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With the release of the Nintendo Gamecube,
came a great opening for Nintendo to pass through and step out of
the Dark Ages of the N64, into the not so dark ages where the
Playstation 2 and Xbox were in a head-head-head race to the finish.
However, like the Tortoise & the Hare, going fast doesn’t mean
winning, and so right now, Nintendo is the Tortoise, taking it slow
& steady and not rushing into things to win the race. With the N64’s
dismal amount of third-party developers, Nintendo themselves were
basically the only developers keeping their system alive. Now that
the Gamecube has released, the window of opportunity has opened, and
the third party developers are trickling in.
Capcom’s interest in the Gamecube has been proven by Capcom making
the Resident Evil series exclusive to the Gamecube. Resident Evil Ø
has finally arrived after starting out as an N64 project, and then
being moved to Gamecube development like Eternal Darkness. REØ has
taken a slightly different approach than usual, but most of it was
for the better, so nothing to fear.
 p
l o t / s t o r y
The RE games have been good at creating a ton of questions about
“why that” and “what for”, and also a multitude of plot-holes big
enough to send a Charter Bus through. Now, seven years later (but
better late than never), Capcom released a PREQUEL to the entire
series, where they could answer a bunch of questions, and explain
what events happened up until the incident at the mansion with Jill
Valentine and Chris Redfield.
Before the mansion, and before the evil, it all had to start
somewhere. Strange and gruesome murders have been reported in the
outskirts of Raccoon City, in Raccoon Forest. S.T.A.R.S, a unit of
the Raccoon Police department, is sent in two units to investigate.
REØ focuses on what happened to Bravo Team, the first team that was
sent in, and why Alpha team was sent in to rescue them. So, when the
Bravo chopper crash lands in the forest, Bravo team investigates the
area, and one member, Rebecca Chambers, discovers a train, and also
meets up with a convicted felon named Billy Coen...
The rest of the story unfolds with a roller coaster ride through the
game, with many twists and turns. Because there were so many
questions about different events in the game, and most of them were
left unanswered through seven years of zombie hunting, the major
thing I was worried about was Capcom trying to cram too much
information down our throats, since there are basically more
questions than gameplay. Instead, many questions are answered as the
pacing of the story takes its time. I was happy that there wasn’t
too much being smashed into our brains, but I was kind of unhappy
that a couple major questions were never answered. Whichever way you
look at it, the game still answers enough questions to make most
people happy, however there will be a few hardcore RE fans who were
looking for the answers to more of the deep-thought questions. But
aside from that, REØ still has a nice story and it was a great idea
to give gamers the chance to
find out more about the RE storyline.
g a m e p l a y
Since REØ is the first game built from the ground up for the
Gamecube, Capcom was able to implement many new gameplay techniques
to improve a player’s performance. The gameplay basically follows
the roots of all the other Resident Evils. The zombies are still
there, the puzzles are still there, and the backtracking is still
there. Boring? Not a chance.
The gameplay in REØ has been built upon the all ready strong
foundation of its predecessors in various ways. First of all,
instead of using one character at a time, you’ll be playing with two
characters at the SAME time. This system is called the buddy system,
and it includes the oh-so-hot Rebecca Chambers, and a new character
to the RE series, Billy Coen. The buddy system is a very nice
addition, and this made room for Capcom to add more features to the
game.
You can control either Rebecca or Billy, and if need be, you can
switch between them on the fly by pressing the “X” button. Switching
between characters is almost flawless, as in about half a second and
you’ll be in control of the other character. Whichever character
you’re using, the character you’re not using will follow you. You
can choose whether they attack on their own with their equipped
weapon, whether they don’t use it, or if you want to go alone,
they’ll stay in that spot until you come back and regroup. Believe
it or not, the buddy system wasn’t put in just because Capcom is
getting lazy, but actually the entire game was created AROUND the
buddy system. You’ll rely heavily on your partner in many
situations, including the many puzzles in the game. Once again; the
find item, combine/examine, use it, backtrack, and continue process
is still used, but there are a few twists. Many of the puzzles will
have you taking both characters individually to different places
while all of the puzzles will require some sort of teamwork between
Rebecca and Billy. There will be times where Rebecca and Billy meet
back up if they’re ever split apart, so most of the game you guys
will be together like peas and carrots.
