanks to the Garradors' crippling blindness.

* NerdsAreSexy: Luis is a scientist [[spoiler:who used to work for Saddler]] who writes the memos in the game that tell you about Las Plagas and the Regenerators, yet is also [[UnkemptBeauty stunningly good looking]].

--->'''Leon:''' Bit of advice: try using knives next time. Works better for close encounters.

--> '''Leon:''' (calmly) We have to get off this island now. It's going to blow any minute.
--> '''Ashley:''' (panicked) It's gonna ''what?!''

* SniperPistol: It is possible to go through the game using the Pistol instead of the sniper rifle when required. Since almost all guns are aimed via the crosshair on the screen in the ''Wii Edition'', their corresponding idle swaying has been removed entirely - your accuracy now depends entirely on how steady you hold the controller.

--> '''Leon:''' (calmly) We have to get off this island now. It's gonna blow any minute.
--> '''Ashley:''' (panicked) It's gonna ''what?!''

** The [=PlayStation=] 2 version is graphically weaker than the original [=GameCube=] version, but added the Separate Ways missions, a new weapon, and new costumes for Leon and Ashley.
** The ''Wii Edition'' adds the [=PS2=] version's enhancements to the graphics of the [=GameCube=] version, and offers better controls with the Wiimote's pointer aiming while still allowing the Classic Controller or [=GameCube=] controller as an option.

** The ''HD Remastered version'' for [=PlayStation=] 4, Xbox One, and Switch serves as one to their previous console generation version counterparts, bringing the game to a 1080p presentation (or 900p on the Switch version) comparable to the ''Ultimate HD Edition'' on Steam and also runs at 60 FPS.

* VaderBreath: Regenerators and Iron Maidens have raspy breathing that alerts you of their presence.

** It can be easy to overlook the [[MagikarpPower TMP]]. Without upgrades or the stock, it's a LittleUselessGun that does anemic damage per shot, chews through ammo like popcorn and is ineffectual at any range besides "very close". With a couple of upgrades and the stock fitted however, it becomes a brilliant substitute to a shotgun by being every bit as good as a panic weapon while also being infinitely more versatile. A pinpoint-accurate four-round burst is perfect for picking off thrown dynamite, or tacking a head or knee shot to buy yourself some room or follow up with a melee attack, while more sustained fire will shred through a shield or a small mob of Ganados with little trouble. TMP ammo pickups come in boxes of 30 or so and they're quite common, and the exclusive upgrade gives the TMP a [[{{Hammerspace}} gigantic 250-round magazine]], so you'll always have the ammo to do something with it.

* AmericaSavesTheDay: {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Saddler, calling it a cliché, that only happens in Hollywood movies; then played straight when Leon kicks his ass all over the place. Even more hilariously, from the moment Saddler makes this comment, the game plays out like a cliché Hollywood film: Saddler goes OneWingedAngel, Leon [[spoiler:blows him up with a rocket launcher, [[LoveInterestTraitor Ada swoops in at the last moment and swipes the sample off him]], then [[CollapsedLair the island blows up]] [[OutrunTheFireball forcing Leon and Ashley to ride a jetski down a tunnel while outrunning the fireball]] to escape, and then the game ends with [[RidingIntoTheSunset Ashley flirting with Leon as the two ride off into the sunset]].]]

* AmericaSavesTheDay: {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Saddler, calling it a clich&eacute, that only happens in Hollywood movies; then played straight when Leon kicks his ass all over the place. Even more hilariously, from the moment Saddler makes this comment, the game plays out like a cliché Hollywood film: Saddler goes OneWingedAngel, Leon [[spoiler:blows him up with a rocket launcher, [[LoveInterestTraitor Ada swoops in at the last moment and swipes the sample off him]], then [[CollapsedLair the island blows up]] [[OutrunTheFireball forcing Leon and Ashley to ride a jetski down a tunnel while outrunning the fireball]] to escape, and then the game ends with [[RidingIntoTheSunset Ashley flirting with Leon as the two ride off into the sunset]].]]

* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The game is set in an unspecified Spanish-speaking European country, and the developers say this was intentional. That said, Spain is the only major Spanish-speaking country in Europe, the currency is the peseta (the former Spanish currency before the Euro), and Luis Sera tells you that he "used to be a cop in Madrid" (implying that Spain exists even if it’s not the setting).

* WouldHitAGirl: Leon, besides killing females opponents like the Bella Sisters, almost strangles Ada when the Plaga started taking control of his actions forcing Ada to stab him in self defence.

* WouldHitAGirl: Leon, besides killing females opponents like the Bella Sisters, almost strangles Ada when the Plaga started taking control of his actions forcing Ada to stab him in self defence, though Leon immediately regrets this action. This is probably a one time occurrence, since Ada actually trusts in Leon’s unwillingness to shoot her.

* YouALLLookFamiliar: Each "group" of enemies (villagers, cultists, soldiers) only has a handful of character models each.

** Apparently, the skulls of everyone are [[MadeOfPlasticine made of cheap plaster]]. Why else would they detonate when the enemy is killed with a headshot? Maybe Las Plagas soften up your skull. This doesn't even require a high-powered weapon like a shotgun or a magnum -- Leon can elbow, kick, or punch suplex infected humans so hard that their heads burst.

--> ''What happened to you, [[spoiler:Krauser]]? You used to be a nice guy...''
* ZergRush: You'll be facing more of these than you'd think.

* AbandonedMine: The Plagas were discovered in a mine outside the unnamed village and infected the townsfolk. The mine might still be in operation by the time Leon gets there.

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: Saddler and all three of his subordinates (Mendez, Salazar, and Krauser) have Plagas implanted within themselves. Leon and Ashley have the Plagas within themselves as well and most of the game revolves around trying to find the cure before the parasites take over their free will.

** Exposed Plaga are generally the only way to quickly take down their hosts. Garradors cannot be killed any other way, due to being covered in thick armor.

* BattleThemeMusic: {{Mooks}}, especially Ganados, have various creepy battle musics depending on the location. As for bosses, many of them rely on foreboding ambient music to suit the game's mood, though Krauser in his last phase and Saddler when fought against Leon play more action-styled music.

** It can be easy to overlook the [[MagikarpPower TMP]]. Without upgrades or the stock, it's a LittleUselessGun that does anemic damage per shot, chews through ammo stocks like popcorn and is ineffectual at any range besides "very close". With a couple of upgrades and the stock fitted however, it becomes a brilliant substitute to a shotgun by being every bit as good as a panic weapon while also being infinitely more versatile. A pinpoint-accurate four-round burst is perfect for picking off thrown dynamite, or tacking a head or knee shot to buy yourself some room or follow up with a melee attack, while more sustained fire will shred through a shield or a small mob of Ganados with little trouble. TMP ammo pickups come in boxes of 30 or so and they're quite common, and the exclusive upgrade gives the TMP a [[{{Hammerspace}} gigantic 250-round magazine]], so you'll always have the ammo to do something with it.
** When it comes to contextual melee attacks, the roundhouse kick. It's not as damaging or showy as the suplex, but it's easier to pull off with headshots versus the suplex's legshots, it hits multiple enemies in a wide area and knocks them down on the ground for a quick knife or retreat, and there's always the chance you'll get a critical headshot while setting up the kick anyway.

* CrazyPrepared: Leon goes to the Spanish village only to investigate and ask questions, yet he brought along a pistol, knife, attache case, flashlight, radio, binoculars, a tracking device, and a grappling hook. If playing on Easy, he'll be toting a shotgun as well. Of course, he was investigating a group that had kidnapped the President's daughter, so he had pretty good reason to expect trouble.

