Over the years, my fondness for Resident Evil 4 has waned somewhat for varying reasons, but the one aspect of it that remains just as revolutionary as it was when it first released was the inventory system.

Feeling like a pseudo-minigame, you were tasked with actually managing and prioritising your inventory instead of sticking with the previous system of making a sniper rifle take up as much space as a key.

Given how universally praised the system was, the biggest surprise was that other games failed to make use of the idea. Not only does Save Room use this inventory management gimmick, but it turns it into a whole damn game.

Many thanks to PR Hound for the review code.

HEH, HEH, HEH. THANK YOU!
Fans of survival horror will know exactly what to expect from this game at a single screenshot. In fact, veterans of Resident Evil 4 can probably just look at the screenshots on this page and know exactly whether or not the game is for them. With a look and sound that is highly reminiscent of the Capcom classic, the game captures the feeling of nostalgia it is aiming for perfectly; and so, if you’re buzzing with excitement already, there’s little need to read further – just buy it.

Everyone else, read on!

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STRANGER, STRANGER, STRANGER… NOW THAT’S A WEAPON!
The aim of Save Room is to allocate all the inventory items into the limited space provided so that everything fits into your satchel. Each item has a different size, with a lonesome egg taking up a solitary space but then a rocket launcher taking up quite a lot. Whilst there are many simple rectangular shapes, there are also many that are irregularly sized and require you to rotate and position carefully if you want to squeeze everything in. Think of it like Tetris with guns, except you can slot things in at your own pace.

Unlike the game it takes inspiration from, your inventory space is also irregularly sized meaning that you’ll have to take extra care to slot everything in. Many levels have just enough space for everything, but there are even some that have a little extra space to make you think a little harder – since you can’t just put things in places that fit.

Moving items is as simple as picking up, rotating and placing them in the correct slot, but you can switch between the main inventory and the surplus area with ease. Unfortunately you do need to pick up and drop items into these areas manually and can’t just send things directly into that surplus area, which adds a little extra hassle – but not too much of one. 

Where things get interesting is that as the game progresses, you’ll actually need to manage your equipment as well as your space. Is your gun running low on ammo? Top it up and you may not have to carry any extra ammunition. Perhaps your health is running a little bit low – be careful with what healing items you use and you may be able to scrape a little bit more space to store your stuff. The game really does replicate that feeling of managing your status and equipment efficiently, and it almost feels like a survival horror title with all the actual fighting and horror elements completely removed.

The game may only consist of around 40 or so levels, which you can probably knock out in a couple of hours, but it manages to vary things up just enough to hold your attention and justify its existence. When coupled with the cheap asking price, it feels like the developers knew the exact scope of their idea and pulled it off well.

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Save Room is essentially a training simulator for how to manage your inventory effectively in Resident Evil 4. With 40 puzzles that require you to manage your resources effectively, there’s a fun title here and you don’t need to buy it at a high price!