Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster

The person who decided that removing the chest from this game and adding a huge number of story items would be a good idea, I want to address you: I wish you only six slots in your life, two of which would be occupied by a harpoon.

This game is just:
trying to remember puzzles
while simultaneously trying to remember where you threw your inventory.
The train was cool.
The controls were not.
Also whoever created those monkeys owes me an apology.

This game is really annoying to play, but the first train section is worth it, DON'T LET THIS BE YOUR FIRST RESIDENT EVIL

⚠️ ATTENTION! Read this if you're planning to play Resident Evil 0 before Resident Evil 1.
My first Resident Evil experience
I had never played a single Resident Evil game before.
After watching the Resident Evil Requiem trailer, I decided to buy the entire franchise and experience the series in chronological order, starting with Resident Evil 0.
The moment I launched the game, I discovered that Resident Evil is called Biohazard in Japan. That instantly reminded me of a game I had been searching for since childhood — Biohazard 2. I was even more excited to finally experience the series that had fascinated me for years.
However, I quickly learned one thing:
Resident Evil does not hold your hand.
Even Normal difficulty can be brutal, and Hard mode feels like a nightmare. Every bullet matters, every mistake can be fatal, and every death teaches you something new.
But I refused to give up. After finishing the game, I understood why people love this series. Every victory feels earned, and surviving feels like an achievement.
Pros & Cons (from someone completely new to the series)
Before playing Resident Evil 0, I had no idea how the inventory system worked.
Unlike many modern games, this game does not give you unlimited storage or convenient Item Boxes. Instead, you have to drop items anywhere in the world and remember where you left them. I haven't tried Resident Evil 1's item box yet, but if this game had one, maybe i would'nt spend 20 hours on playing this game.
At first, I thought:
"Why would Capcom do this to me?"
But eventually, I started appreciating it. This system creates a much stronger survival feeling. Every item you leave behind is a decision, and every trip back to collect something feels risky.
The enemies are something else.
I haven't experienced anything quite like them in other zombie or horror games. They don't feel like bullet sponges or lifeless corpses. They have weight, presence, and an unsettling realism that is difficult to explain.
Seeing one around a corner is genuinely terrifying.
And finally defeating one after struggling with limited resources is incredibly satisfying.
The biggest problem for me was the camera and controls.
The fixed camera angles and classic tank controls took a lot of time to get used to. Sometimes it felt like I was fighting the controls more than the enemies.
Because of this game, I actually bought an Xbox controller specifically to play it.
Thanks, Capcom... I guess?
To be fair, this is a remaster of a much older game, so I understand why these mechanics exist. They are part of Resident Evil's identity, even if they can be frustrating for new players.
My personal rating:
Gameplay: 8.0/10 – Challenging, rewarding, and surprisingly addictive. Every achievement feels earned.
Controls: 6.5/10 – The fixed camera angles and classic movement system are difficult at first, but they become manageable with time.
Graphics: 7.5/10 – Looks great considering the original game was released in 2002. Still, I would love to see a full modern remake someday.
Music: 8.5/10 – The soundtrack makes the game feel like a horror movie. The save room theme became my favorite because it genuinely makes you feel safe after surviving another dangerous section.
Story & Lore: 9.0/10 – I completely fell in love with the world of Resident Evil. As a medical student, the sci-fi concepts involving virology, biology, chemistry, genetics, and laboratory research made the experience even more enjoyable.
I can't wait to continue the rest of the series.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy challenging games and think you are patient enough, give Resident Evil 0 a try.
I dare you.
By the time you finish, you will probably ask yourself:
"Why did I do this to myself?"
And somehow... you will still want to play the next game.
I would love to share beginner tips, but most of them would spoil important moments. So instead:
Good luck, survive, and enjoy discovering everything the hard way.
Overall rating: 8.0/10
Thanks for reading my review!
P.S. If Capcom ever remakes this game, they should call it Resident Evil 0rigins (with a zero instead of the letter O).

Resident Evil 0 is actually quite a unique entry from the classic era of the franchise. Its foundation is still very much Resident Evil, where the core experience feels extremely similar to Resident Evil 1, 2, 3, but at the same time, Capcom also tried to break away from some traditional formulas in certain areas, which makes it feel somewhat similar to the later Resident Evil Revelations games.
The story takes place before the mansion incident from the original Resident Evil. This time, our protagonist protagonists are Rebecca Chambers from S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, who later becomes an important character connecting Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil 1, and Billy Coen, a former U.S. Marine turned fugitive who is basically the kind of corny badass character you would expect from a 2000s action movie.
This entry introduced a dual character system, and it was surprisingly well polished. Both characters have their own unique abilities: Rebecca can combine herbs, while Billy can push heavier objects. They can also split up and explore separately, and you can freely switch between them at any time. These mechanics make the puzzles noticeably more complex and engaging compared to the original Resident Evil. The AI also performs reasonably well, as your partner will automatically assist you during combat, and if they happen to block your path, you can simply use the right stick to move them out of the way.
Compared to the more confined Spencer Mansion from the first game, Resident Evil 0 tries to take players through a wider variety of locations. From an out-of-control train, to an abandoned training facility, and finally to an underground laboratory, the game offers much more visual variety throughout its journey.
The texture quality in this HD Remaster is noticeably better than Resident Evil HD Remaster, but it falls slightly behind when it comes to horror atmosphere and camera direction. By no means am I saying that the atmosphere here is bad, even from the opening train sequence you can immediately tell that this is a beautifully crafted game with excellent visual presentation and strong atmosphere. But it's simply not as scary as the first game.
And that is pretty much everything. While Resident Evil 0 may not be the most iconic title in the franchise, it is still an entry that introduces new ideas without damaging the core Resident Evil experience and a great addition that fills in more details about the series’ lore and world-building.
8.5/10