* DeathOfAChild: The end credits montage shows that there used to be before Saddler arrived and injected everyone with the Plagas. As revealed in [[AllThereInTheManual supplemental materials]], the children ended up dying since they were unfit hosts for the parasites and most of the skeletal remains that Leon encounters in the village are actually of those kids.

** The Handcannon, a ridiculously powerful magnum which can penetrate cover and disintegrate wooden doors. However, it has a slow rate of fire and next to no wideshot range, and is the hardest to get. You also have to [[MagikarpPower fully upgrade this weapon]] in order for it to become a Plagas-slaying beast, but it is cheaper than the two weapons above (790,000 pesetas vs. 1,000,000 pesetas).

* InventoryManagementPuzzle: The game hanges the system in relation to previous games by giving the player unlimited space for treasures and key items; it's only weapons, ammunition and health items that go in the player's manageable inventory. On top of that, the manageable inventory is changed from half a dozen or so discrete item slots into a grid made of small square, with different items taking up different areas of squares based on size and shape. An herb, for example, is only two squares, while a pistol might by take up a 2x3 rectangular area and shotgun 2x8. Occasionally, you end up having to reorganize your inventory to consolidate the empty space, especially when making room for something large like a new gun or a TooAwesomeToUse single-shot rocket launcher.

* JawsFirstPersonPerspective: Del Lago is introduced in this fashion, being a gigantic salamander who lives in [[MeaningfulName a murky lake]] close to the village where Leaon arrived prior. Also the case with Verdugo, and the Novistadors when one captures Ashley while [[{{Invisibility}} camouflaged]] ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'' style.

%%* JustAddWater: Mixing herbs.

** Verdugo, the illegitimate love child of Tyrant and the Franchise/{{Predator}}, is even faster and deadlier than the Tyrants, and is NighInvulnerable unless [[KillItWithIce frozen with liquid nitrogen]].

* NothingIsScarier: There are a couple notoriously subverted examples of this kind of jumpscare. The most famous of which occurs in the later parts of the game on the island. At the beginning of a corridor lined with open cells, the ever-present breathing of a Regenerator. One would think that it's in one of the open cells you're dangerously close to... [[spoiler:Nope. It's at the end of the hall right as you're about to turn, and worse, it has a habit of getting quiet when you get close to it.]]

* PermanentlyMissableContent: The game features missable treasures in various parts of the game. While any treasure becomes permanently missable if you move on to the next section of the game, the combine-able treasures (beerstein, crown, and golden lynx) in particular are likely to be missed as well as their smaller parts. While this doesn't make the game {{Unwinnable}}, it does prevent you from making lots of money and thus delaying your weapons' progression. Also, if you kill the Merchant on Professional mode, he stays dead for good, locking you out of all purchasable items as well as the shooting galleries.

* MixAndMatchWeapon: The starting pistol, the Silver Ghost, is a mish and mash of the H&K USP, the S&W Sigma, and a Ruger P85. The Blacktail meanwhile is a Springfield XD that has FNP-9 grips for some reason. Then there's the Broken Butterfly, which is has the grip, frame, trigger and hammer of a Colt SAA, and the hinge and barrel of a Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3. Finally the Semi-Auto rifle is an H&K SL8 with a G36 sight rail attached.

* RealIsBrown: Before this was even popular. The game's color palette consists largely of grays and browns. This is because the game's graphics heavily taxed the [=GameCube=]'s processor, so the game made it take place in a heavily forested area during what appears to be either late fall or winter and a derelict military base at night to justify the palette. Things are a little more colorful in the castle, though, with quite a few reds, golds, whites, and even blues. The ''HD Edition'' ports and onward, however, unintentionally made the game's color palette somewhat more brown than the [=GameCube=]'s original bleak grayish hue (compare [[https://imgur.com/fqqhgOR this]] to [[https://imgur.com/OVi3Vte this]]).

%%* SmugSnake: Salazar and Saddler both.

