RE4 focuses on Leon Kennedy's search for the missing daughter of the President of the United States. His journey takes him through 4 "worlds": a farming town, the castle headquarters of a cult-like religion, underground caverns and an island. With each advancing location, Leon faces increasingly difficult foes and collects superior fire power. Playing the game the first time provided me with an unending sense of discomfort and fear, a real testimony to the first person POV of the camera angles. As you lead Leon down dark hallways and through shadowy forests, the countless ghouls ready to attack seem to be targeting you as much as Leon. Several times, I had to pause the game and do something else while I prepared myself to enter a new room or location where I knew trouble was on the way. That's not exaggeration: the game truly terrified me.

So beating the game the first time is an undeniable visceral experience. You feel as if you traveled through each stop along Leon's journey and battled the monsters in his way. With that experience behind you, playing the game a second and third time allows you to see the brilliant aspects you missed the first time when all you were trying to do was survive one intense battle after another. Additional weaponry is also available for the second round, providing new options for attacking locales. Where once a cluster of undead soldiers camped in a valley challenged your remedial first-round weapons, one blast with an unlimited rocket launcher from the second round takes care of them.

Conclusion:
With at least 50 hours of play the first time through and limitless replayability, RE4 is the pinnacle of modern gaming. Prepare yourself for sleepless nights, an inability to focus on the outside world and a rise in blood pressure and heart rate.