Eng/Ita
Ita: Sinceramente non capisco perchè Resident Evil 0 sia così tanto odiato.
Personalmente, da fan della saga l'ho trovato molto interessante come capitolo.
L'atmosfera è uno dei punti migliori del gioco: cupa e inquietante. L'ambientazione del treno e del centro di ricerca sono ben strutturati riuscendo a creare un po' di tensione nel giocatore.
La gestione del inventario è sicuramente l'aspetto più criticato, all'inizio può risultare scomoda e frustrante, soprattutto per il poco spazio disposizione e l'assenza delle classiche casse degli oggetti presenti nelle save room. Tuttavia, se ci si prende la mano , diventa più gestibile e persino più interessante dal punto di vista strategico.
Un altro aspetto criticato è quello delle telecamere fisse. Io personalmente mi sono trovato bene e penso che aiutino a creare tensione poiché non si ha il pieno controllo della visuale e ogni angolo può nascondere nemici.
La storia è ben scritta e aggiunge dettagli importanti all'universo di resident evil accennando degli eventi che si svolgeranno in RE 1 nella villa spencer. I personaggi, Rebecca e Billy riescono a creare una narrativa più dinamica che accompagna tutto il gioco.
In generale RE 0 è un gioco con una bella atmosfera, una grafica curata, una storia interessante e dei personaggi ben realizzati. Nonostante i problemi con l'inventario, che rimane il difetto principale, e le telecamere fisse che possono risultare difficili per alcuni, resta comunque un capitolo godibile.
Per questo motivo non capisco l'odio che riceve su internet, ha sicuramente i suoi limiti, ma secondo me merita.
Eng:I honestly don't understand why Resident Evil 0 is so hated. Personally, as a fan of the saga, I found it very interesting as a chapter..
The atmosphere is one of the best parts of the game: dark and disturbing. The train and research center are well structured, creating some tension in the player.
Inventory management is certainly the most criticized aspect; it can be uncomfortable and frustrating at first, especially due to the limited space available and the lack of traditional crates for items in the save rooms. However, if you get the hang of it, it becomes more manageable and even more interesting from a strategic point of view. Another aspect criticized is fixed cameras. I personally enjoyed them and think they help build tension since you don't have full control over your view and every corner can hide enemies.
The story is well written and adds important details to the resident evil universe by hinting at the events that will take place in RE 1 at the spencer mansion. The characters, Rebecca and Billy, manage to create a more dynamic narrative that accompanies the entire game.
Overall, RE 0 is a game with a nice atmosphere, polished graphics, an interesting story and well-developed characters. Despite the inventory issues, which remain the main flaw, and the fixed cameras, which can be difficult for some, it's still an enjoyable chapter. For this reason, I don't understand the hate it receives online; it certainly has its limitations, but in my opinion, it deserves a chance.

Resident Evil 0 serves as a prequel to the original Resident Evil, telling the story of the events that led up to the infamous Spencer Mansion incident. More specifically, it follows what happened to the Bravo Team of S.T.A.R.S. before their fateful arrival at the mansion.
The game's protagonists are Rebecca Chambers, a young medic from Bravo Team, and Billy Coen, an escaped convict. Forced together by circumstances, the two must put aside their differences and work as a team to survive the nightmare they find themselves trapped in.
Along with Resident Evil Code: Veronica, this is probably one of the hardest Resident Evil games for a first playthrough - and one of the hardest entries in the series overall.
I played on Normal difficulty, but honestly, it felt more like Hard. The opening Train segment is manageable enough, but once you reach the Training Facility, the game starts feeling like it genuinely hates you. Resources are constantly scarce: every time you find some ammo or healing items, you're almost immediately forced to use them. For about half of the game I was running around injured, low on ammunition, and basically praying that I'd somehow survive long enough to reach the next healing item.
Only around the final third of the game did things improve somewhat with ammo and healing items, they were more than enough. And here, by the way, we come to the icing on the cake: The lack of the traditional item box. Instead of putting all unnecessary items in it, you're forced to drop them directly on the floor, and they'll remain in the room you left them in. Combined with Billy and Rebecca's limited inventory, this creates a very annoying problem of running back and forth to carry the items you need between the locations (and, remember, sometimes the heroes have to split up).
On top of that, this game features some of the most annoying enemies in the entire franchise, especially the infected monkeys that appear later on. The game rarely gives you a break. In situations where another Resident Evil title would throw you a lifeline, this one often sets up a trap instead. Finally almost made it to the long-awaited save room? How about two Hunters blocking the path, stun-locking you and taking your head off even if you're at full health, sending you all the way back to your previous save?
I can easily imagine Capcom giving the developers complete freedom to torment players with this one. Then one of the developers gets his foot stepped on in the subway on the way to work and goes: "THAT'S IT! PUT TWO HUNTERS HERE! AND YOU KNOW THAT SAVE ROOM BEFORE THE FINAL BOSS? LET'S PUT ANOTHER BOSS FIGHT RIGHT BEFORE IT! HAHA, DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, DID YOU? SUFFER!"
That said, if you're new to the series, I'd recommend not jumping into this one right away. Even though it's the earliest game in the timeline, you're better off playing the original Resident Evil trilogy and the Resident Evil remake first. Get used to the classic gameplay formula before tackling this one, because Resident Evil 0 can be a serious test of skill.
Still, if you're looking for a challenge, it's very much classic Resident Evil at its core - just one that's far less forgiving than most of the series.