As an avid gamer, I‘m sure you can appreciate the immense satisfaction that comes from fully conquering a title. Expert speedrunners take that feeling to the extreme by not just finishing games, but absolutely dominating them in record times.
Today I want to walk you through an incredible recent Resident Evil 4 speedrun, analyzing what makes it so special. Along the way, we‘ll unpack the inner workings of high-level speedrunning to understand the blood, sweat and tears required to make Resident Evil dance to Leon Kennedy‘s tune.
What Drives Speedrunners?
Before we dive in, let‘s quickly demystify this niche gaming phenomenon. Simply put, speedrunning involves finishing games as fast as possible while adhering to certain rules and categories. This transforms gaming from a leisurely hobby into an intense test of skill and endurance.
Speedrunning appeals to those seeking immense challenges. The thrill of trimming minutes off a personal best through endless practice becomes intoxicating. By memorizing level layouts, enemy patterns and physics exploits, experts demonstrate complete mastery.
This level of competency doesn‘t develop overnight. Achieving speedrun greatness requires almost superhuman reserves of determination and precision. But for those who put in the grind, world-record glory becomes achievable.
History of High-Speed Heroics
Gamers first began competing over fastest completion times back in the 1990s during Doom‘s heyday. Built-in timers made speed comparisons natural. Later, emulators and streaming sites enabled easier recording and publicity, allowing the speedrun scene to blossom.
| Year | Speedrunning Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Doom launches with in-game timer |
| 1996 | Quake done in under 19 minutes sets early record |
| 2001 | First tool-assisted Super Mario 64 run |
| 2007 | Twitch streaming service launches |
| 2014 | AGDQ charity marathon gains mainstream traction |
| 2018 | Super Mario Bros finished blindfolded |
According to veteran speedrunner RyuKahi:
"It‘s unbelievable how far we‘ve come in just 30 years. Top-tier runners today exhibit otherworldly precision. Speedrunning has transformed from a casual diversion into an explosive spectator sport."
Let‘s examine how current elite runners apply hard-won skill through an incredible Resident Evil 4 run.
Resident Evil 4 Speedrun Breakdown
Released in 2023 for modern consoles, Resident Evil 4 still proudly boasts meaty 15+ hour single-player campaigns. But in speedrunner Distortion2‘s capable hands, things unfold a bit differently…
Hurtling through the horror-action epic in under 2 hours on Professional difficulty, Distortion2‘s run offers a masterclass in optimization. Despite reamed health and limited saves, he navigates the campaign with graceful agility.
By memorizing enemy patterns, inventory routes and physics tricks, Distortion2 ruthlessly carves away fluff until only white-knuckle gameplay remains. He claws back each second without losing cool or focus even against extreme difficulty spikes.
Glitching Like the Pros
True mastery means bending a game‘s rules against itself. To warp past tedious sequences, Distortion2 employs numerous glitches, including:
| Glitch | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Reload Canceling | Cancels animations to quick-reload |
| Door Skipping | Phases through doors without animations |
| Area Skipping | Falls through level geometry to skip zones |
"Exploiting these low-level programming quirks demands tremendous game knowledge," RyuKahi says. "Truly mastering these glitches alone requires immense dedication over years of practice."
By combining pinpoint execution with physics manipulation, Distortion2 saves precious minutes without technically cheating.
Del Lago Domination
However, Distortion2‘s dazzling highlight occurs during the harrowing Del Lago speedboat fight. Perfectly timing harpoon throws while sprinting atop raging waters demonstrates freakish precision even veteran runners can scarcely comprehend.
"I still don‘t understand how he nails Del Lago so consistently," RyuKahi laughs. "That fight requires almost superhuman reflexes even on standard modes, let alone Professional!"
Yet despite the intense challenge, Distortion2 punishes Del Lago in under 60 seconds — likely one of the fastest possible times achievable by mortals.
| Difficulty | Average Time | Distortion2 Time |
|---|---|---|
| Amateur | 1.5 minutes | 55 seconds |
| Normal | 2 minutes | 58 seconds |
| Professional | 3+ minutes | 58 seconds |
By developing musculature memory and studying movement patterns, Distortion2 defeats perhaps RE4‘s most notorious milestone with staggering efficiency.
Ranking Among Legends
Although not claiming the overall world record, Distortion2‘s run remains extraordinarily quick considering RE4 released only weeks ago. As runners grind new strategies, sub-2 hour times may soon become standard. In fact, Distortion2 has already trimmed his initial run by over 20 minutes — an unbelievable pace of optimization.
According to veteran runner Akrion:
"Even after mastering RE4‘s intricacies over years, I‘m amazed at how Distortion2 discovers new shortcuts. He clearly possesses an innate grasp of movement and positioning that can‘t be taught."
The Legacy of Resident Evil 4
Debuting in 2005 exclusively for Nintendo GameCube, RE4 pioneered the shift away from sluggish tank controls toward kinetic action. The introduction of 360̊ movement and shooter mechanics laid the groundwork for subsequent franchise entries.
With protagonist Leon S. Kennedy‘s arsenal of physical melee takedowns and crunchy gunplay, CAPCOM captured lightning in a bottle. RE4 quickly became critically acclaimed as a genre masterclass for its brilliant pacing, varied locales and addictive gameplay.
Since then, RE4‘s visually impressive 2023 remaster reinforces its longevity across 3 generations of consoles. With appreciative nods to earlier titles but a firm grasp of modern sensibilities, RE4 represents the franchise‘s peak.
Given the warm reception to 2023‘s rerelease, RE4 will likely continue influencing future franchise efforts. As the speedrunner community rallies around mastery of the horror-action epic, CAPCOM would do well to keep one eye trained on their innovations.
Because when the collective of the world‘s most dedicated fanbase invests countless hours perfecting your creation, sometimes they uncover new ways to play that even developers never anticipated.
The Need for Speed
Distortion2‘s run represents a new high watermark — but numerous hungry challengers doubtlessly aim to dethrone this king of horror. With more practice and optimization, we could witness a sub-1:50 time even on daunting Professional.
For now, we mere mortals can only gaze in awe at the mastery speedrunners exhibit over glorious Resident Evil 4 and appreciate the thousands of hours of solitary practice required to make the impossible look easy.
But who knows — maybe their example will inspire you to attempt speedrunning‘s thrilling challenges for yourself! Expert or novice, with some dedication, you too can channel the determination necessary to conquer survival horror against all odds.
