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Since the release of the first Resident Evil game in 1994 on Playstation, Resident Evil has become one of the biggest video game franchises to date. Capcom’s latest effort to cash in on Resident Evils success is Resident Evil Zero, a prequel to the entire Resident Evil series; the true origin, so to speak. And while Capcom’s latest offering brings a few new things to the table, there’s really not enough here to keep you satisfied very long.

Resident Evil Zero boasts the same impressive graphics that the Resident Evil remake does, meaning the game is visually stunning, even as a second offering of the engine. The game does offer an improvement over the graphics from the remake though, as there are more instances of moving objects and otherwise impressive eye candy. Both Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen are modeled beautifully and look very lifelike. Billy has a pair of handcuffs hanging off of one hand that sway realistically with his movements. The models of the zombies and hunters are taken directly from the remake, and are therefore just as impressive now as they were the second time around. There are a few new additions to the enemy roster, which are also very well done (more on them later). The areas in the game are even more stunning in Zero than they were in the remake, especially the train area. You will notice nice touches like bottles rolling back and forth on tables, arms dangling from a decimated corpse, among others. Unfortunately though, the train is really the only area that includes impressive details such as these, and the train area of the game happens to be rather short. This is not to say the other areas of the game don’t look good, because they do. Each environment holds the same dark and gritty theme that Resident Evil has become best known for.

Much like the Resident Evil remake, the sound in Zero is outstanding, may it be the (once again) excellent voice acting, or the games various realistic sound effects. Gunshots, moans, footsteps and monstrous, blood curdling shrieks all help add to the eerie, scared-to-look-around-the-corner mood (quite successfully might I add). Voice acting is again top-notch; thanks to a wide variety of rather talented voice actors that help to bring each of the games numerous characters to life. Billy Coen’s deep voice definitely compliments his mysterious visage; just as Rebecca’s voice helps to further emphasize her young, naïve character. The gunshots sound authentic, helping to convey the idea that you are firing real weapons, as opposed to the rather harmless gun sounds that the series’ earlier entries featured.

One thing that the Resident Evil remake did exceedingly well was introduce entirely new, fun gameplay elements to the series. While Resident Evil Zero has some new gameplay elements, they’re not really that fun. The most noticeable, newly added feature is the character switching system. At any point in the game, you have to option to control either character, Billy or Rebecca. With a simple push of a button (Y by default), you can gain control of either character, leaving the other character to either follow you around, or stay put while you explore other areas by yourself. This feature isn’t very well implemented, as there aren’t many points in the game that actually require it. It’s a feature that’s just sort of there: fluff. Also, you will soon learn that Rebecca is much weaker, both offensively and defensively, than Billy is, which will have you playing as Billy and having Rebecca follow you around for the majority of the game. While controlling one character, you can send commands to the other, such as telling them whether or not to shoot at enemies that are near, or whether or not to move, etc. You can also swap items between each character. For the most part, the supporting character will follow you very well, though the AI comes to some problems when trying to get around enemies. Another problem with this ‘tag team’ system, is that while trying to avoid an enemy, if your supporting character is hit, or in the process of recovering from a hit, and you leave any given room, the supporting character will be left behind, and at the mercy of whatever monster you were escaping. This area of the game could have used a lot more thought, as even the areas that it’s required are rather boring. Another big problem Zero has in terms of gameplay, are the puzzles. Resident Evil usually features some pretty mind-boggling puzzles, leaving you scratching your head (sometimes) for the better part of an hour or so. This isn’t so in Zero, because almost every puzzle in the game is a direct rip off of one found in a previous game. Fans of the series should have no problem wizzing through the uninspired puzzles. My biggest gripe with this unnecessary flaw is the inclusion of the ‘piano puzzle’ found in the first Resident Evil. In the first game, Chris required Rebecca’s help to play the music notes on the piano, but in Zero, Rebecca is completely useless sitting in front of the instrument and requires Billy (who, might I stress, is a runaway convict) to play the music sheet. What I’m interested in knowing is how Rebecca was suddenly able to learn how to play piano properly between the two games.

The traditional Resident Evil controls are still all here, once again ignoring gamers demands for a new control scheme. Capcom seems dead set on keeping the same controls for Resident Evil, instead of opting for the more comfortable, more manageable analog control set everyone else in the gaming industry has adopted. While this determination on Capcom’s part helps Resident Evil hold some individuality in an industry full of wannabes and knock offs, it also hurts the gameplay, because it could be so much more. Such a conundrum, a double sided axe – whatever are they to do?

After everything is said and done, Resident Evil Zero comes up short. Capcom really had a chance to create a fantastic title with this one, but they failed to deliver. Capcom got lazy and it really shows in the final product. Despite the games lengthy development, from Nintendo 64 to Gamecube, the game seems like it was created as an afterthought to keep fans at bay until the much anticipated release of Resident Evil 4. To put it simply: the game could have been a lot better. It’s still worth a look for RE fans, even if it’s just to experience the origin of the T-virus and Umbrella corp. But even the beautiful graphics, great sound, and new storyline can’t make up for all the gameplay problems.