(Note: this post will make the most sense if you have actually played Resident Evil 4, though it certainly has value if you have not. I should also mention that I have played through both the Wii and GCN versions on both Normal and Hard difficulty multiple times, with several arbitrary criteria in order to mix the game up. This has culminated in the unlocking of the Hand Cannon in the Wii version. I think you will agree that this gives me some authority on the gameplay and its curiosities.)
Resident Evil 4 is an enigma. It is usually referred to as survival horror, but that hardly describes the intense action that the game puts the player through. However, ResE 4 is only an action game in the broadest terms. It is real time, and the player takes direct control of Leon Kennedy, but the tense and methodical gameplay is a far cry from a typical action game. If I were forced to put Resident Evil 4 into a genre, it would be real time strategy. Ludicrous you say? Please, hear me out.
Most real time strategy games rely heavily on decisions about troop allocations and placement. Similarly, ResE 4 rewards those who are in the right place at the right time and using the right gun, not just those who have the best aim. This is reflected in the relatively small change in difficulty between the Wii and console versions. In a game that requires precise aiming above all else, the controller of the PS2 and Game cube would pale in comparison to the intuitive Wiimote. In fact, aiming can become virtually impossible for several seconds if you make a mistake in either version of the game. Yet neither is punishingly difficult, so long as the player continues to outmaneuver the hoards of infected. A good ResE4 player will spend more time running than shooting. For this reason, one could easily argue that Resident Evil 4 has stayed true to its roots as a survival horror game.
Survival horror games place most of their emphasis on careful use of ammunition and constant motion. These are very important elements of ResE 4. As previously discussed, running from enemies to gain a better vantage point is vital to beating the game. Ammo conservation is altered from a problem of limited supplies to that of the sheer number of targets. It is important to choose shots carefully, taking into account the weapon in use. For example, the Pistol is useful when surrounded so long as the player never fires off more than a few shots, while shotgun ammo should usually be expended only when a large number of enemies have moved together. Of course, unless the player aims correctly they could easily spend the entire game searching for ammo and health. It is vital that players are able to aim effectively and fairly quickly and so it is quite apparent that ResE4 should qualify as an action game.
Action game is a very broad category. However, the general aspects that define an action game are some form of combat, gameplay that requires control of both character movement and a weapon. They are always set in real time and almost universally require the player to repeatedly use their reflexes, think on their feet and recognize patterns in enemy behavior. All of these features are present in ResE 4, with a constant emphasis on quick reflexes, aiming and pattern abuse.
Resident Evil 4 is an enigma. It is in fact a blending of the best elements of action, survival horror and strategy. Many (if not most) modern classics either combine elements in a flowing way or create entirely gameplay. GTA, MGS, God of War, Half-Life: these all combine several genres to the point where it is not immediately apparent that no single genre can really do them justice. This is the main reason that the genre “action game” exists. It is a repository for those games which do not conform to any real standard. It is a shame that we have been wedged into the mentality that games can be fit into categories. This probably isn’t good for creativity, at least the term “Doom Clone” contained the admition of borrowed ideas.
That said, one cannot help but love Duke Nukem and Sonic, among other games which have rather obvious roots.
