It is no secret that Resident Evil 0 is not the most popular game in the survival horror franchise. Fans who took control of Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen on their nightmarish ordeal at the Umbrella Training Facility would know all too well how Resident Evil 0 missed the mark on becoming a worthy prequel to the original game. Recent leaks suggest that Capcom is currently developing a remake of Resident Evil 0 alongside Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, leading some fans to wonder why the studio is prioritizing the not-so-popular Resident Evil prequel over other entries such as RE1 and RE5.
While the rumored Resident Evil 0 Remake is an excellent way to reintroduce all the stories of the Raccoon City saga to new players, another good reason for its revival is to give Resident Evil 0 a chance to show its true potential by fixing all the weaknesses of the original game, which made it a divisive title in the first place. Addressing its frustrating gameplay and story inconsistencies are strong reasons why a remake of Resident Evil 0 over more popular games in the Resident Evil franchise makes perfect sense.
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Resident Evil 0 Badly Needs to Fix Its Gameplay Mechanics
One of the fans' most prominent complaints about Resident Evil 0 is its gameplay mechanics. It is worth noting that when Resident Evil 0 was released in 2002, the franchise already had several mainline games that followed the same formula. Capcom isn't shy about experimenting with new features in Resident Evil games, and this resulted in Resident Evil 0 losing the iconic item box that stores items players pick up in a universal location.
In its defense, the absence of the item box that forced players to drop their items in the game's environment did work in the first part of the game, which took place on a train. Given the confined location of the train, dropping off items and picking them up later did not end up in frustrating and unnecessary backtracking, which later became an issue once players moved on to other bigger locations. In the rumored remake, Capcom could fix this issue while offering players a unique experience by simply allowing the option to drop their items while still having an item box at hand.
The A.I. System is another primary gameplay mechanic that has plagued Resident Evil 0 and other Resident Evil games that featured it. In RE0, Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen explore the game together, apart from scripted events where they are separated or in puzzles where they have to perform actions simultaneously. While the co-op mechanic isn't necessarily bad, the A.I. System for the character the player isn't controlling must be reworked, especially since A.I. Technology has come a long way since 2002. In several instances, RE0's AI-controlled character would not engage in combat even when enemies attack, forcing players to use precious resources unnecessarily.
Resident Evil 0 Remake Could Fix Its Story Inconsistencies and Highlight the Other Members of the Bravo Team
Another frustration players had with Resident Evil 0 is its story inconsistencies. The questionable journey that took Rebecca and Billy from a train near the Spencer Mansion to the nearby Umbrella Research Facility, then seemingly to the lab from Resident Evil 2, and finally back near the Spencer Mansion raised eyebrows. Not to mention, the reincarnated leech body of James Marcus, who somehow controls infected leeches by singing opera to them, is very much a departure from the grounded science-fiction atmosphere established by the first Resident Evil game.
While Resident Evil 0 did serve its purpose as a prequel by answering questions about the origins of Umbrella and how the T-Virus was released, the game failed to address one important thing: the fate of the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. Although the game primarily focused on Rebecca Chambers and, to some small degree, Edward Dewey and Bravo Team captain Enrico Marini, the rest of the Bravo team only appeared in the first cutscene.
Given that the demise of the highly-trained and elite Bravo Team is probably one of the biggest mysteries in the first Resident Evil game, their lack of time under the spotlight is one of the missed opportunities Capcom could potentially address in the rumored remake. While Resident Evil 0 may not be a popular entry in the franchise, it has immense potential. A remake could address the flaws that made it unpopular in the first place and allow new players and veterans who didn't give the original a chance to experience what transpired the night before the mansion incident.
Resident Evil 0
- Released
- November 12, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
Be prepared to relive the first nightmare in Resident Evil 0, a remastered version of the popular prequel to the original Resident Evil game. This remastered version takes the fear-inducing atmosphere from the original 2002 release and transforms it with stunning new HD visuals, improved sound, widescreen support and an optional modernized control system and more. It’s the best way to experience the story of what really happened before the iconic mansion incident that was the catalyst for the entire Resident Evil saga.
The story of Resident Evil 0 takes players back to 1998. Reports have been mounting about unusual murders on the outskirts of Raccoon City. The city’s Special Forces division, S.T.A.R.S., sends their Bravo Team - including rookie cop member Rebecca Chambers - to investigate. On route, the team’s helicopter suffers engine trouble and is forced to make a crash landing, where they find an overturned prisoner transport vehicle. Splitting up to search the area, Rebecca discovers the Ecliptic Express, a train stopped dead on the tracks. Inside, she meets death row convict and ex-Navy lieutenant Billy Coen. Throughout the game, you will take control of both Rebecca and Billy, at times switching between both characters in order to proceed. Learning the advantages of each character is the key to solving puzzles and surviving the nightmares that lie ahead.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
