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Resident Evil 0 key art: the empty, blood-stained passenger carriage of a luxury train, light spilling through its far door

Survival horrorZombieResident EvilHorror puzzle

Resident Evil 0

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The night before the mansion: a zombie train, a rookie medic and a convict.

Platforms
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Price
Paid
Rated
Mostly Positive on Steam (80% of 19,944 reviews)
Players
1
Controls
Gamepad or keyboard; classic tank controls or the newer direction-of-stick controls; a button switches between Rebecca and Billy.
Made by
Capcom
Released
2016

What frightens In 1998 rookie medic Rebecca Chambers boards a stalled night train in the forest outside Raccoon City and finds its passengers turned into zombies; teamed with an escaped convict, she fights through the carriages and a ruined training facility with scarce ammunition while leeches and creatures close in.

Content: gore, blood, violence, jumpscares.

Resident Evil 0 is the prequel to the first Resident Evil, remastered in HD by Capcom. As rookie S.T.A.R.S. medic Rebecca Chambers and escaped convict Billy Coen, you switch between two characters to fight zombies on a stranded train and beyond, sharing scarce ammunition and solving puzzles that need both of you.

About Resident Evil 0

Resident Evil 0 first came out in 2002 and was remastered by Capcom in 2016 with new high-resolution visuals, 5.1 sound, a widescreen option and modern controls; the Switch version followed in 2019. It is set in 1998, the night before the events of the original Resident Evil.

S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team is sent to investigate murders outside Raccoon City, and their helicopter crash-lands in the forest. Rookie Rebecca Chambers finds the Ecliptic Express stopped on the tracks, its passengers dead or worse, and meets Billy Coen, a former Navy lieutenant on his way to execution. The two have to work together to get out.

It plays as classic fixed-camera survival horror. Rooms are seen from set angles, ammunition and healing herbs are scarce, and saving uses ink ribbons. Its twist is partner zapping: you control both characters and switch between them at any time, splitting them up to solve puzzles, passing items between them and covering one with the other. There are no item boxes, so you drop what you cannot carry and come back for it.

It suits players who liked the Resident Evil remaster and want the story that leads into it. After the main story, Wesker Mode lets you replay as the series' villain Albert Wesker.

How to play Resident Evil 0

  1. Choose classic tank controls or the newer alternative controls in the options.
  2. Explore the train room by room as Rebecca and Billy, picking up ammunition, herbs and keys.
  3. Switch between the two characters to solve puzzles and fight together, or split them up where a puzzle needs it.
  4. Drop items you cannot carry in a place you will remember, since there are no item boxes.
  5. Save at typewriters with ink ribbons, and push on toward the facility beyond the train.

Screenshots

Resident Evil 0 screenshot: Billy aims a pistol at zombies between the seats of a train carriage
Resident Evil 0 screenshot: Rebecca aims at a zombie in the train's burning dining car
Resident Evil 0 screenshot: Billy points a pistol at Rebecca at their first meeting on the train
Resident Evil 0 screenshot: Rebecca and Billy fight a zombie in a candlelit dining room
Resident Evil 0 screenshot: Rebecca stands before a golden altar with statues in an ornate chapel

Tips

  • Leave spare items near save rooms so you know where to find them later.
  • Billy is tougher and Rebecca can mix herbs; use each for what they do best.
  • Avoid fights you do not need; ammunition runs out quickly.
  • Pick up every ink ribbon: saving is limited.

Questions

Is Resident Evil 0 a remake?

It is an HD remaster of the 2002 game: the same game and story with new textures, sound, widescreen and optional modern controls.

Should I play Resident Evil 0 before Resident Evil?

It is a prequel and leads into the first game's mansion, but each stands alone. Many play the Resident Evil remaster first, as they were released.

Does Resident Evil 0 have co-op?

No. You switch between Rebecca and Billy yourself; there is no two-player mode.

What platforms is it on?

PC on Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

  • third person
  • fixed camera
  • tank controls
  • partner switching
  • train
  • zombies
  • puzzles
  • remaster
  • resident evil
  • capcom

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Resident Evil 0 is played on store.steampowered.com and its makers' stores; this page links to them and is not part of it. Pictures are from the game's own pages and remain its owner's. Terms and pictures.

Sources: store.steampowered.com, en.wikipedia.org, residentevil.com