Resident Evil 0

Refreshingly archaic is how I’d best describe Resident Evil Zero. For all the ridiculously contrived puzzles and heroically awful line readings there remains an interesting mix of adventure, exploration and combat that appears to be somewhat of a rarity these days. Originally released on the Gamecube back in 2002, the 2016 remaster is an odd throwback to the days when the series was more classic adventure game than the third person shooter it became. There are items to find, combine, and the process of exploring and unlocking the next area is much more a test in puzzle solving than it is in simply blasting monsters.

One thing that remains a classic Resident Evil tradition unfortunately is its tragically dire narratives. S.T.A.R.S medic Rebecca Chambers and fugitive Billy Coen are Zero’s two gaping voids of nothingness, whose most interesting characteristic I found, if one is allowed to be generous with the term, is their ability to wear different silly outfits. Whilst I am admittedly a lover of dress up in both real life and video games, when the most interesting thing one can say about a character is what they are wearing, then you really are in a bit of pickle, that or I am just incredibly shallow (entirely possible) and have failed to appreciate the subtle depth of personality on display (somewhat doubtful).

Another great problem is the notion that Capcom believe you might be interested in Umbrella’s aggressively dull internal politics, and the developer has a peculiar belief that any living being might be engaged by one staggeringly stupid villain’s revenge against an equally stupid, albeit slightly more treacherous, villain. The only emotion the story really generates is bafflement and envy at the person being paid to conjure such whiffy monkey drool.

Mercifully the puzzles that comprise the experience are a far bit more satisfying, if rather more nonsensical in how they work. How did that access card get onto this random high-up rock? Why is this door handle in this room and not where it should be on the other end of this underground facility? Alas, there are never any answers to such things, only the twin tasks of fitting tab A into slot A and not asking too many questions about it. It’s quite dumb for the most part, and generally easy, but the satisfaction of solving something and making progress is however very much enjoyable. There’s a far degree of variety too, and for all the bizarre set-ups of each puzzle, many are well designed once taken out of their oft-times ludicrous context.

It also helps that there is an effective atmosphere to be found among the deserted mansions and trains you spend your time in. The lack of UI especially does a lot for immersing oneself into the murky environments in an age when so many other games look to shower you with meters and objective markers. The music is effective, if not overly memorable, and visually the game is actually quite impressive considering the age of the original. Character models are nice and sharp while the pre-rendered rooms are atmospheric and richly detailed. It's something of a disappointment then to have to what is quite a creepy mood ruined by so much goofy nonsense taking place within it.

Combat is still as clunky as one might imagine for a game that originally had tank controls, but the option for full analogue movement, and an auto-aim, nonetheless makes the game more user friendly to control and get into. The level of challenge offered is however, as a result of these adjustments, somewhat hamstrung. Anyone looking for a stern test of their survival skills is unlikely to be sated by what's on offer unless you actively restrict yourself in terms of healing and saving (something which the achievements actually reward you for). If one was to view the experience as an adventure game then the issue of difficulty is less of a criticism as many lovers of adventure games such as myself do so because they offer an experience that does not rely upon twitch reflexes such as shooters or fighting games.

Nonetheless adventure games tend to do better with respect to narrative as it is that genre's primary appeal, so with the amount of combat being much more prevalent here, the experience can be frustrating as it ungainly straddles multiple genres, where a stronger adherence to one or other might make for a better overall game. Resident Evil Zero stands at an uneasy crossroads between shooter and adventure, from where Capcom, perhaps wisely in view of their writing anti-talent, ended up choosing the shooter route for the series' evolution as a whole.

Resident Evil Zero was a hard game to dislike despite the many things that are wrong with it. Suffice it to say that games like this are not really made any more, and more's the pity as the set of ideas presented have much potential within them. With a bit more refinement to the combat and with a bit more thought given to the puzzles, and with some competent storytelling, you could have quite the experience on your hands, instead we have Resident Evil Zero; a very silly game.