Leon Kennedy may be forever kept in the dark as to the who's and the why's of Resident Evil 4, but game players have the chance to learn more than ever before thanks to an additional side-story added to the PlayStation 2 edition of the breakthrough experience in horror. Five new mini-chapters added to RE4 play out the intertwined tale of the mysterious Ada Wong, with you playing as the femme fatale herself.
Unlike the added Assignment Ada mini-sequence, these new chapters, titled Separate Ways, are full gaming experiences rather than bonus challenges. Capcom has recorded new dialog and created new FMV and game-engine cinematics to deliver a complete new chapter to tell this missing section of the tale. Gameplay and weapon load-out are complete, and Ada has a few moves of her own that add to her character in ways not seen in Assignment Ada. The new chapters even include one vast environment entirely new to the game to compliment the familiar ground that most of the side-story runs across as Ada and Leon's stories crisscross in their own paticular ways. A number of questions are still left tantalizingly unanswered by Separate Ways -- enough that you almost wonder why Capcom went to the trouble of creating such a colossal new addition (to a game already stuffed with gameplay) for this PS2 release of the game, all just to tease and leave you again wanting more. Whether or not you are given satisfaction of the mind, there's no denying that the opportunity to get closer to this slinky secret mistress is one you will want to snap at.
There are numerous details that we can't and won't spoil for you about the new Separate Ways section of the game. By now, you know some of the little details: you are Ada Wong, playing along in a story that directly parallels the main game. Leon Kennedy knows nothing of what is going on in this decrepit town and its demented citizenry, but Ada knows all, standing garter-deep in the middle of it. Sections of the game will play over ground you have already been through if you have played the main game, but other areas and encounters are entirely unique to Separate Ways.
The familiar sections of the game may be a bit too familiar to some, as much of Separate Ways is made out of pre-established gameplay turf. However, the recycling isn't just a flat retread of old ground. Little details have been tweaked throughout to show the difference in time -- candles in the church, for instance, are not lit at the time that Ada is there. More importantly, with the interlocking story playing out in Ada and Leon's adventure, you get to see a number of areas in ways either in the aftermath of major encounters or else in the very heat of the fire that Leon is about to come into. For instance, Ada begins her section with a mission to ring the churchbell -- the same churchbell that curiously draws away all of the marauding townsfolk just as Leon is about to be overcome and slaughtered. This section the game that was curiously empty in the original game, but you're about to find out why that is as Ada, packing heat and taking no prisoners, encounters an onslaught of enemies that she must clear out if she is to take her place in fate.
Ada is playable in Separate Ways as a more complete and detailed character than in the mini-sections she previously was featured in. Her weapon loadout already features more powerful guns and surprise weapons than Leon got to see for much of his game. Her pistol carries 21 rounds, which she wields with a steady hand, and her shotgun has also been primed for firepower and round capacity. Assignment Ada had her poorly equipped for her infiltration mission, using just her gun and her fighting moves to take out the enemy. Here, she's finally equipped with a knife -- a must for the length of the mission at hand. She's also dressed up for the occasion, shedding her military garb for something a little more comfortable ... if not exactly battle-appropriate. Just as Leon's flowing hair helped make his character come to life (and show off the impressive game engine), Ada has a breezy ribbon hanging from her hair.
Most importantly, Ada comes packing the grappling hook that she used often to drop in for her many unexpected entrances in the original game. Although you can't grapple anywhere you want in the game -- much like elsewhere in the game, she can only grapple hook at context-sensitive points on the game stage -- this gear gives her access to places Leon never got up to, as well as throws in a new trick for Ada to pull off when things get hairy.
The key set-piece of the new section is the added battleship environment that has been whispered about since this new section was announced. We can't yet share with you screens showing what this new section looks like, but trust us when we say that this was built to impress. Fully showing off the capabilities of this PS2 engine (only a couple of sections had a slight framerate chug, and Capcom's reps expect this to be evened out with the final version), the stage features a massive gameplay environment that is packed with pools of shadow and shafts of light. While most of the environments in the game are stitched together with short loadtimes between areas, this environment is presented as one entire zone, with virtually no loading in the whole intense chapter. The new area provides a mix of exploration and action befitting the RE4 legacy, and gives Ada the opportunity to show off her repertoire of techniques to the fullest. Those who don't have a GameCube and haven't yet played Resident Evil 4 may be wondering how it would be that Ada would find herself aboard a floating military fortress in a game known mostly for its rustic and gothic horror. The answer, you will unfortunately have to discover for yourself when the game is released next month, but rest assured -- however this chapter figures into your understanding of what Separate Ways is all about, the new area follows Ada's story appropriately, and is given due explanation through in-game storytelling.
Even to the die-hards devoted only to their GameCubes, Resident Evil 4's Separate Ways is something you can't deny yourself. Weighing in at about five hours of gameplay, it provides a significant addition to the game. Elements and encounters are not entirely unique -- don't go looking for this short side-story to offer you the same level of unforgettable shock and awe that RE4 delivered -- but Separate Ways is thankfully a complete gameplay experience. You see old characters in a new light, powerful moments from a new perspective, and unspoken hints both brought to light and smashed apart as lies. This new chapter will only be available after you have unlocked it by beating the main game, so lock and load for a long slog before you see the second light.
For a more complete look at the PlayStation 2 version of Resident Evil 4, including details on other new additions and the quality of the PS2 effects reproduction, read up on our feature preview Resident Evil 4: The PS2 Experience