Resident Evil Zero

Now, however, is a game for die hard followers of the series who want to know where it all began for this is Resident Evil Zero, a game that tells us of the events in 1998 just before the infamous mansion incident. The historical information found in this game dates back to as early as 1930, and this time once played gamers will truly know how the T-Virus first started.

The question is, with this being the ninth instalment in the series (tenth if you include Code Veronica X and Code Veronica separately) including the two Survivor's, both the GameCube and PSONE originals, and Director's Cut, are things starting to get a bit repetitive? For cult followers, which there are undoubtedly many, the reply is hell no but for the rest of us this could become just another Tomb Raider. Luckily Capcom have taken precautions to make sure gamers do not grow tired of the series incorporating a character zapping function which you will learn more about as you read on...

GRAPHICS

It will come as no surprise to Resident Evil fans that graphically Resident Evil 0 is just as impressive as the original Resident Evil for the GameCube. There is a lot of attention to detail whether it's in the beautifully crafted buildings, or the headless zombie lying in a pool of its own blood on the floor. When shooting a zombie the same splatter of blood that was present in the original will shower the screen, and when fighting another enemy such as the huge spiders a thin pool of green juices will trickle out with every shot.

Graphically aside from the jagged edges to the doors as the game loads in typical Resi style the game is not flawed, it is as near to perfection as games come on any console. Whereas the cut scenes are a lot clearer and colourful, playing the game is very dull, gritty, and realistic. There is a thin line between reality and virtual reality in this game. The character of Billy Cohen is a good example of this, even one of his hairs is out of place, just as it would be in the real world.

The next step in graphics would be to perfect them to such a degree that the hair actually flaps realistically when the character moves and hairs stand on edge as it gets cold - but this is just minor detail and something worth considering for the next instalment if the graphics are to improve from this near perfect state.

It isn't just the perfection of buildings, objects, and characters that adds to the polished look of Resident Evil but also the way everything moves. When the spiders move they creep slowly before launching at you in a fast tip toe manner (although in all fairness this hasn't advanced much from the original game), the zombies lurch forward angrily, and most impressively the toads that have been infected with the T-Virus slide out their massive tongue and suck up the character until they are either free, or swallowed resulting in game over.

Lighting in Resident Evil doesn't play a major role because unlike Silent Hill, Alone In The Dark, or to a degree Eternal Darkness everything is lit fairly well in Resident Evil 0. In the instances when the characters are in the dark, eerie shadows fill the rooms appropriately but this is a rarity. The game seems to be a lot duller and grittier than Resident Evil the remake. Whereas Resident Evil the remake relied on well lit or eerily dark areas, Resident Evil Zero feels as if it has a thin veil of grey covering it as most rooms are neither pitch black or well lit.

Resident Evil 0 follows on from Resident Evil in setting the landmark for graphics in this day and age for which all other games should follow, sadly however there are few games that have reached this standard with the exception of Metal Gear Solid 2 that trails shortly behind the Resi series in terms of graphical capabilities.

19/20

SOUND

As with all Resident Evil games Resident Evil Zero provides an excellent orchestral soundtrack that plays different scores depending on the room you are in. Sound seems to cater for both the sense of sound, and the sense of smell for you can literally smell what enemy lurks depending on the score being played. If there is frantic music you know you're going to encounter the hideous super zombie figure that stalks the house, before it explodes into millions of leeches, or if you are even less lucky you may encounter some sort of boss whether it's a bat or the infamous Tyrant that rears its ugly head.

The scripts for the GameCube versions of the Resident Evil series have been pretty good and this game is no exception. Long gone are the days of the pitiful "What is it? I hope this is not Chris' blood," replaced with more advanced conversations and even an insight into the history of how everything began in Raccoon City.

Everything from the plodding of feet in a murky sewer to the sound of a grenade launcher pounding into the body of a screaming Hunter sounds as it should. Most impressive is the sound of the super zombie/leech creature as it morphs into a giant pair of legs before exploding into a pool of leeches. A series of squelches and disgruntled screeches echo around the room literally sending fear into the gamer. There are, of course, the infamous groans of the zombies, and the high pitched squeal of hunters, but how about the patter of an arachnid? That is also present, as is the creek of doors.