You won’t just be solving puzzles with your partner though, you’ll
also have to trade items between each other, including items that
are part of a puzzle, and also weapons and ammunition. Both Billy
and Rebecca only have six item slots, and at first you may think
that it’s not that bad since there are two characters and 6 6=12,
however once you start finding more items, and the shotgun, grenade
launcher, etc. once again take up two slots, those empty slots often
fill up fast with weapons, ammo for those weapons, maybe some ink
ribbons. You can exchange items between the partners when they’re
near each other, however if one is in another room, then you won’t
be able to exchange.
 So,
to answer a lot of people’s requests, when your item slots are
filled up and you can’t get anything else, you are now able to drop
items on the spot. The long time item boxes have now been taken out,
and so now there isn’t as much backtracking, however newer problems
have risen (each having a solution later on). First of all, there
are only so many items you can leave in each area, and there are
some areas that won’t even allow you to drop anything. With the
absence of the item boxes, which allowed you to access the items you
need as soon as you find the next typewriter (save room), you'll now
have to remember which rooms you left different items at. At first
this may seem like it would be a nuisance, however every problem has
a solution...
What’s the solution? Well, Capcom thought ahead, and since it can be
easy to forget where you’ve dropped items, the mapping system has
been re-worked to accommodate the new improvements in REØ. Whenever
you find the map to each area and you pull it up from the status
screen, the items that you’ve dropped will be marked on the map,
where you can easily backtrack and find it/them. Depending on what
floor you’re on, you’ll be able to see the items on that floor.
The different monsters that have made appearances in the RE series
are back, including hunters, zombie dogs, overgrown
sharks/alligators, and the infamous Zombies. One of the sacrifices
that came with REØ is that the difficulty is incredibly lower than
usual, as you can “kill” a zombie with 2-3 shots, while in the
REmake, it usually took like 7 or 8 shots to take one down. Along
with the basic t-virus subjects (hunters, zombie dogs, zombies),
there are also new ones. First off, in addition to some kind of
mutated animal (shark/alligator), there are now a ton of overgrown
bugs. I understand that a crucial part of the story has to do with a
bug (oops...), but they went kind of overboard with ‘em. So anyway,
some of the other new monsters include small little leeches that
don’t do much damage by themselves, however when a whole bunch of
them gang up on you, they can do some massive damage. One of the
other new monsters is a limb monster or “leech” zombie, because it’s
a whole bunch of leeches that have formed to create a bigger
monster. These zombies are probably the hardest to defeat in the
game, because you have to blow off each limb before they blow-up
(like Eternal Darkness, only this one’s a lot messier)- it takes up
to15 shots to defeat them with a handgun, and maybe 4 or 5 shots
with a shotgun. One zombie type that DIDN’T make a return in the
game is the Crimson Heads from the REmake. One reason for this is
that you start in a cramped train, and second is that you’re not in
the same mansion for almost the whole game, you actually visit
surrounding areas; plus, the leech zombies have taken the role of
the Crimson Head and are actually tougher. As you take damage from
enemies, you’ll lose health, and so you can collect first aid sprays
and herbs, which will replenish your health. Also, like in past REs
you can mix herbs to get stronger medicines. As far as weapons go,
there really hasn’t been any change in the types of weapons you’ll
find. Weapons that have returned from old RE’s include the combat
knife (useless as ever), handgun, shotgun, magnum, and the grenade
launcher. Ammo isn’t really as sparse throughout the game, however
there are two characters to keep equipped, so ammo has been almost
doubled to accommodate both characters. There are a few new weapons
though, including the gun, which isn't’ any stronger than the
shotgun (actually it sucks, I think anyway); the hook shot, which
isn’t actually a weapon, but there are certain places where it’ll be
necessary; and also the Molotov Cocktail, which is like a grenade,
only you mix kerosene in bottles, but they’re not really that strong
against anything other than regular zombies, and it’s too slow to
get another one out, therefore losing health from the enemy as your
character moves like a sloth to get another Molotov ready. The only
weapon that I noticed was absent, wasn’t actually a main weapons at
all, but the defensive weapons have been taken out. You know, the
knife and grenade that Jill and Chris would shove into a zombie, and
I’m SURE that you all remember the grenade in the mouth, a big boom,
and then zombie blood and guts are everywhere.
 One
of the most common questions in reference to the RE games, which has
been asked before every release of the RE games, is if they’ve
changed the control. Sadly, the clunky controls are still the same.
