Spencer and Cameron are going back to 2002 and looking at what was the last big hurrah in the classic Resident Evil style of gameplay and story before Resident Evil 4 shook up the formula, Zero. When RE games were exclusive for Nintendo and everything just felt right. The GameCube controller almost felt dialed in perfectly for RE controls and the glory days of pre-rendered backgrounds, tank controls, and camera angles were at a pinnacle.

But not everyone was game for this style by this point. RE0 really comes out at the tail end of the golden age Survival Horror gaming boom. And if you loved these types of games, Zero was an instant favorite. But if you have had enough of the puzzles, gameplay, and horror, this one would be more of the same. And a lot of people were looking for something different. I just remember X-Play (For my old man gamer reference) just hated the living daylights out of these games until RE4 changed up the arena. At least there was always Game Pro magazine (2nd old man gamer reference) that kept the faith alive for the love of the classic horror.

This game started off as an N64 exclusive and take a look at that demo footage. That version would have been way past cool. The graphics always feel like they were more in line with the original game. Then the game finally got converted to GameCube in the RE 1 Remake engine. With a lot of cool experimental features for the gameplay. Sometimes goofy, but other times quite interesting.

Resident Evil Zero serves as a prequel to the original Resident Evil, following rookie S.T.A.R.S. medic Rebecca Chambers (who is one of my all-time favorite RE characters) as she investigates a series of grisly murders near Raccoon City. After Bravo Team’s helicopter crashes in the Arklay Mountains, Rebecca encounters escaped death-row inmate Billy Coen, and the two reluctantly team up to survive a nightmare unfolding around them. Their investigation leads them through an abandoned train, eerie facilities, and secret laboratories tied to Umbrella Corporation’s bioweapon experiments. As they uncover the origins of the T-Virus and the betrayal of former Umbrella researcher James Marcus, they battle grotesque creatures and uncover the tragic consequences of unchecked scientific ambition. The story ends by directly setting the stage for the Spencer Mansion incident, revealing how the outbreak began just hours before the events of the original game.

I would really like to see Rebecca and Billy return at some point in a new Resident Evil game, maybe even a third Revelations. Here's hoping!

So, come join us for the run through retrospective discussion, as we deep dive into the lore, gameplay mechanics, and give a retro review on our modern experience. Let us know your thoughts on the game, survival horror titles, and what we should play next.

The Silent Evil Podcast S.T.A.R.S. Spencer Scott Holmes and Cameron Curbelo.

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