20/20

GAMEPLAY

Capcom have done themselves proud here, for they have kept the same old Resident Evil style of play that we all love yet also managed to input some rather nifty new features that enhance the style of play. The biggest and first change in gameplay is the "character zapping" feature. Rather than playing as Billy Cohen and Rebecca Chambers in two separate outings the gamer gets to play as them both at the same time. This will be much preferred by gamers as it means rather than relying on good old Barry Burton to come and save you when in trouble, or having to play the game through twice to get the full ending you save yourself as you simply zap to the other character to come and save the one you're controlling, and you get the full ending for both characters only playing the game once!

So what does Character Zapping involve?

It involves having both a main character, and a partner character. You, as the gamer, have the freedom to choose whether the characters go places together or alone. You also have the option to choose whether the partner remains idle standing still and relying on you to do all the shooting, or whether the partner attacks the enemy as well as yourself, meaning zombies face, literally, double trouble when facing you.

Character zapping and the ability to be with your partner means that you feel particularly isolated when you have to split up for one reason or another. This leaves the gamer feeling alone and vulnerable to attacks. Character zapping therefore adds a sense of security when you are together yet a sense of increased fear when you are alone. This has helped to portray the fear factor is Resident Evil as well as the full out blood bath aspect.

Another advantage of having two characters is the ability to trade items when near each other. This means that Rebecca could collect an item from a place only she can reach and then give it to Billy for him to use. This feature of exchanging items is important when the characters get separated, and rather than exchanging them hand to hand they have to put the items in a small item elevator where the other character can collect it from the other end. An example of this is when Rebecca is confined to the top area of a section but Billy to the bottom, as luck and predictability would have it Rebecca just happens to find the key needed for the bottom area in the top area hence she has to send it down to Billy!

Remember the chests and storage boxes in Resident Evil? They are rather convenient because you can deposit items in them and then collect them from another box in a different area later. It may be convenient but it's not realistic! Capcom have identified this lack in realism and have replaced the system with a much more convenient one, now the boxes are gone completely, but in their place you can simply drop an item. This means if you need to pick up a valuable key rather than running all the way to a box to deposit an item to make room for the key you can drop an item where the key was and pick up the key. Although ideal one has to be careful what items they drop because if they choose to drop an item they think they have finished with and then need it later in the game they'll be a lot of time spent retracing footsteps!

Billy and Rebecca both have an item exclusive to them, Billy possesses a lighter and Rebecca a mixing set. This means that for certain puzzles only Billy or Rebecca can solve them. However for other puzzles Rebecca and Billy will need to work as a team, for instance some areas will be too high for Billy or Rebecca to get to on their own so Billy will need to lift Rebecca up to get to these areas. There are also instances when Rebecca and Billy need to press a switch simultaneously to open a door, or instances where a door will only become unlocked if one character stands on a panel in the floor while the other opens the door. In addition to this Rebecca is a lot weaker than Billy, this has its disadvantages for Rebecca as she can take far less damage, and can't push boxes. This works in Billy's favour as he is portrayed as a God being able to absorb far more bullets than Rebecca, standing at about six foot five, and physically pushing metal crates across rooms!

There is a decent mix of action, puzzles, and storylines in Resident Evil but one must question the difficulty of the puzzles? Alright so admittedly nobody wants to be stuck on a game for ages because there is one annoying puzzle that forbids you to go any further (i.e. Silent Hill piano puzzle, or any Tomb Raider puzzle) but surely Capcom can come up with something better than add 10 numbers together to make 81 and the switch is magically activated or put the black and white statue in the scales and open a door! Come on, there was a day when Resident Evil was more demanding than this, at least in the original Resident Evil gamers had to press switches in a certain order to open a door. Having said that though, credit must be given to the animal puzzle later in the game, admittedly it is no master piece of a puzzle but it is more demanding than every other puzzle in the game except possibly the fiddly business of lining some crates up to cross a bridge (seriously!).

The storyline for Resident Evil Zero isn't as in depth as the other Resident Evil games but then again it was never meant to be. It simply explains how everything came about which for Resident Evil fans is brilliant as they get to learn the entire history of the virus before it was even named the T-Virus. Gamers will find out exactly who or what was behind the spreading of the virus, and how the virus spread to the Spencer Mansion facility. Whether William Birkin, Albert Wesker, or another random person is involved heavily is for you to find out when you indulge in the game!

Although simply explaining how the virus came about sounds a little weak, the description of the storyline doesn't quite do the game justice as it is more impressive than this. How about the appearance of Billy Cohen? He is a mass criminal who has been accused of killing 23 other human beings, Rebecca befriends him to survive, but the element of trust is never completely there. Then there's the addition of new creatures to the Resident Evil world. You've never seen an ape or leech affected by the T-Virus? You will have upon completion of the game!

