"Four years later... and the game is STILL bland!"

Back in the year 2000 or so, there was an announcement about a new Resident Evil game that would be exclusive to Nintendo's first 3-D console, the Nintendo 64. It had improved graphics over its predecessors and new concepts that were highly welcomed. The first unique concept was the introduction of discarding items from your inventory to be picked up at a later time at one's will. This ultimately would eliminate the need for those “magical” item boxes that the series made well known. Another immense feature which was revealed that would alter gameplay was in the integration of character switching. A player could at a button's push, switch between two different characters no matter where they were in the game. This would create a new brand type of puzzle that would have the characters working in alternation. The other seller on this title was the fact that it was supposed to tell Rebecca Chamber's side of the story from the point that the initial police squad's helicopter gave out and dig into the events that would cause the “mansion incident”. Talk about ambitious in really giving the RE series roots! This game was labeled Resident Evil 0 and with screenshots coming out of the title's environments and so forth, people were getting antsy to see how it would come to light.

However, something happened… the titled disappeared from E3 that next year with the new consoles on the way, people wondered “What ever happened to the announced Resident Evil 0?” In the fall of 2001 (before the launch of the Gamecube), Nintendo made an earth shaking announcement that would secure the Resident Evil series as a Gamecube exclusive for the current generation. With the arrival of this news, came the uncovering of brand new eye-popping screen shots for a remake of the original game released back in 1996. And with that it was reconfirmed that RE0 was on its way as well in the same sort of visual style. Everyone seemed to take the news differently. It was Nintendo's attempt at shaking away their “kiddy image”.

As for myself, I was in complete awe at how great these games looked. It shocked me, terrified me and made me an obsessive about getting a Gamecube. Well, life has its shortcomings and when I finally got my cube almost 3 years later, you can bet this was the first title on my choice list.

Was it everything I expected? No… it wasn't nearly as ground breaking as I thought it would have been. I was surely disappointed but got over it quick and threw the game into my limbo of the “unplayables”. Sure, I took it out and beat it once or twice more but it certainly went unused for more than 12 months. Well, here it is, more than a year since RE4 arrived to US shores at which I played till my fingers got tired, and I've decided it's time to open the vault and give this stale horror adventure another try. Would I like it more the next time through? Would I find something that would blow me away? Let's take a look deeper into my review.

STORY: 6 “Fine for RE vets, but pretty stale all together”
The story itself is a real head scratcher. It makes one wonder just what was going through the minds of Capcom when they secured the story down. First off, the game revolves around the Bravo team which arrives before the Alpha team (Chris and Jill's unit of RE1). The opening works out well and mixes perfectly with RE-make's opening sequence. There's a lot of attention to detail and that works. The story picks up when Rebecca discovers an abandoned train or so she thinks. Inside, there's all hell breaking loose with leech-virus zombies running amuck. Now supposedly these zombies catch the same virus as the ones in the mansion did… however, not once will you ever find a Crimson Head (the star of the remake). Its inconsistencies really begin to take off when you begin to realize there isn't a single reference in the remake to this prequel. Now if these games were made at around the same time, why was something like this ignored? Anyways, as you venture on you find out that there's this operatic singing man in a dress-like coat that controls these t-virus leeches that can transition from slime to bug in a moment's instance. Heck, these things can transform into humanoid like beings that chase you about the new areas, which if I may say so are rip offs of the original mansion. You meet a rouge marine who was actually supposed to be transferred for the deaths of about twenty people or some such like that. Needless to say, things aren't as they seem…

Some hot spots in the game's story are when you actually get to venture to previous areas in previous games in their redone fashion and really get the sense of how those games would have looked if they had been refurbished like RE1. Thanks Capcom, you really know how to tease us, don't you!? The ending is actually quite fun and different sort of… despite some RE signature staples. It obviously isn't the most cheerful ending which is a huge departure from previous games and sets up the first installment for its rollercoaster ride.

VISUALS: 9 “Photorealism at its finest”
RE0 takes all the visual splendor of RE1 for GCN and ups the ante a slight bit with faster loading times, even more improved character models, and even more detail to the already unparalleled background visuals. It does use 2.5D which consists of CGI-looped still-camera backgrounds that really give an appearance of super realism. It's a really breath-taking effort but at the same time, if you've played RE-make, you know what to expect. My only complaint is that there is too much use of brown in the pallet and granted, it definitely works… it makes the game's overall look feel quite boring and unimpressive. RE-make used more lighting effects which attributed to a truly surreal and intense environment. This game's environments play much more on the lighter side. However, there was a great effort on Capcom's part. I applaud you!

AUDIO: 8 “Good mix of sound and ambiance”
The game's audio is a rather good package. The voice acting is well performed and helps the story roll on at a good pace. The music chosen for the title can definitely border the line of incredibly composing and eeriness. Much of the game however, doesn't even need a background track playing because the simple sounds of the outdoors or the tap on a window by a tree (or something else) are just enough to unnerve you from security. RE0's sound-design is extremely organic and natural. The weapons and sound effects are brilliant and loud! The detail helps in appreciating your weapons more and accepting the fact that you are one bad boy… or… uhm… girl.. Overall, I loved the audio, I'm sure you will too.

GAMEPLAY: 7 “So much of the same old, though it works”
RE0 definitely takes every one of its series' clichés and throws it into this very well tinkered and tapered adventure. It's just really bland when you realize you've done the same things over and over, time and time again in ALL the other games. You travel throughout a few territories and areas, finding keys, puzzles, weapons and whatever else to help you in unlocking every door, killing every baddy and still have time to wipe that nasty leech off your window. The co-op puzzles are so easy and uninspired, it turns out to be “just another RE puzzle”. The monsters are so-so. There are a couple new additions but nothing to write home about. There are plenty of creatures from RE1 that make a re-appearance but the sad thing is… that there isn't a single Crimson Head to really shake up the combat! It's sad to know those things were a one-game only sort of thing. The bosses can be challenging but it's always the same strategy to beat each one. Run out of its way, shoot-shoot, run away again, shoot-shoot, and reuse. The last battle is definitely the most interesting and allows you to choose whose part you want to do letting the computer take control of the other. It's also by this way, that the game becomes even easier. Two people trying to pick off the same zombie or spider… is child's play. You can kill these beasts in half the time and with half the effort. The addition of item dropping which is supposed to help speed things up, turns into a backtracking nightmare especially when you realize you've left something that you need 2 areas back and now have to venture allllllllllllllllllllll the way back to get the sucker. Frustration will have its moments.

REPLAYABILITY: 7 “There are some extras”
The extras in the game are based on the basic Resident Evil aesthetics. You have a bonus game which is usually addicting and fun to play (check!). You have bonus weapons worth trying out. There are also new costumes and everything else you can expect in a RE game. The replayability will be there with some people, and lacking for others. I fall somewhere in-between.

OVERALL: 7 “The pinnacle point where RE was just “so-so”
The game failed to impress me like I believed it would. The visuals were superior to anything I had seen. The audio was nerve racking and definitely helped the experience a bit. The gameplay was structured around over-used themes and an incomplete story. It was the only RE to leave me empty and on the floor begging for the something more that it could have been. I'd recommend buying it in the end if you love Resident Evil. It's a Player's Choice title and at $20, it certainly isn't a bad deal. I'd even recommend it to those that have never played RE and want to try it. However, if you don't like RE in any way, shape or form… stay away from this one!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/06