The franchise that started the survival horror craze is back once again. This time not to continue the goings on of the storyline, but to take a step back and find out exactly what caused it all in the first place. Is this trip into the past as best as the rest?

Story
Resident Evil 0 starts off with the Bravo Team's helicopter crashing down into the infamous woods while investigating the recent report of attacks. The team searches the surrounding area while Rebecca wonders off and finds a train nearby and decides to check it out for herself. The horror starts from there.

Gameplay
The core gameplay consists of the same Resident Evil formula, which includes wandering around, finding clues, solving puzzles, and killing the enemies in hopes that you survive and escape. This one adds a twist on the aging gameplay with the creation of "partner zapping". Partner zapping is a great idea that should be implemented in more games. It consists of controlling two characters in the game working together to solve puzzles and help each other in battle. You can have the character follow you and help you in combat or leave them behind. Leave a character behind and they might radio you for help because they are being attacked by monsters. Wanna play as the other character for a while? So be it. So you get some interesting situations when working with two characters at once. This also plays a key role in some of the puzzle solving and really adds to the whole game. On another note, the item boxes have been completely removed for this game allowing you to drop items freely wherever you want, which will please many fans. Don't worry about forgetting where a item is as the game keeps track of it for you.

Graphics
If you thought the Resident Evil remake had great graphics, then you're in for a surprise. The graphics in Zero are better and have even more detail. They just look downright better than the remake (although no one can deny that the remake still looks wonderful). The characters are once again brought to life with astounding graphics. You really wouldn't think Capcom could have gotten them any better, but they did and you can thank them. Also for those who played the remake, you might remember the slight pause between real-time cut-scenes... well they're no more, so again thank Capcom. The cutscenes also look better and there are more of them to progress the story and drive the player on further.

Sound
Well, atmospheric music has always played a big part in the Resident Evil games and this one is no exception. Eerie moments of silence combined with the frantic pace of music playing at just the right time seems to all add up to one of the best Resident Evil soundtracks ever. The sounds of zombies and other creatures fill the game with terror. Nine times out of ten if the enemies are in the room you will hear them before seeing them and it makes it that much scarier. The voice acting seems to get better and better with every new entry to the series and this one is no different. Billy and Rebecca have a chemistry in the game and the voices really make you feel like they do.

Controls
Ah... The controls are always something that seem to stay the same, for better or for worse. On one hand, many people have gotten used to them but on the other hand some haven't and that's keeping them from playing what is otherwise a great game. If Capcom could just get a good control scheme that worked with the pre-rendered backgrounds then everyone could enjoy the game (Personally, I have no problem with the controls but many people just can't work with them). So, for those hoping for a change - sorry your just going to have to wait for Resident Evil 4.

Overall
Resident Evil has finally made a complete return with a brand new part of the story (some didn't buy Resident Evil remake simply because it was a remake) and it's awesome. Capcom has had extra time to work with the Gamecube and it shows. Everything is practically better then the last, except the controls (which are the same). The character zapping is one of the most interesting aspects of Zero, along with the item boxes being removed. All this adds to a outstanding prequel which deserves to be in the series. So add this to your game collection right away if it sounds like your kind of game and hop aboard for a night full of fright.

- - Justin Celani