LONDON: At $200 billion a year, the games industry is worth over four times that of the film industry. However, like the film industry, video games manufacturers do like a franchise, and few can compare with the long list of Capcom’s “Resident Evil” games that can be traced all the way back to 1996. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle Since then, 138 million units have been sold and the series has inspired nine films that have grossed over $1.2 billion. Now, “Resident Evil 4,” first released in 2005, has been remade this year for the powerful PlayStation 5 platform. “Experience the nightmare” warns the game that sees you reprise the role of Leon S. Kennedy, a former policeman turned super-secret agent. The storyline is almost incidental for a game that focuses on gameplay over character depth, but for what it is worth you’re thrown in at the deep end exploring a Spanish rural cult nightmare as part of the search for “Baby Eagle” — the kidnapped US president’s daughter. Players do not need previous experience with the franchise to get to grips with the atmospheric settings filled with villagers with red eyes cursing in Spanish before attacking you with chainsaws, axes, pitchforks and the like. The settings are polished, detailed and claustrophobic, with the haptic feedback through the controller generating suspense and getting the players heart rate racing. “Resident Evil 4” is very much a linear survival horror story with some arenas allowing for players to choose an approach of stealth or all out violence. The game has a steady learning curve that allows players to become familiar with more weapons and harder enemies. One of its best features is the combat engine. You view Leon from over his shoulder; and aiming, reloading and changing weapons or going into melee mode is simple and smooth. Rarely does the player lose perspective of what’s going on around them. Weapons can be upgraded in terms of power and capacity as you progress via a bizarre English-accented merchant who pops up in all sorts of places. The difficulty level feels just about right, with no abundance of ammunition but always a helpful grenade hidden in a random cupboard when you need it. The game features some of the “Resident Evil” staples, such as saving via a typewriter and combining different types of herbs to recover health. The PS5 controller acts as a walkie talkie with Leon’s headquarters which is a nice touch. Not so smart is the introduction of mini-missions, such as collecting snakes, which dilute the momentum of the main game for little reward. Much of the game sees you try to reach a lake, or a church and the puzzle features involved are creative whilst not overly taxing, meaning players are unlikely to get stuck for any long period of time. Big boss villains are imaginative and unsettling; however, the foot soldiers are identikit and a bit repetitive in form and function. Nit-picking aside, this remake is an excellent upgrade for newcomers to this established series.