Now Playing: Resident Evil Zero Remake

I picked up the Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero remakes in a recent sale. You can read my review of the Resident Evil remake here. I also picked up the Resident Evil 2 remake, but I wanted to complete both Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero before jumping into that title.

I played the original Resident Evil Zero on its release on the GameCube in 2003, but going into this remake, I recalled very little. And now I’ve completed it again, I think I know why. Zero is a pretty decent entry in the Resident Evil series, but as much as I enjoyed playing through it, I must admit that it’s a pretty forgettable game.

Zero serves as a prequel to the original Resident Evil, set just hours before the events of that game. You play as both Rebecca Chambers of the S.T.A.R.S Bravo Team, and Billy Coen – a former soldier convicted of murder and sentenced to execution. Unlike the original Resident Evil with Jill and Chris, Rebecca and Billy aren’t split between two separate playthroughs, but are switched between as you please.

 

It’s a pretty simple, but effective system. Each character has their own inventory and you can switch items between them providing they’re in the same location. The character you’re not controlling will be handled by the AI, which you can set to attack at will or remain idle. You can also choose to operate as a Team (which means your AI partner will follow you) or Solo (they’ll hold position).

There are several puzzles and environmental obstacles that are based around this character switch mechanic, requiring you to make use of both characters in order to advance. But as fluid and clever as the system is, it also feels a little wasted because ultimately, aside from those handful of (very) simple puzzles, it doesn’t factor as heavily into the gameplay as perhaps it should.

Another big change in Zero is the lack of item boxes. This sort of makes sense considering you have two inventories on the go at once, but I can’t say it really adds or subtracts anything to the item management experience. You can drop items you don’t (yet) need and, rather than store them in an item box, you’ll typically just drop them in a safe location with a typewriter anyway.

 

I think the main reason why Zero is rather forgettable compared to the original is how small and linear it feels. I know you can argue that progression in the original is linear, but because of the size of the mansion and the two separate character experiences, it gave it a degree of flexibility and replayability.

But Zero doesn’t share the same replay value because both characters share the same story – even during moments when they’re separated and you’re forced into playing as just one of them. And rather then a single, large location to explore, Zero is split between 4-5 smaller locations, beginning on a Train before moving onto what you might call a ‘mini-mansion’ and then some other locations that I won’t spoil.

I think the problem is, as good as each of these locations are, they’re all very small and your progression through them is incredibly linear. The train you begin on – with the simple choice of going forward or back – is pretty much how the rest of the environments play out. Unlike the original game, you don’t unlock multiple locations to explore at once and can pick and choose where to go first. In Zero, you just unlock each ‘door’ in turn and keep moving forward. There’s very little sense of exploration.

 

There’s also nothing really in the game in terms of enemies or weapons that we didn’t see in the original. I guess there are evil, mutant frogs – f**k those frogs – but there’s not much else to get very excited about. The boss battles in the game are also kind of forgettable. I liked Rebecca and Billy as our heroes but the actual plot is a little half-baked and kind of silly.

Visually, Zero still looks great today. I’d say the environments look sharper and better than the Resident Evil remake. In terms of length, you’re probably looking at about 6-8 hours on your first run depending on difficulty, but like I said, this isn’t a game with a great deal of replay value. I didn’t play it multiple times when it originally released, and I won’t be playing it again now.

Overall, Resident Evil Zero is a decent entry in the Resident Evil series, but it feels too short, small, and in terms of plot – inconsequential – to really be considered an essential purchase. It’s a good game that’s worth playing through at least once if you’re a fan of the series, but I’d recommend picking it up on sale.

6/10