Resident Evil 0 - Review

"Obedience breeds discipline, discipline breeds unity, unity breeds power, power is life." – A review of Resident Evil 0. 

I adore the Resident Evil games. Full of puzzles, action, camp dialogue and iconic characters, it's such a fun entry in the survival horror genre. Resident Evil 0 is a prequel, and one I came to later than the others – so how did it match up to the rest of the games?

First released for GameCube in 2002 and developed by Capcom, Resident Evil 0 is set mere hours before the original Resident Evil game. The plot follows S.T.A.R.S Bravo Team rookie Rebecca Chambers, alongside the escaped convict Billy Coen, as they investigate a series of gruesome murders in the Arkley Mountains, leading them to the sinister Umbrella Corporation's mysterious facilities. The plot dives into themes such as betrayal, morality, scientific ambition and the immense human cost of corporate greed and corruption, as well as more positive themes like trust and redemption. Rebecca and Billy may not be likely allies, but they are forced to trust each other and work together if they wish to survive.

There are some key changes to the gameplay in Resident Evil 0. There's a new partner system for you to use, allowing you to switch between playing as Rebecca and Billy in real time. This mechanic is clever, as both characters have different skill sets; Rebecca can mix herbs and chemicals, whilst Billy is far stronger. One of the most notorious changes comes in the form of inventory management though; the traditional item boxes of the franchise are replaced by a "drop anywhere" system, which means you have to think about where you're placing your resources and the backtracking that'll be involved in retrieving items. I can't stand this change – no one likes unnecessary backtracking, and there being a limit on how many items you can drop in one room is frustrating, too. I don't want to have to go searching for a key item immediately after a big fight when I'm used to just being able to pull items out of a storage box!

The limited inventory space, rare ammo and lack of storage boxes really adds to the steep difficulty of this game. Resident Evil 0 is, I think at least, the most difficult of the franchise but for little reward – it simply feels tough for the sake of it. It's difficult to get a sense of achievement when you spend so much time realising that an item you need for a specific area is far behind you now. The dual character system is fun, but my goodness the micromanagement it takes to play like this can be so frustrating, especially during particularly difficult or tense moments. Sure, you can adjust the difficulty, but overall, the challenge this game presents to me at least, is frustrating rather than enjoyable.

I'm not saying Resident Evil 0 is a terrible game. I didn't hate it – I just couldn't love it, either, which is a shame. Whilst the game lacks real narrative depth, it does add to the lore, which I enjoy, and the atmosphere is also pretty tense throughout. Unfortunately for me, though, the backtracking, clumsy AI of whichever character you're not playing as, and steep difficulty overall means that Resident Evil 0 is one of my least favourite games of the franchise.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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