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Resident Evil Zero (GameCube) | 
| From: Capcom
Category: Video Games
New (9) Used (7) from £10.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  44 reviews
Sales Rank: 2343
Platform: Gamecube
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Number Of Items: 1
Operating System: Gamecube
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5055060955000
ASIN: B00006TAQU
Release Date: March 7, 2003
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Welcome back to the world of survival horror--again. After the awesome remake of the first game, Resident Evil Zero goes even further back in time with this all-new prequel to the infamous "mansion incident". This time you control Rebecca Chambers (the rookie medic featured in Chris's story from the first game) and "framed for a crime he didn't commit" prison escapee Billy Coen. Unlike previous Resident Evil games, though, you actually get to control both characters, and simultaneously; you can switch between either at any time, choose to have your partner tag along with you, set them to shoot automatically whenever a monster comes near or even control them manually with the C-stick. This unusual system works well and is, as you'd expect, a basis for a lot of split-up-necessitating puzzles. 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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 39 more reviews...
 A run-of-the-mill entry to the series December 4, 2008
Ever since Resident Evil burst onto the scene back in the heady days of 1996, I was hooked on Capcom's survival horror series. The combination of puzzle solving, dodgy tongue-in-cheek voice acting, frantic gun battles and imaginative monsters was, for me, the ideal gaming formula. The original game received a welcome overhaul for the Gamecube a few years ago, and when a prequel was announced focussing on the ill-fated Bravo Team, I was intrigued.
But is it any good? Well, the answer is, kind of.
On the plus side, the graphics look as good as we'd expect. Zero uses the same game engine as the Resident Evil remake. The pre-rendered backgrounds are detailed and imaginative, and the character models are well realized and expressive. The soundtrack is moody and evocative, and the voice acting, while not exactly oscar-winning, is at least competent enough to get by.
Set the day before the events of The Mansion Incident, Zero follows the adventures of STARS rookie Rebecca Chambers and her Bravo Team comrades after their helicopter inexplicably crash lands in Raccoon Forest. Moving off to investigate a nearby train, it's not long before Rebecca encounters Billy Coen (no relation to Joel and Ethan); an escaped prisoner who she's reluctantly forced to team up with in order to survive. Together the pair delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding the T-virus outbreak, and the origins of the sinister Umbrella Corporation.
Initially Zero plays very much like any other Resident Evil game. You investigate new areas, solve puzzles, shoot zombies and other nasties, manage your limited stock of weapons and ammo, and generally advance the plot. All well and good, you may think. Then you meet Billy, and everything... pretty much stays the same.
Sooner or later, most game developers realize that they have to start experimenting with their series' basic formula to take gamers out of their comfort zones, and Capcom are no exception. And while they have indeed experimented with Zero, the end result is to put gamers even deeper into their comfort zones than before.
The core of Resident Evil's gameplay has always been that you, the player, are meant to be isolated and alone in a hostile environment surrounded by lurking monstrosities that want to kill you. It was scary because there was nobody there to watch your back, nobody to provide their reassuring presence when you had to venture into a darkened basement with only a knife to defend yourself.
By introducing the partner system, this feeling of isolation is completely removed. Billy or Rebecca are almost always there to carry extra items, provide extra firepower and just generally help out when things get tough. There is the odd stretch where the game arbitrarily separates you from your partner, and some of the old sense of urgency returns, but such moments are too few and far between.
In this way, Resi Zero becomes less of a survival horror game and more of a buddy movie, with both parties initially hostile and trading barbed insults but gradually growing closer through their shared experiences until they develop a real bond by the time the inevitable climactic battle rolls around.
Speaking of characters, Zero makes some questionable casting choices. Newcomer Billy Coen, an outwardly tough but inwardly sensitive ex-soldier accused of a crime he didn't commit, might as well have come from the Moody Troubled-Past Character Factory. And Rebecca, propelled into the limelight for this outing, seems to have grown a new set of balls from somewhere. She's no longer the indecisive young woman she was in Resident Evil, but a tough and determined soldier ready to do her duty. It's a bizarre change, especially since Zero is set the day before Resident Evil. Lastly, James Marcus, the bad guy, isn't particularly interesting either. With his trenchcoat and long white hair, he looks more like a reject from a Final Fantasy cosplay convention than a genuine villain. Albert Wesker is also there pulling strings from behind the scenes, but his presence is more fan service than a genuine contribution to the plot.
Another questionable decision is the removal of the inventory chests, surely a stalwart of the Resident Evil series. Items are now simply dropped if you no longer have space to carry them. In theory this should make Zero a more realistic gaming experience and force you to make tough choices about what you should carry, but if gaming has taught us anything it's that the relentless pursuit of realism isn't always a good thing. Would you really want to play a WW2 game where a single bullet would spell instant death? Anyway, my point is that in practice, the new system just means inventory management is even more of a pain in the arse than before. And nothing can quite compare to the feeling of horror when you realize you've left a vitally important item on the other side of the game map, and that you'll have to venture back through a dozen zombie-infested corridors to retrieve it.
So what the hell am I trying to say here? Well, I guess my point is that you CAN have too much of a good thing. For fans of the series, Zero effectively provides more of what they like - it's a solid and competent but ultimately underwhelming game that's probably forever destined to be overshadowed by its bigger brothers. It makes some effort to break new ground, but ultimately the things it does aren't big enough or successful enough to separate it from the pack.
Enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect too much.
 Poor old Rebecca... September 13, 2008
Anyone who has played re 1 will know that rebecca is not a great pianist. The same is true here. Not many people would think that you'd need an ex army soilder who looks like he wouldnt tolerate anything to play the keys to open a door! This is possibly the only resi evil i'd play over code veronica and nemesis! Great story line (as excpected)and great bosses. A mad doctor with a grudge against wesker? rite on! The enemies too are scary, funny and then just plain weird. Out Of Leech Men, Bugs And evil baboons this game surley takes the weirdness and horror of the series to new levels. You can also swich between characters which is good, but be aware that like jill and claire before, rebecca is not particulary strong so leaving her a million miles away and controling mr.cool (forgot the name..) isn't advised. The Weapons too are fun, my preference was always the hunting rifle. i prefer it over the shotgun even though t only holds 2 shells! The only flaw i have is that bravo team once again cease to really show. Even Enrico only shows up once. and then you have to fight a tyrant barley 2 mins later. Great game, highly recomended. Capcom, please release this on ps2!!!
 Resident Evil Zero - Minor spoilers June 2, 2008
Before the infamous "mansion incident" Rebecca Chambers a rookie member of S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Services) mooches about on a train trying to locate fugitive Billy Coen eventually the two co-operate and stubmle upon an umbrella research centre filled with the undead. This games takes the player to new depths an exposes some of the never before told secrets of umbrella and Rebecca and Billy are about to discover them.
Resident evil zero introduces some new monsters along with the old monsters such as the zomies and the dogs. It has a new system where you can drop items on the floor anywhere you are, eliminating the old itembox system. Also there is a new partner zapping system which allows the player to switch between Rebecca and Billy as they need to, which along the way comes in very handy for solving some puzzles. The graphics are on the same high quality level as the resident evil remake. It also boasts a fantastic soundtrack.
There were many aspects of this game that I think are awesome. There are only a few things that I wasn't so keen on the first was only having a six item capacity (12 if your paired up with Billy) and the leech monster/ zombie things, I found them highly irritating. However these are minor and for me they don't spoil the game on a vast level. So from me resident evil zero gets a well deserved 5 stars.
Every nightmare has a beginning.... January 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I just recently played this as I have a Wii and can now play all the exclusive Resident Evil games for the Gamecube. I have to say I'm very impressed with this and it is very close to being one of the best in the series. I love these games for all the attention to detail, you can go to most things in a room and investigate them. The locations are great, very creepy and atmospheric especially with the lighting/shadows done in real time! You have a good mix of puzzles, a wide range of enemies to shoot and plenty to do. The story fits in well with the rest of the series and it's good how some of the creatures seem to be "earlier" models of those in the later games!
The new system of carrying things, although some don't seem to like it, is better and more realistic. The idea of putting things in a magic box for later that pop up anywhere was a bit odd. Using both characters to hold items helps get around this, otherwise it adds to the challenge as you decide what you should carry ammo or health as you venture deeper into the darkness...
The idea of character swapping is great to, you can wander off separately to investigate or team up to take on a room full of zombies. Some puzzles will need both characters to progress to which is a nice touch. To change you just press one button to control the other character. This is a cool new option in the series of games and adds to the game greatly for replay value.
The sound and graphics are very good as you would expect, and remind me of the Dreamcast version of Code Veronica. The animation, cgi scenes, lighting effects are great. All the locations look exactly as you would expect them to with great little details in the backgrounds. As for the sound the music is good as the tension mounts and danger is near the music changes to fit the scene. If you play with a surround sound system the extra bass is great for shotgun blasts and you can pick up little details like the heavy rain on the train roof, running underground water in the basement that you wouldn't notice otherwise.
Once you complete it you have a tough mini game to play and this will reward you with extras in the main game to enjoy it all over again. If you love Resident Evil games you will love this, if you are new to the series then start here and you will see what all the fuss is about!
Good, but 1 major flaw. January 14, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
To be brief - most aspects of this game are very good - excellent graphics (maybe even surpassing the RE1 remake).
A little slower moving than RE2, 3 or 4, and maybe not as scary, but for the most part a very good game.
One big flaw detracts a lot of enjoyment though - the new method of managing items.
In the previous games (RE4 excluded) you carried items, and dropped them off in an item box in the save rooms, and you could then go to any other nearby item box anywhere eles in the game and retrieve them - it wasn't exactly realistic, but it worked well, once you'd popped potentially useful items into a box, you never had to go far to get them when needed.
In this one, there are no item boxes, instead you just drop an item on the floor wherever you are, and it stays there until you go back and collect it (and you still have very limited space to carry items around - 6 inventory spaces, and lots of items take up 2 spaces)
This may be more realistic, but it makes the game much more tedious if you are exploring it for yourself (and not following a walkthrough showing the most efficient route to take and which items to carry at particular times), because you will have to drop lots of items in order to carry enough ammo, keys, health etc. - just like in previous games - but unlike in previous games, when you later on come across a puzzle and realise you need an object you dropped half an hour earlier (which you regularly will), you have to painstakingly backtrack all the way to wherever you left it. The map helpfully marks the location of all items that you have dropped or examined so far, but it's still very annoying to find a puzzle, check your map, and realise that the object you need is miles away, instead of just as far as the nearest item box in the previous games.
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