"A satisfying prequel to the Resident Evil series"

Intro:

Resident Evil is the king when it comes to creepy atmospheres and realistic graphics, and Resident Evil 0 is not an exception. Capcom has done it again to create a scary Resident Evil that's worth a purchase by having artistic and believable content that will appeal more to the older players; as it may scare away the youngin's.

I started to collect many Resident Evil games recently, so naturally I bought this game with high expectations. I wasn't disappointed. The visual feast and gameplay experience is very similar to that of REmake's. Although I''d have to say that Resident Evil 0 is more puzzle-based ans slower than any other Resident Evil game I've played before, it's still a good time.

Story:

Resident Evil pre-dates the other games in the series, supposedly explaining how exactly the T-Virus originated and how it consumed the mansion, although it failed to answer those questions in my opinion. It does a fairly weak job justifying Rebecca's stroll to the mansion. It doesn't account for the T-Virus leak at the mansion. And it sure as heck doesn't interpret Dr. Markus's appearance to the Resident Evil series. It vaguely disturbed me how Rebecca was able to do all that she did in Resident Evil 0 yet be so frightened in REmake. But alas, on to the actual story.

The two-disc story starts off by showing us a train occupied by normal passengers, the atmosphere is calm when suddenly, some weird leeches cling on to the window and attacks the defenseless passengers. The sharp shift causes the Special Tactics And Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) Bravo Team to respond immedietly. The Bravo team experiences difficulties in the chopper and is forced to crash land. Everyone survives, and Rebecca finds the derelict train, but nobody is expected for what awaits them. . .

You also learn about an escape convict names Billy Coen. Early in the game, Rebecca and Billy team up to fight the zombies that lurk the train. From then on, you can switch between characters to accomplish different tasks. The story is abnormal, but you'll get used to it and it actually becomes enjoyable after a while.

Gameplay & Controls:

The gameplay is slow-paced as with most Resident Evil games, but it's very suspenseful. There is lots of scares, weird, gory creatures, puzzles to solve, zombie to blast, and lots of running around, wishing that someone had thought to leave more ammo around.

Another establishment in the Resident Evil series are the camera angles. They are set in fixed locations and you can't adjust them. Moving around may be tricky at first, mainly because if you're character is facing toward the screen and you move the analog stick upwards, then your characters walks toward the screen rather than up. A little complex at first, but easily mastered by an eager student.

There is also this new character swapping feature, which allows you to control both characters at the same time and to trade items between each other to solve puzzles. This new idea is nice, but they also introduced the ability to drop items wherever you want rather than using the traditional item boxes. The problem here is, if you drop an item in a room and leave it there, it stays there. Meaning that if you need it later you have to go all the way back to retrieve it. This causes major unpleasant backtracking that slows down the pace even slower than it already is.

Other than controlling two characters at once, there just isn't anything new. Most of the enemies are the same and the basic gameplay is the same (find a key, use it on a door, find another key, use it on another door). But hey, if you're a Resident Evil veteran and enjoy that style of gameplay, then this game is just for you.

Visuals & Graphics:

The graphics are stunning. It is not only the visual feast we expected, but the special effects and cut scenes are of such high quality that the game exceeds the production value of most Hollywood horror films. The character model's facial expressions are well done, and so are the bodies. The clothes fit like a second skin and the extra accessories (mainly Billy's cuffs) look so eminent. This game just looks real.

The water has a nice liquid flow effect, the dim light on the train sways slowly back and forth, and the window curtains rattle against the window when the train starts to move. These little details add realism to the game like no other. This game didn't receive a Silver for the best graphics in any Gamecube game of 2002 by GameSpy for no reason, now did it?

Music & Sound:

The music is virtually the same as with other Resident Evil games. Not the exact same soundtrack, but it has that orchestral feel to it. The tone really fits the atmosphere well. When you're in danger, the music enters suspense mode, and when you're walking around looking for a door to use that key you've been holding for the past ten minutes, the music is calm but eerie. All in all, a heartfelt, and stirring, bliss of perfection.

Now the sounds are the base to any horror game, without this principal, the mood would really drag down. Resident Evil 0 has a good job with the average scuffling of a decaying zombie's feet, blast and gun sounds, fire crackling in the background, the occasional window breaking surprise and the voices.

The voices. One of the most celebrated part of a Resident Evil game is to hear the horrible voice acting of the characters. Surprisingly, Resident Evil 0 does an acceptable job with the language dramatics. Rebecca sounds alert and affectionate, Billy sounds sarcastic and stern. Inclusively, Resident Evil did fair work with the sounds.

Replay Value:

Will this game last? Most likely not. There's not much else besides completing the main game. No extra characters to play as. No alternate endings. Basically, if you've beaten this game once, you've seen all there is to offer.

There is a note-worthy mini-game for your determined efforts, formally named "Leech Hunter". This nifty little mini-game (it shouldn't be called mini, whereas every session lasts close to or more than an hour) has two objectives, to collect the Leeches throughout the Research Facility and to survive. This extra seems to drag on for what may seem like hours, it's just not as fun as it should be. And to top it off, it takes place in an area seen in the main game. I wanted to explore some new expansion of field to operate in. However, succeeding in this game with a high score grants you hidden weapons not found in the main game to use at your disposal. You'll need the extra firepower to. . . beat the game yet again.

Overall:

Overall, if you're a dominant Resident Evil fan, own the game - no questions asked; but not if you're looking for something new. This game offers very little else to renew the series. If you're new to the series, rent it out to get a feel for the controls to see if you can relate to them. If you don't rent games and haven't played a single Resident Evil game before, I'd say give this game a chance and buy it. The story is good, the graphics are amazing, and the sounds are excellent,. The only thing that drops the score is the limited replay value. Other than that, Resident Evil 0 clings on to it's procedure by presenting the good ol' classic zombies-shooting experience that makes Resident Evil so much fun.

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If you don't mind zombie's having their heads blown off and weird monsters attacking you with no mercy, then Resident Evil 0 is for you. ~ isiahzombie

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/06