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Resident Evil Zero Review - Gamecube

Capcom's ability to consistently release sequels that never stray far from the nest is one of the trademarks of the industry. If the games were bad, this would be unforgivable, but since Capcom know how to make a game a good, solid experience, all is forgiven. Resident Evil 0 is one last solid, if dated, foray into the world of survival horror, before RE4 steps in as the new daddy.

Capcom remade the original Resident Evil for GameCube with surprising success. The game succeeded on delivering a top notch experience on every level, except, of course, for the most important level of all: Gameplay. It used the same controls it had used way back in 1996 when Resident Evil first treated us to a pre-rendered decapitation. Fans of the series might be able to forgive it one last time, in order to find out the origins of the dastardly T-Virus.

Resident Evil's story has always been a bit twisty turny, never fully explained, with a couple of plot holes, but it's a plot that fit right in with the X-Files craze of the nineties. People wanted monsters, conspiracies, cover-ups, more monsters, and a sexy female lead. They got it all, and they wanted more. Resident Evil Zero tells the story before the first game, about how the virus escaped, how Rebecca found her way to the mansion, and just what happened to Bravo Team when they went missing. It fills in some of the gaps, but in the process, tears the already established history of RE to shreds, then puts it back together again with a few bits that weren't even there before.

Resident Evil Zero plays just like any other game in the series (except for the light gun games of course). When I say just like it, I mean it. Capcom haven't reinvented the wheel, they've just gone down the road with the same wheel again and again. There are a few new features, and they add an extra twist in the road, but it never really gets used to its full potential. I'm talking about controlling two characters at once. You start the game as Rebecca Chambers, young rookie of the STARS Bravo Team, who goes to investigate mysterious happenings in the Arkley Mountains. Rebecca finds a train, all hell breaks loose, and she finds a missing convict, Billy Cohen, an army man set for execution for killing 23 people. Once you meet up with Billy, it's not long before you play both characters at the same time. You can switch characters using the X Button, or you can control the other character with the C stick. Otherwise, you can get them to stay put or let the computer guide them as they follow you around like a faithful puppy.

There are advantages to each character. Rebecca can mix the herbs found around the place to make healing items, and she can fit into small spaces. Billy can handle a weapon like a ... (continued next page)