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GameCube Resident Evil Zero Developer: Flagship/Capcom | Publisher: Capcom
Rating: B+MatureYoshi
Type: Survival Horror Players: 1
Difficulty: Intermediate Released: 11-11-02

On the last day of January in 1996, Capcom shipped a PlayStation title that would forever change the face of gaming. In addition to creating its own "Survival Horror" genre, Resident Evil also legitimized the concept of adult gaming. Gamers who were willing to get past the warning of "This game contains scenes of explicit violence and gore" found one of the best adventure games of them all, a title that would spawn ports and sequels on every piece of hardware from Sega's Saturn to Tiger's Game.com. Almost seven years later, fans of the series finally have the opportunity to explore the events leading up to the S.T.A.R.S. mission to Raccoon City. Enter: Resident Evil Zero.

Building upon the love-it-or-hate-it gameplay of its predecessors, RE0 offers the player something new. Both of the game's protagonists, S.T.A.R.S Bravo Team member Rebecca Chambers and fugitive Billy Coen, can be controlled at the same time. This twist allows Capcom to set up new tension by trapping one character and forcing the gamer to guide the other character to the rescue. Further strengthening the dependency on the dual character system is the removal of the "magic" chests seen in all previous Resident Evil games. It is now imperative for the player to manage weapons, herbs, and other items effectively between Rebecca and Billy. As a whole, these off-the-beaten-path additions add some much needed freshness to the tried-and-true survival horror formula.

In addition to gameplay elements, RE0 adds several new locations to the series' lore. The most unique is where the early parts of the game take place - a moving train. The tight quarters and narrow halls of the nightmare express fit the mood of the game perfectly. Zombies rise up from their seats to wander the aisles, mutant leeches block doors, and a large new "friend" finds his way on top of, and eventually inside, the train. While this part of the game is perhaps the most unique, it is not the largest. Chambers and Coen will also find their way to a training facility and into the many familiar locations from Resident Evil 2.

Those people who played through Capcom's "REmake" on the GameCube will have a good idea of what to expect from Zero's graphics. The character models are excellently detailed and move fluidly around in breath-taking but static environments. Perhaps the two most memorable locations in terms of visuals are the train, complete with driving rain outside the windows, and the underground also seen in RE2. It is amazing how far graphical prowess has come since the days of the PlayStation's original attempt at those same locales.

Matching the high quality of Resident Evil 0's visual splendor are its aural traits. Once again, the train provides the most impressive ambiance, as the sounds of high-speed motion and pouring rain combine to set a mood of helplessness. There is no escape, and the sound effect won't let the heroes forget it. Amazingly, the typically horrid voice acting of the series seems to have improved for Zero. Of course, that could just be an learned acceptance of its mediocrity. It becomes hard to tell after this many trips through zombie-filled death traps.

There isn't much top be said about the lineage of the Resident Evil series that has not been said ad nauseam. What is important to note is that Zero manages to breathe new life into the equation by adding the extra character, removing the boxes, and forcing the player to manage his inventory with more precision. These are welcome additions that take an already fantastic world and make it that much better. All of that said, it is time for the series to make the move to full 3D, something Capcom plans to do when Resident Evil 4 ships in 2004. Keeping that pending advancement in mind, Zero is the most challenging and one of the best of the "old" games in the series. That endorsement alone should make it a must-have for nearly every GameCube owner.

· · · Yoshi


Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero

Rating: C-Yoshi
Graphics: 8 Sound: 9
Gameplay: 8 Replay: 6
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