Review Courtesy of Reno

Resident Evil, the survival-horror series that birthed an entire genre through shock therapy, has returned. But while the latest installment is a welcome addition, expanding upon the principles that made its predecessors such successes and adding much-needed hi-res atmospheric flair, the truly frightening part is it's a bit shy of must-have status due to pressing issues with artificial intelligence, item collection, and game balancing. I, assuredly like many of you reading this, must admit to being a shameless fan of the franchise. So, when the opportunity to pursue a storyline that serves as a prequel to the original adventure presented itself, the chance was too good to pass up.

In at least one regard, I can cheerfully report the title lives up to expectations, casting you as Rebecca Chambers, a S.T.A.R.S. team operative who arrives in creepy Raccoon City on the eve of impending disaster. Her partner in crime -- literally, since he's an escaped criminal wanted for murdering two dozen innocent people -- is Billy Coen, with the two getting to know and rely upon each other through a random twist of fate. Together, through all-new partner swapping functions, the pair must investigate the much-speculated origins of the T-Virus and Umbrella Corporation. Predictably, the setup works. Magnificently. From the moment you set foot on a ravaged train -- which silently, and for no apparent reason, begins speeding through a freaky forest until you set foot in the infamous manor which housed the initial PSOne adventure -- the title might as well be a late night horror flick come to life. Hauntingly beautiful visuals, incorporating everything from tattered cloth to flickering lights, dripping water, and oozing pus, give it an organic feel that should have the faint of heart squirming in their seats. Toss in the eerie moaning of wind through the trees, groans and shuffling from a varied cast and crew of zombified individuals, and the occasional frenzied exchanges which take place between terrified characters, and you've got a recipe for the most chilling scenario ever to grace a GameCube.

For a longtime admirer, it's a familiar state of affairs. Which, of course, means all the old downsides have returned to haunt players as well. I, for one, cannot understand why nothing has been done about the control system, which still requires you turn in place before moving across the lavishly rendered 3D landscapes. The game's loading times between rooms have also failed to be cut down, with the typical transition scene (door opens, view ascends a ladder, etc.) still in place. Dialogue is -- as always -- fairly cheesy as well, detracting from your suspension of disbelief, and puzzles again require either too much backtracking (if a briefcase is locked, why chase down two medallions rather than just smash the @$#! thing open) or too little mental effort. And, for every truly inventive enemy introduced, typically as it bursts out of nowhere and begins chasing you down a hall, there's a giant bug or frog to take the edge off . . . a bad thing, since drastically pumping up the suspense and paranoia is what the game should be doing. In hopes of appeasing disgruntled audiences, Capcom has incorporated several new features. They don't necessarily work as planned, though. Puzzles which require cooperative effort are fantastic -- asking Billy to move an obstacle or slide objects to Rebecca through a dumbwaiter often provides for an ingenious solution. Having to baby-sit a second character -- who can be attacked at any time by respawning enemies -- or fight alongside them, due to the terrible AI they've been accorded, isn't so endearing. Similarly, the newfound ability to drop items wherever desired instead of stashing them in trunks backfires a bit; it's a real pain remembering exactly where that green herb or shotgun is hiding. More so, since the onslaught of enemies seldom lets up for a second, there's nothing like barely surviving a room or tumbling from a train wreck right into a nest of burning baddies before a typewriter save point is encountered requiring you play the last 20 minute sequence over again. Ouch!

Despite the overwhelming sense of disappointment that inevitably sets in, Resident Evil 0 is still head-and-shoulders above the competition. No other game makes you feel as under the gun, as trapped, and as helpless. Running through ravaged rooms as duos, trios, and groups of undead will have your heart racing. Furthermore, the need to protect two specific individuals is sure to drive you batty with worry. For instance, whenever possible, I found myself grabbing both characters, putting them in the same room, controlling the duo's fire, and racing for the exits as a team. I don't care how many spare first aid sprays or ink ribbons you've got in that inventory . . . because you're facing such wicked odds, every single one will count. And, if your underpants aren't soiled at least twice in the first six hours, brother, check the DVD case -- you've been playing the wrong game. Give the design team credit -- newcomers who make this their first entry into the series will indeed be scared shitless, mostly because of the challenges that lie before them. Even experienced players should be warned. While there's a lot of great content to uncover here, it's going to demand a significant time investment and oodles of frenzied restarts before you get to it. As product installments go, where Code Veronica was an accessible entry point for the freshly initiated, Zero is more attuned to the hardest of the hardcore followers. Given that fact, you can't really fault the game for thrusting a world of trouble on anyone who takes up the controller against the forces of darkness . . . that's exactly what most confirmed Resident Evil junkies expect. Furthermore, as a bridge between the first title's remake and the impending Resident Evil 4, it's no wonder the title is attuned to such a specific subgroup. But that does limit its appeal.

While true believers shouldn't miss out on the first truly new nightmare for next-generation consoles from Capcom's internal studios, the rest of the gaming universe can likely postpone an impending return to Raccoon City until the anticipated sequel to Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ships.

SCORE: 8 OUT OF 10

Everyone's favorite moron
Reno