Well, actually I lied, because in REØ, the controls have really been
worked on and all though the same turn n’ go layout is used, it’s a
lot easier to control. Controlling your character is very smooth, so
whenever you’re in a tight spot, you should be able to maneuver a
lot easier. For quick turns, instead of using the C-stick to do a
180 turn, you’ll hold the analog stick back and press the B button.
The reason for the C-stick no longer controlling the 180 turn, is
because you can now control the character that you aren’t
controlling when you’re with them. This is very useful, and one can
truly master this game by being able to control two players at once.
I think one of my bigger questions about the series’ continuance on
the Gamecube, would be that whether or not Resident Evil is losing
its scare factor. This is really based on opinion, because the RE
series really hasn’t relied on super grotesque stuff like in Silent
Hill, and instead creates an intensity level so high, that when
something does happen in the game, you'll jump. Resident Evil’s
scary feel, however, is aided by the graphics and sound.
g r a p h i c s
Back at the end of March when the REmake was released, the amount of
detail in the graphics stunned almost all who ever got a chance to
play the game. I was one of those people ,and back then I didn’t
think they could get any better. Well, we're now nearing the end of
November, REØ has released on the 12th, and I’m still amazed at what
was presented before me on my 32” TV.
Capcom has taken REØ up, over and beyond my expectations that I had
for the game, and it really takes advantage of the Gamecube’s
powerful processor. First off, the backgrounds are still
pre-rendered, however the detail put into them is remarkable. When
you start the game, you’ll wind up on a train, and after that you’re
introduced to the wonderful types of backgrounds there are, and as
the train moves, things on board sway back and forth with the
movement of the train, and also the lights that shine through the
cabin windows as it’s moving, reflects off of everything, and allows
for some major shadowing effects to take place.
Since the graphics are pre-rendered (quite well at that), the
character models would be expected to stick out like sore thumb, eh?
Well not this time, because the characters actually blend in with
the backgrounds. Like always, items that you’ll collect will
definitely stick out, and will shine so you can see where they are.
Back when REmake came out in March, there were a few problems with
the FMV, which included stuttering and small pauses just before
switching to a different scene. Capcom took notice of this, and so
in REØ the cut-scenes have had a massive touch-up (oxymoron?), and
the stuttering and pauses have ultimately been tuned down. Even if
there were still a little bit of pausing and stuttering, it’s been
tuned down so much that more than most people won’t take notice. The
zombies are just as gross as they’ve ever been, and have also had a
graphical improvement. The newer monsters, such as...the Leech
zombies, have a naturally gross, but cool look to them with
elongated limbs and slime dripping off their body. Zombie dogs are
also their natural cool selves with missing flesh and all, however
they don’t make that many appearances (*sniff*).
s o u n d
If there were someone who asked me what made REØ so scary, I’d say
that the audio would blow him away and send him crying to mommy or
daddy. C’mon folks, some people may think that the scare factor is
fading, but actually it’s just begun. The music in REØ is just
downright creepy. There are some moments in the game where there
isn’t any music and some may think it’s peaceful, but it’s actually
just leading to a loud burst of creepy music (or something’s going
to pop through a window...).
The music totally sets the mood for REØ, and actually the whole RE
series in general, because the game’s probably wouldn’t be quite so
enjoyable without some good music that sounds like it’s from Tales
of the Crypt. The sound effects are nicely done, ranging from zombie
grunts, to varying footsteps that differ depending on what kind of
surface you’re on. The voice-overs aren’t nearly as bad as it has
been before (“you were almost a Jill sandwich”), but they still are
slightly cheesy at times. Rebecca has a cheery and high-pitched
voice, while Billy has a gruff and hoarse like voice, both voice
fitting these characters almost perfectly.
o v e r a l l
Resident Evil Ø does right in many areas, and it was definitely a
smart move for Capcom to create the game, as there are lots of
questions RE fans would like answered. The Gamecube has had a
shortage of AAA games lately, however with the release of REØ,
Nintendo's starting to pull out. REØ is truly a great game, however
much of its success will surely be out shown by Metroid Prime and
Splinter Cell, both of which just released on November 19th.
Nintendo's kiddy image is just starting to get shaken off, and
hopefully with more third party support "Nintendo", can once again
be a household name like it used to be back when the NES was the
only console worth owning.
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