In Resident Evil 4, you take on the role of Leon S. The game was an easy choice for GameSpot's Game of the Year for 2005. A radical reimagining of the Resident Evil gameplay, RE4 eliminated almost all of the off-putting aspects of the previous games in the series and delivered one of the most polished gaming experiences of the last generation of consoles. When Resident Evil 4 hit the scene in 2005, however, Capcom made it clear that they were intent on avoiding the same trap. Too many well-known game series are simply the same game, repeated in different environments, with small changes to gameplay.

Most game franchises coast along for years after the spark of passion has gone out of them.