There aren't so much downsides to the game as changes, take for example the loss of a 180 degree turn. It would have been nice to have been able to use it but it can't be viewed as a downside for it is such a minor thing. The crimson heads in Resident Evil that you had to shoot their heads off before they were completely dead are gone, although it added a certain amount of fear and excitement to the game it must come to some gamers as a bloody big relief that a zombie isn't going to get up and chase you. Once it is dead it is dead and that's that! Still apparent in the game are the now infamous doors showing up on the screen as the game loads. Although people criticise it and say it makes the game load so long it is a very effective way to load the game. Look at how Silent Hill loads - it simply says "Now Loading," now although that might take place quicker than a door opening it definitely isn't as effective. The loading doors shouldn't be cut out as they help add to the suspense of the game, it serves as a two second break as the gamer holds their finger to the trigger unsure of what will lurk around the corner, fear and suspense build up. The only other alternative to a door appearing would be for the door to open simultaneously and for you to walk through with no loading gap. Despite having said this though the loading doors are part of the whole Resident Evil experience/gimmick, and getting rid of the doors would be getting rid of a part of Resident Evil however small.

A lot of people thought before this game surfaced that it would be a game for concrete Resident Evil fans, and those just interested in getting their regular dose of Resi. This game however has proved critics wrong it is not just another Resi as it has added far more to the Resi series than any other game has in a single instalment. There is a damn good storyline, and a few new systems in place. After playing this game the only thing that gamers will be disappointed with is that it didn't last longer, because if this is the future of Resident Evil then let their be more, roll on more new innovations like the character zapping to the series, and most importantly roll on Resi 4!

24/25

LIFESPAN

Dependant on what you wish to get out of a game will depend on how long this game will last. It has the potential to last from as little as a weekend to as much as a few months. For the average gamer to complete this game once will take around 12 - 15 hours. Take into account that there are 3 difficulty settings, this means to get the most out of the game you have to complete it three times.

Then take into account the massive game you get for completing the game once called "Leech Hunter." Now although sub games aren't always that impressive this one is. It can last over an hour just playing "Leech Hunter" once through, and it is pretty addictive. Leech Hunter consists of both Rebecca and Billy in the mansion collecting leeches, there are 100 leeches in total, Rebecca has 50 green leeches to collect, and Billy 50 blue. It is not possible for Billy to pick up green or Rebecca to pick up blue so characters cannot simply take different rooms and exchange leeches once they have finished, although it is possible in this mode to exchange different items. You are allowed a maximum of 10 leeches in each slot, meaning by the end of the game characters have 50 leeches and just one other item.

Getting to the end of this game isn't easy though because there is a limited amount of ammo, and health although if you are fortunate enough there's a select amount scattered around the mansion. The point of completing Leech Hunter is firstly to have fun and enjoy a bit more unadulterated Resi action with no cut scenes, and secondly because completing it means you unlock unlimited ammo for different weapons in the full game dependant on your success.

At the end of the day, week, or month, Resident Evil Zero's lifespan is what you make of it, it won't last you till the next major Resi but it will last you a while if you persist and complete it fully.

20/25

ORIGINALITY

As far as survival horror and Resident Evil games go Capcom have contributed a lot more to this game. Character Zapping has never been done before neither has dropping items instead of using boxes, or indeed the new storyline explaining how it all began.

There is a healthy amount of innovation in this game but there is not as much as in Eternal Darkness which included the use of spells and different periods of time. Having said that adding spells to Resident Evil would be a ridiculous idea as Resident Evil is realistic and not fantasy (well life like not realistic for I know of no mansions with zombies).

There is room for further innovations to be added to Resi but what at a game that has been developed to such a level one cannot be sure. Capcom have produced a fine title in the form of Resident Evil 0 and the use of character zapping has further enhanced the experience.

7/10

OVERALL

Resident Evil 0 deserves a place in every GameCube owner's collection. It hasn't made as big an impact as Resident Evil remake as it is a prequel but it is a very welcome addition to the series. Capcom didn't want to produce a Resident Evil similar to all other Resi's and have spiced it up with character zapping and item dropping. Along with Eternal Darkness, and the original Resident Evil it will be cherished by all GameCube owning horror fans!

90%

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