Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Resident Evil 0 expands on the classic survival horror formula by introducing the “partner zapping” system, which allows you to seamlessly switch control between Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen at any point. This mechanic isn’t just a gimmick—it lies at the core of puzzle-solving. Certain areas and devices can only be accessed or manipulated by one character, forcing you to juggle inventories, coordinate actions, and plan escape routes in the heat of a zombie onslaught.

Puzzle design in Resident Evil 0 strikes a satisfying balance between brain-teasers and action. You’ll find yourself decoding steam valves on the train’s boiler, rerouting power in Umbrella’s research labs, and deciphering schematics on scattered documents. With the ability to drop items anywhere, you can establish impromptu caches, which reduces backtracking to item boxes but also demands strategic foresight—will you leave your shotgun shells in the dining car, or risk hauling them through the sweltering woods?

Combat remains tense and deliberate, harkening back to the genre’s roots. Rebecca’s tranquilizer gun is ideal for slowing down faster creatures, while Billy’s shotgun and grenades carve a path through tougher foes like the mutant centipede. Ammunition is scarce, ammunition management is critical, and each skirmish can quickly turn into a nervous scramble for healing items and reloads. This scarcity underscores the game’s survival element: every bullet counts.

Graphics

On its original GameCube release, Resident Evil 0 featured lush pre-rendered backgrounds and detailed character models that pushed the hardware to its limits. The train’s interior is richly textured, from flickering lights overhead to the grime-streaked walls of the cargo hold. Forested outdoor areas showcase dynamic lighting effects, particularly when your flashlight cuts through the evening gloom, casting long, ominous shadows.

Enhanced ports sharpened textures, increased resolution, and polished lighting to modern standards. Rebecca’s medical pouch, the glint of metal on Billy’s shotgun, and the fluid, unsettling movements of Umbrella’s newest bio-weapons all benefit from these updates. While the game’s core assets remain unchanged, the visual tweaks make environmental details pop, reinforcing the sense of dread in cramped train cars and murky tunnels.

Creature designs in Resident Evil 0 stand out as some of the series’ most grotesque. The mutant centipede writhes with an unnatural liveliness, its segmented body sliding across floors and walls with chilling purpose. Keyframe animation for zombies highlights every gnarled limb and vacant stare, making encounters feel as visceral as they are frightening. Even minor environmental details—rusty pipes, blood-smeared crates, shattered glass—contribute to an atmosphere of decay and isolation.

Story

Serving as a prequel to the original Resident Evil, this installment sheds light on Umbrella’s clandestine activities and the origins of the T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City. You step into the shoes of Rebecca Chambers, a rookie medic from S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team, and Billy Coen, an ex-marine convict whose transport to a military prison goes horribly wrong. Their uneasy alliance forms the emotional core of the narrative, as trust builds through shared peril.

The game’s opening is cinematic in scope: a helicopter crash in the forest, a downed transport truck full of Umbrella casualties, and a stalled luxury train abruptly halting your investigation. From there, you peel back layers of corporate conspiracy—secret labs hidden beneath the train, experimental strains of parasites, and entries in debrief logs that hint at Umbrella’s apocalyptic agenda. The story unfolds through item descriptions, voiceovers, and environmental clues, rewarding exploration with lore-rich revelations.

Character interactions are surprisingly compelling for a survival horror title of its era. Rebecca’s medical expertise and Billy’s soldierly pragmatism create a dynamic contrast—she urges caution, he advocates decisive action. As you encounter Umbrella scientists and deranged test subjects, their improvised dialogues and panicked radio transmissions heighten the stakes. The narrative weaves personal redemption arcs with broader commentary on bioweapon proliferation, offering more depth than many action-first horror games.

Overall Experience

Resident Evil 0 delivers a tense, methodical journey through Umbrella’s hidden machinations. Its partner zapping system remains a standout innovation, breathing new life into classic exploration and puzzle mechanics. You’ll feel the weight of every decision—when to heal, who to leave behind, and how to allocate scarce resources—fostering an enduring sense of dread and accomplishment.

Replayability is high, thanks to multiple difficulty settings, unlockable costumes, and the dreaded Wesker Mode introduced in later ports. This bonus feature grants Billy superhuman agility and Rebecca a specialized combat rifle, incentivizing players to master the base game before diving into a turbocharged replay. The train’s twisting corridors, wooded expanses, and secret laboratories reveal hidden items on subsequent runs, fueling the desire to fully map every inch of the environment.

Whether you’re a longtime Resident Evil aficionado or a newcomer seeking a refined survival horror experience, Resident Evil 0 offers an engrossing blend of strategy, storytelling, and scares. Its blend of atmospheric tension, inventive puzzles, and cooperative mechanics cements the game as a must-play chapter in the Umbrella saga—one that skillfully bridges the gap between its predecessors and successors.

Retro Replay Score

7.4/10