Resident Evil Zero (GameCube)

Another welcome change from the usual Resident Evil formula is the absence of item boxes--now you can drop items whenever and wherever you like. In most other areas Resi 0 is business as usual, as you creep around a series of genuinely creepy mansions, trains and underground bases fervently wishing you had enough bullets to deal with all the foul monsters that are out to get you, many of which, without wishing to spoil the surprise, are not technically zombies this time around. If you haven't liked previous Resident Evil games you're unlikely to change your mind now, but such sourpusses are the only ones who will fail to be captivated by this highly entertaining, atmospheric and (at least in comparison to some of its predecessors) innovative game. --David Jenkins

GRAPHICS:

(+)Simply amazing. The sharp, pre-rendered locations are stunning and possibly the best graphics I have ever seen in any computer game. The backgrounds breathe with movement, a technique that has been perfected on the Gamecube, allowing pre-rendered backdrops to look alive and not static as they had in previous entries on the Resident Evil series. The colours work fantastically with the mood of the game and the cut-scenes are directed with amazing skill and are the most amazing I have ever seen in a game, surpassing those of Final Fantasy X in my opinion.
(-) Not a single problem, there is not one visable polygon mistake in this game. The lighting is beautiful. The only problem I would mention is that sometimes the camera is at an angle where not every available route is visable for the player. I often missed whole areas because I simply couldn't see their entrances.

SOUND:

(+) The use of sound effects is very cleverly employed, zombies will quietly shuffle in the distance, as always, and this proves to add to the tension a lot. The sounds created by the monsters are very well done. If I only had a surround sound system!
(-) The repeating footstep sounds can make the game sound a bit unrealistic, in the game "Silent Hill 2" for the playstation, hundreds of individual footsteps were recorded to avoid this, perhaps the game could have employed this technique? When you get used to the three or four different zombie groans, they just aren't scary anymore.

MUSIC:

(+) Very good, as usual. The music in the series is wonderful and the games' score is worthy of being a soundtrack to a movie. The music is very moody and slow, setting a perfect undertone for the visuals.
(-) More please! Long areas without music meant for me the atmosphere lacked. The makers perhaps thought silence was scarier and perhaps this is true, but in moderation.

PLAYABILITY:

(+) Easy to get into if you're familiar with the series. Nothing has really changed and all the improvements made throughout the series remain.
(-) The new system means you control two characters at once and there are times where this is difficult. I played the game on "Hard Mode" first which was a mistake, I thought I was good enough, but this game proves a new, and very difficult challenge on "Hard Mode" even for those experts of the series! I thought there were moments in the game where it was almost the luck if you survived - the computer controlled character can waste your ammo sometimes when you don't want them to, but you want them to be armed just in case. It's not really a bad point about the game, you just have to be very aware. You can never relax, which is actually quite a good thing in the case of this game.

REPLAY VALUE:

(+) Lots of extra stuff to do, like in all of the Resident Evil titles. It will keep you coming back and experiencing every inch of the game, which is worth doing!
(-) After playing the game on "Hard Mode" you will be exhausted and won't want to experience much more for a while, but give it time, you'll want more.

CONCLUSIONS:

I was shocked at how long this game was and how amazing it looked. There are more kinds of monster in this game than any other in the series, which is refreshing - I didn't expect so much from what I thought was going to be a fairly short and lacking spin-off to the Resident Evil Remake. This is a full blown prequel that is if anything BIGGER than the remake! The introduction of two characters is great fun and the acting is (for once) really very good! The lip-sinc is perfect (as it's not dubbed, it's in English in Japan, just subtitled) and the story is great, explaining quite a lot and leading up to the events in Resident Evil 1. With the oppertunity of a prequel, more could have been explained and the appearance of some of the more mysterious characters of the series would have been nice (though there are a few suprises, I personally would have loved to have seen what Ada Wong of "Resident Evil 2" was doing during this time period). This game is perfect, it moves away from the more "hollywood" orientated road that "Resident Evil: Code Veronica" began to steer down but keeping the horror, action and character development that we've come to respect the series for in total tact. Well done Capcom!


One of the Best Resident Evil Games   February 27, 2005
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I absolutely love this game. It's got a great fear factor, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. When I was playing it, I kept getting to situations where I was scared to go into the next bit, knowing there would be a huge boss, yet wanting to know what was past that. This game keeps you gripped, with its awesome storyline and brilliant graphics. For all resident evil fans, I really recommend this game.
Its got great features that the old versions never had, such as being able to drop your items and them pick them back up. You also have a partner throughout this game, so you can switch between them and pass items if you're close enough. One of the most annoying bits must be that you don't have one of those 'safety box' things that you have in the playstation resident evils, so theres nowhere to deposit your items. But being able to drop and repick up your items later on makes up for this.
I think this game is great, because it kept me hooked for so long that I actually bothered to go right to the end and complete it. Usually a normal adventure or platform game will get boring or there will be a bit you get stuck on and you give up, but this game keeps you going right to the end, and you often spot items you've missed or rooms you haven't gone to using the map.
In my opinion its an awesome game, and a must for any resident evil/silent hill type fan.


Da Best   July 14, 2005
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This is my favourite RE (and Gc)game I currently own. The game further expands on the origional story, telling how the T-Virus was created. The character zapping system works well, and makes the game a fair bit easier. The graphics are impresive to say the least, and the "real time" lighting really adds to the mood. A must for fans of the game.


Best suvival horror game ever   June 14, 2005
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

From start to finish this games has supsence and more action than ever of the other resident evil games. It has amazing graphics and is well worth getting. It keeps you on the edge of your seat all through the game and people who are new to the series this will last you at least 15 hours first time through and you would want to go back for more.


Fantastic   February 21, 2005
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I recently bought a GameCube for the upcoming Resident Evil 4 release as Resident Evil was the reason I bought the PS1 all those years ago. Fans of the series will love this game, it has everything that you could want from a Ressy game and even manages to recapture that feeling of dread that the original had in bucketloads.

The storyline is excellent and helps to explain a lot about the series - Where did the virus come from? What's old Al Wesker got to do with all this?

Zombies, Monkeys, Leaches, Hunters and a pump-action shotgun. Heaven.