* GiantMook: The game features several different giant mooks, including large Ganados wearing potato sacks on their heads and carrying chainsaws, tall blind armored Ganados with WolverineClaws, large Ganados carrying [[GatlingGood miniguns]], and large Ganados with bulletproof metal sheets nailed to parts of their bodies, making them invincible from the front. The biggest giant mooks are the recurring minibosses called El Gigante that are the size of elephants.

* IceBreaker: In Chapter 4-1, Verdugo is defeated by knocking over nitrogen tanks and shooting him while he's frozen.

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Averted; some Ganados carry large wooden shields, but the only thing they're protected from reliably is regular pistol shots: a close-range shotgun blast will shatter them to pieces, sustained fire from a SMG will open holes in them, and the Punisher and all rifles can easily kill with a headshot.

* MadeOfExplodium: You are required to shoot some trucks. There's an explosion and the truck careens into a hill or wall.

** As far as the Mercenaries characters go, all the guys go for power moves (such as Leon's kick, [=HUNK=]'s neckbreak, etc.), and are less than fragile. Ada, however, is a FragileSpeedster who uses acrobatic moves like a Tornado Kick. This is played with in regards to [=HUNK=] though, since his only non-explosive is a [=TMP=], and [[DifficultButAwesome he requires constant headshots to chain massive kill combos while dancing around crowds of enemies in a neckbreaker ballet]].
** Once you beat the game, Leon can get overpowered weapons which will instantly kills every mook. Ashley is always limited to having to scrounge for usable throwing lanterns, and using her tinier frame than Leon to escape from enemies faster and crawl through holes Leon can't to run away from the very same mooks.
* TheManyDeathsOfYou: The player can die in a wide variety of ways, from being decapitated by a chainsaw/scythes/razor-sharp claws, being crushed by a runaway boulder, having a mutated insect puke acid on your face until its melted away, a villager restrains you until the dynamite in his hand kills you both, having your eye ripped out by Las Plagas-infested wolves, and then some. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naEXmn_Bw78 This compilation]] showcases the many ways can meet their untimely demise.

* MinusWorld: By exploiting the 1.5X running speed glitch and dropping down the ladder in the save room near where you battle El Gigante (with the Merchant in it), you'll enter a weird wasteland that's stuffed to the gills with ammo, curative items, and even a few ''weapons'' to pick up (which, other than the shotgun, doesn't even happen in normal gameplay). The room has been theorized to be everything from a ditched ammo cache to an [[DevelopersForesight intentional Easter egg]] for gamers to find.

* OffWithHisHead: Leon (and all playable characters in The Mercenaries) can get decapitated by Centipede Plagas eating his head, Zealots throwing scythes at his head, Garradors going into a berserker rage, and Dr. Salvador, the Bella Sisters, or Super Salvador chopping off his head with a chainsaw.

* RealIsBrown: Before this was even popular. The game's color palette consists largely of grays and browns. This is because the game's graphics heavily taxed the [=GameCube=]'s processor, so the game made it take place in a heavily forested area during what appears to be either late fall or winter and a derelict military base at night to justify the palette. Things are a little more colorful in the castle, though, with quite a few reds, golds, whites, and even blues. The ''HD Edition'' ports and onward, however, unintentionally made the game's color palette somewhat more brown than the [=GameCube=]'s original bleak grayish hue (compare [[https://imgur.com/kkuG16I this]] to [[https://imgur.com/mV8vtgP this]]).

* RealIsBrown: Before this was even popular. The game's color palette consists largely of grays and browns. This is because the game's graphics heavily taxed the [=GameCube=]'s processor, so the game made it take place in a heavily forested area during what appears to be either late fall or winter and a derelict military base at night to justify the palette. Things are a little more colorful in the castle, though, with quite a few reds, golds, whites, and even blues. The ''HD Edition'' ports and onward, however, unintentionally made the game's color palette somewhat more brown than the [=GameCube=]'s original bleak grayish hue (compare [[https://imgur.com/bcGQIpP this]] to [[https://imgur.com/Dx1tSqM this]]).