Overall score on pook's 100-point system (TM): 81 rounded to 8. a great prequel, a good game, and a technically-impressive display.
-the breakdown-
Graphics (30/30, judged by era)- there is always debate as to whether pre-rendered games should be given as high marks as real-time. i'm concerned here with simply how good a game looks. i don't care personally how they achieve it. re0 boasts impressive pre-rendered graphics with many moving elements for a more lively feel. the character models are well fleshed out and are lit and shadowed to blend in almost seamlessly with the environments. the cutscenes are impressive but i'm not huge on pre-rendered cutscenes. a great artistic sense was infused to give this game a highly realistic and moody feel, and it works well to satisfy the demands of the horror genre. a game to impress non-geek friends who don't know a polygon from a bitmap.
Sound- FX/Voice (8/10) well done sound fx help to create a creepy environment--you'll often hear the shuffling of zombie feet long before you see them. a game you simply cannot play with the volume off, which is a credit to the fx work.
Sound- Music (7/10) a well-orchestrated horror soundtrack accompanies the game. often the music is non-existant or very very subdued, which is a design decision that helps the mood of the game overall. yet, it's a japanese sensibility wherein they don't feel (as in films) that music needs to be heard throughout a film. in that respect it may be a little *too* underplayed for western tastes, particularly because what's there is so good. the techno/viola intro song is quite amazing.
Gameplay- Length/Lastability/Replay (10/15) depending on how much you rely on faqs and the like, this game can be of decent length, including death-backtracks (which there will be many of). i think i finished the game in a little under 24 hours, and there is definite replayability in the form of an unlockable mini-game and unlockable items/costumes that make playing through the game again enticing. i played some of the minigame but did not opt to replay the game personally though i was tempted. that stack of other games to play looms...
Gameplay- Story: (3/5) the story is a prelude to the classic resident evil story, and yet doesn't reveal a ton. there's probably quite a good story told throughout all the games as a whole, but individually, the story here is enough to sustain the game. billy's backstory is more fleshed out and interesting, i thought.
Gameplay- Game Design (23/30)- i've only played the original on the psx, and am familiar with re2. re0 takes a very particular gameplay style that is often viewed as annoying and adds some polish to it. the 2-character system is awesome and will make playing the rest of the series a little less interesting since the other games don't have it. the puzzles and item-management used by this system adds a lot more variety to the puzzles than the first game had (i haven't played the REmake as of this writing). the control system still brings the score down a bit for being kinda clunky. i don't mind the character-relative controls, but moving is just a little jerky, despite a helpful quick-turn move that, again, will be missed in the later games as i play them. the gameplay is tough even on the normal setting. those who want a good challenge are welcome here. you will die, and you will die many times.
**Final Thoughts- an impressive and recommended game. if you haven't experienced the RE series on the whole (like I haven't) then definitely start here.
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