Metacritic Games

Resident Evil Zero (GameCube)

Before the Mansion. Before the disaster. Evil is Born. Something terrible is seeping into the once pristine mountain air. The residents of Raccoon City go about their lives unaware of the dark fate that surrounds them. It's only the beginning! Sent in to investigate a series of grisly murders in the area, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team scrambles into action. On the way to the scene, Bravo's helicopter crashes. Although everyone survives, what they discover next is a gruesome site. An overturned military transport truck, riddled with corpses. Rookie member Rebecca Chambers is beginning to wonder what she got herself into. Bravo team is about to discover the evil nightmare that is growing all around them. [Capcom]

Capcom Entertainment
Adventure, Survival Horror
Players: 1
M (Mature)
Developer: Capcom Entertainment
Released November 12, 2002

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

83 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 Play Magazine
No Resident Evil has established such gloomy mood as effectively as Resident Evil Zero, which paints every screen with a decadent artistry that is unmatched in its extraordinary detail and inspired darkness. [Dec 2002, p.70]
96 Nintendo Power
A captivating and horrifying journey. [Dec 2002, p.211]
94 RealGamer
With beautiful graphics and disturbingly realistic audio Resident Evil 0 is probably the best game in the entire series.
93 Game Informer
By the end of the game, you'll feel physically exhausted by how much content you've absorbed. [Dec 2002, p.124]
93 Nintendojo
The story fills in most, if not all, of the plot holes from the series and provides a very engaging and entertaining ride.
93 Game Over Online
There has been only a handful of times when I’ve been absolutely spellbound by a game. Be it for graphics or gameplay or a straight up solid game. In this category of acclaim, I would have to list "Mario 64," "Soul Calibur" (DC), and now Resident Evil: Zero.
93 GameZone
Zero's sound effects are mighty impressive.
92 netjak
Truly a great game.
90 TotalGames.net
A fantastic achievement and a must buy for any Resident Evil fan. The new gameplay additions may even sway those of you who couldn’t get to grips with Remake.
90 Nintendophiles
There is just enough of a story for Resident Evil fans to play the game and find out new information, but there certainly could have been much more in terms of the story.
90 GamePro
Some of the new play elements miss the mark, but overall Zero is a long, rewarding night of fright.
87 GameCube Europe
The messiah RE fans have been prophesising...Do not expect to be sustained eternally however, an experienced gamer will burn through this game which can be completed on lower difficulties in the same amount of time as "Luigi’s Mansion."
86 Armchair Empire
A worthy addition to the series and a good game.
85 Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
It's still got that old Resi magic and is a great game, but the series is starting to show its age and plod like an old zombie. [GamesMaster]
85 Gamezilla!
About as beautiful a videogame that you are ever going to see. Yes, it even looks better then the remake that came out earlier this year.
85 GameBiz
The controls will drive you mad, the camera angles will frustrate you, and some of the design ideas will have you wondering what the hell Capcom puts in their water.
85 NintendoWorldReport
As a Resident Evil fanatic, this is probably the best game in the series. Personally, it’s battling "RE2" to become my favourite RE game of all time.
83 Electronic Gaming Monthly
Even if the game is largely formulaic, Capcom still pulls it off better than anyone else out there. [Jan 2003, p.190]
83 Gaming Age
The complex inventory and quick enemies might have you screaming, but most of the time it’s in a good way.
82 IGN
The control is worse and the puzzles are possibly even more stupefied. That's not cool.
80 Yahoo! Games
As high quality as the series has ever been, with superb dramatic sensibilities, a decent storyline, improved acting, high calibre FMV cutscenes, and some dynamic camera work.
80 Gamestyle
The ‘zap’ system and the loss of item chests (the main difference in this episode) is a welcome addition indeed and makes Resident Evil 0 a definite purchase to any fan of the series.
80 GameSpy
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.
80 Total Video Games
It’s not quite the game that we have all been hoping for, however the new character switch adds a new element of fun that most of us should enjoy.
80 EuroGamer
Where it scores above other games is simply the emotions it inspires.
80 GamerWeb Nintendo
The new character swapping system works really well but the new item system is as problematic as the old one.
80 GameSpot
Those who have stuck with the Resident Evil series despite its dogged insistence on not changing its ways will find that Resident Evil 0 still has a lot to offer.
80 GMR Magazine
This one is actually a brand new game, with significant changes. [Feb 2003, p.96]
80 Cincinnati Enquirer
Visually speaking, Resident Evil 0 is the best-looking game in the series to date. Players can expect photo-realistic environments, smoothly animated characters and creepy lighting effects.
80 Electric Playground
I didn't find it very scary. Maybe after so many games we're on to its tricks, but there seem to be far less boo! moments than in other RE games.
78 Gamer's Pulse
The game is not incredibly long but still should take about 10-12 hours to beat the first time through.
75 GameNow
Creepier than any of the earlier games, and as an exercise in horror, it's terrific. Just get ready for a high frustration factor. [Jan 2003, p.60]
75 Game Revolution
It's not quite as pretty as GameCube's "RE," is flawed by the two-character gimmick and still features a screwy inventory system.
70 Cheat Code Central
The control in RE is completely unforgiving and ruins what should have, could have and would have been a great game.
60 G4 TV
The same formula that was once termed as ground-breaking now become tired and old.
50 GameCritics
The bottom line is that Resident Evil Zero's title perfectly describes the content and play value of the game itself.