One of the things that I do when I�ve got some spare time on my hands is to surf the world wide webiverse. I often find myself reading up about various games on the GameFAQs website, and posting in their forums (currently about Resident Evil 4). Generally, I use my superior man-brained video-game knowledge to help out the people who post topics on about this variation:

Topic: Help! I can�t kill Dr. Salvador in the Waterworld!

Body: I can�t kill Dr. Salvador with Leon, he always cuts off my head! I�m really frustrated, as this is the last level I need for the Handcannon.

My Answer: Shoot him in the head!

Their Answer: Thank you, here�s a million dollars!

...or some variation thereof. Of course, for all of the people who genuinely need help or have some interesting or valid theory about the game, there are about five trolls. Some of the trolls are rather amusing, such as one guy who made a topic stating that players of the game should eschew the provided guns, and only use the knife. Otherwise, of course, you�re not a pro at RE4.

Ordinarily this would be either really lame, or a cheap joke-topic that would disappear in a few days. However, the way the topic�s creator pulls it off makes it absolutely hilarious. First off, he has a palpable malevolence toward anyone that uses the guns, which makes it even more amusing when people try to tell him he�s wrong. And secondly, people actually take him seriously. Their responses are gold--as is his, when he spits venom in their face. Not all trolls, though, are amusing. Some of them boil the blood, not because they make stupid joke topics, but because they cling to certain ideas that are best described as moronic.

The one that sticks out most in my mind is the topics that crop up concerning the various changes that were made to the classic Resident Evil style in RE4. The trolls (or really old-school RE fans that just can�t let go) will bitch about these few issues, which I have listed in a cool numbered� er� list.

1) Control scheme and camera angle change.
2) Change of focus from Survival Horror to Action Horror.
3) Plot doesn�t concern Raccoon City, the T-Virus (and subsets), or Umbrella.

The control scheme�s few changes were an absolute necessity brought on by the radical change to the camera angles. Instead of the classic �fixed camera� or �death camera� or �really effing annoying camera that switches directions on you while running down a hallway away from a licker, causing you to turn back around right into its jaws� it now is a healthy third-person view, over the main character�s (Leon�s) shoulder. This, of course, causes some people to go into a frothing rage about how Capcom is messing with their favorite series.

My take on it is that they knew they desperately needed a change. Personally, I would never play another fixed camera angle game. I tried RE2, but I really couldn�t get into it. Not only was it difficult to move (the characters are lovingly referred to as �tanks�), but the fixed cameras would run me straight into the arms of a horde of zombies, instead of avoiding them like I was trying to. Rather than irritate everyone with yet another fixed camera angle nightmare, they decided to take a risk, and try something different. I�d say it was a total success.

The change of focus from the survival horror of the last thirty Resident Evil games to the action horror of this game was refreshing, if you�re not a stogy old RE man. Rather than constantly deciding between fight or flight, you pretty much could take the fight right into the teeth of your foes. Clever use of ammo conservation tactics allows you to kill every single enemy you met with minimal damage to your person. This is different than the older RE games, as I understand it. I don�t know about you, but I�d rather cap a zombie than try to evade it. Of course, this is great fodder for annoying RE trolls.

Finally, the trolls complain about the plot, and how it doesn�t involve Umbrella, T-Virus, Raccoon City, Nemesis, Leon�s second cousin, zombies, blah blah blah. I have two takes on this:

1) Of course it doesn�t directly involve the tried and true RE plot devices. You don�t risk your franchise on what could be a terrible revamp of a classic series� controls and camera angles. If Capcom were concerned about the RE series at all, they would ensure that critical plot points were not revealed in a game that had the possibility of sinking their franchise.

(RE4 SPOILERS, as I rant below)

2) It does, damn it. Leon�s connected to the Raccoon City incident, and mentions it. Ada Wong is also connected somehow, and although she�s technically working for Wesker, she seems to have other motives. Krauser is working for Wesker, who is apparently trying to revitalize Umbrella. Finally, just because Las Plagas isn�t the T-Virus, doesn�t mean that it isn�t related. The scientists who first developed the T-Virus started from an ancient virus known only as the �mother virus�. This mother virus could easily have been involved in the development of the Plagas. I guess we�ll have to wait for RE5 to find out, though.

If you haven�t played this game, you should. It�s out on four different systems (GC, PS2, Wii, and PC), so you really don�t have an excuse. By far the best right now is the Wii, although I�ve heard of some amusing mods in the PC version. It�s not like any RE that you�ve ever played--which is good, damn it all to hell. Whine about it and I�ll headbutt your little sister and steal her lunch money.