When it released for the GameCube nine months ago, Resident Evil 4 injected new life into a series that had become stale and tired. The action was fresh, the story was fresh, the controls were improved and the whole thing looked fantastic. The PlayStation 2 version brings with it some obvious questions: What are the improvements, what are the drawbacks and do you need to play it if you finished the first one?

Even though the PS2 is obviously older and less powerful compared to the GameCube, this version suffers very little technically. Just like it's one of the best looking games on the Cube, it looks great on the PS2. If you were to play them back to back, immediately, you'd notice the original looks a little sharper and offers slightly deeper colors. But unless you go out of your way to compare them, you won't notice much difference.

The PS2 version also offers Pro Logic II and true widescreen support if your home is so equipped, which compares favorably to the original that displayed letterbox even on a widescreen TV. But, again, there weren't any complaints about that for the original.

The most notable addition for the PS2 version is an adventure titled Separate Ways. Playing as the spy Ada, you'll learn a little bit more about what's going on. She also plays slightly differently in that she has access to a grapple gun, moves more slinkily and isn't as strong as Leon. As a whole, it's an excellent bonus that features far too much content and gameplay to be considered gimmicky or tacked on. The rest of the game has been moved over to the new platform very well. So for those of you who haven't had a chance to take the plunge, now is your chance:

Leon Kennedy is the main character and also narrates the story. His perspective makes two things clear to the player; first, that he's intimately familiar with the incidents from earlier Resident Evil games and, second, that what is about to happen is related. But that doesn't mean you need to have played all the previous Resident Evil games to appreciate what's going on. With the background they give you, and the general knowledge that these games involve zombies, you're good to go.

The president's daughter has been kidnapped and, because part of your job is to make sure things like that don't happen, you're sent to Europe to look for her based on the only real lead you have - a slim one. Whether the creepiness you encounter from the first frame of the first scene has anything to do with the missing daughter is nearly irrelevant. Something strange is going on, and Resident Evil 4 sets a scene as well as any game on the market. There are, of course, wonderfully spooky visuals throughout, but by now most of us have seen all the blood and gore there is to see. This game does more with finer points - audio clues that lead you in unexpected directions, not-so-subtle indicators that what's happening is completely out of the ordinary - even for survival horror. Just as in the previous games, Resident Evil 4 tells a story and creates a game experience strong enough to overcome other flaws.

But that can be expected by now. The question is, rather, how is this Resident Evil game different or better than the others? Most obvious is a change in playing perspective. Instead of a completely third person view, you'll explore the game world from over the shoulder of the main character. It's not quite first person, which has obvious advantages, including familiarity, but it's close. That change alone makes RE4 more comfortable.

Different, also, is the save system. There will be no more hoarding your opportunities to save like they're precious metal. There are specific save points and you can use them as often as you like. There's also lots of ammo and other resources to be found lying about. Those two changes are monumental steps forward for the series. They make it clear this game is about action and fun, not inventory rationing. Here's to hoping that such artificial difficulty instruments are going the way of the dodo for good.

Along the way, you'll find more powerful weapons than the standard issue pea shooter with which you begin the game. Rifles, shotguns, grenades, you'll come across the usual batch of modern weaponry and have to decide what's worth buying. It's not an easy decision, because you'll have limited funds and another new wrinkle - the option of upgrading some weapons for better fire rate or more power, for example. It's a great idea because it adds a slight role-playing element - a feeling of progression that wasn't there before.

Unfortunately, you're still forced to stand in place while attacking, as in previous games. This is, by far, the biggest complaint with RE4. It just isn't natural and the experience comes off as more clunky than it should. The rest of the game is so strong, this boils down to something you just get used to - and it's well worth it.

It's worth it because the action is fun even in spite of that flaw. The weapons don't just sound and look different, the effects are very different. If you shoot a bad guy in the head with your standard issue, you'll get a whole different reaction than with something else. And that's related to the enemies themselves, and the story. RE4 isn't about just another zombie infestation - there's a lot more going on this time. The bad guys act very differently than other bad guys you've seen. They're more intelligent and motivated, and that alone will keep you wading through them like wheat to see what's what.

If you've grown weary of survival horror games for their transparent attempts at shock, RE4 will be refreshing. If you haven't played anything in this genre for a while, RE4 will be refreshing. If you've never played a survival horror game and like action with mood, RE4 will be refreshing. If first person shooters and other action games leave too much to be desired when it comes to story, pace and atmosphere, RE4 will be refreshing. In so many ways, Resident Evil 4 is refreshing and shouldn't be missed.