The game that game us Gears of War, and revolutionised modern third-person combat forevermore. It's hard to imagine a world without Resident Evil 4's influence, as looking back on the times we first enjoyed the behind-the-shoulders gunplay and tight melee-action of Leon Kennedy's kicks, it all seems so obvious. Why should the camera be hovering above the characters? Why should they have what have become to be known as 'tank controls'? Shinji Mikami couldn't take it any longer, and - like every great lightbulb-spark invention - changed the direction of Resi 4's production completely to accommodate this new style, putting us right down amongst the Las Plagas-infected villagers of the unknown Spanish locale, before blowing their heads off of course. Many argue that the constant need to protect innocent NPC Ashley all but killed the immersion within the game as she constantly got in the line of fire or was crying out for help when you were already struggling against the oncoming hordes, but when these things didn't happen and you were free to go postal with one of the most satisfying shotgun blasts in the business, Resi 4 was worth its weight in gold.
