Gaming review - Resident Evil 0
As I make my way through the mysterious and moody hallways of Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster, I notice the distinguishing look and feel between the original Gamecube classic back from 2002, to the new and polished HD remake.
I've always enjoyed the Resident Evil franchise from the early years of the series - the original take on survival horror made clever use of fixed camera angles, very little resources, and rigid controls to create a distinct style of fear.
This HD update looks and plays like a modern game, even after nearly 14 years from its original release. However, the slight improvements that successfully update this old school Resident Evil game's look and feel can't cover up its deeper significant problems.
As the name might suggest, Resident Evil 0 is set just before the events of the first game in the series. You play as Rebecca Chambers, a medic with the military team STARS, is sent to search for an escaped convict aboard a train on the outskirts of Raccoon City.
The culprit in question goes by the name of Billy Coen, a murderer you are taking into custody, though, the train is overrun by zombies (Think season 4 of The Walking Dead style) forcing the two characters on opposite sides of the law to team up. Obviously. While it kills a little bit of that classic Resident Evil tension, I loved having a secondary character to watch my back in tricky predicaments.
What I was really impressed with was the incredible AI of the support character. Initially I was hesitant to equip the AI character with a gun and risk them wasting my very short supply of ammo, but I quickly realised that they're quite controlled and vigilant in how and when they fire a weapon.
You can switch between the two characters at any time you wish, this does bring a different element to the classic Resi feel, but in a positive way. Both Rebecca and Billy have totally different styles and attributes for example, during the puzzle aspects of the game Billy Coen can push heavier objects and take more damage whilst Miss Chambers can use her abilities to mix herbs for various helpful health options (Make sure you take these into account when solving puzzles etc)
Like most Resident Evil games, Zero challenges you to carry just enough supplies to defend yourself from Zombies, Dogs and other monstrous animals and creepiness that the game throws at you. With just enough space to carry some of your findings, you spend a lot of time going through your inventory, deciding what to keep, and what to leave behind.
However, compared to earlier games in the series, Zero makes these decisions allot easier by not only offering two characters, but also by allowing you to drop items anywhere you like - as opposed to specially designated storage chests. Still, the games limited weapon and health resources provide captivating fright as you guide dangerous, uncharted territory.
There are times when you are separated from your partner, making the job all the more difficult, you will more than likely receive calls for help over the radio from a distressed partner, as they tend to get attacked by roaming zombies when left alone for too long.
You hardly ever feel safe, and when working on strenuous puzzles, you force yourself into daunting situations, wondering if you will come out of it alive. Keeping the constant tension throughout is a commendable achievement for Capcom and the talented team behind Zero, especially given that the game depends on the same methods that are over a decade old.
However, there are plenty of occasions when the game turns in the opposite direction, where it becomes too silly and meaningless for its own good.
It's hard to understand whether to laugh or taunt when the game cuts from a horde of flesh eating zombies to an opera-singing villain standing on a distant mountain during a cutscene, or, when Billy drops one of his many, 80's B-movie grade one-liners.
The Verdict
The game is an enjoyable, teasing, frightful experience - bringing nostalgia and excitement back from what we remember in the franchise we all loved, and now miss.
Resident Evil 0 is just a really good classic RE game. It didn't set the bar for this genre the way Resident Evil 1 did; it's not as ambitious or flawless as Resident Evil 2. But it's far from the disappointment that our gaming history has portrayed it to be for so long.
Whether you're a veteran who owned the original back in 2002 or a new fan who has never tried out Resident Evil 0, it's definitely good enough for a second chance.
By Simon Hill
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