The Play Off! Resident Evil Rebirth vs Resident Evil Zero!

Back in the early part of millennium, Capcom and Nintendo joined together in an exclusivity deal. Part of the deal was three Resident Evil games: The Remake, Zero and 4.
Zero and the Remake were released very close together in the same year and, while aesthetically they look similar, the two play very differently.

The RE1 remake was created out of series creator Shinji Mikami's wish to have his definitive vision shown. He also noted that the original game had not aged well at all.
Zero, however, was in development back in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 but the team encountered problems with the limited storage of N64 cartridges. When the Gamecube was announced, the team shifted focus to the new hardware.

Where the Remake focused on improving the original game by revising the mansion layout, adding areas, polishing the script and story elements, Zero was designed to be a more difficult game to complement the partner system.
Zero took away item boxes and allowed players to pick up and drop off items on the fly.
But I'm here to judge them side by side and decide which one is the superior title. So with that, lets begin The Play Off!

STORY

First off; story. Premise for Resident Evil Remake: bizarre murders in the Arklay mountains provokes an investigation by Racoon City Police special unit STARS.
Bravo team have already gone in but have gone quiet and so Alpha team are sent in with STARS leader Albert Wesker.
Unfortunately the Bravo team has been almost completely wiped out and the remaining members of STARS are forced to fight for their survival against hordes of zombies and twisted bio-weapons.

Resident Evil always started with humble beginnings and the original PSX release emulated those cheesy b-movie horrors perfectly.
The remake cuts down on the cheese and takes itself more seriously; keeping the thematic of the series. It's an enjoyable "scary mansion" romp that functions well enough to keep the player engaged. The remake also does a good job of tidying up the plot and bringing a full cohesive history to the series but it's nothing ground breaking.

Resident Evil Zero takes place shortly before the events of ReRemake, from the perspective of Bravo team's Rebecca Chambers.
Zero is about the outbreak of the T-Virus, which is spread by a hivemind mutated Leech organism that mimics the appearance and personality of their creator.
Rebecca's journey has her cross paths with former soldier, now prisoner, Billy. Their struggle for survival takes them through the Training Facility where they learn all about Umbrella's side operations in BOW manufacture.

It's a little harder to summarise RE Zero's plot as it is a bit all over the shop and it doesn't actually really add anything to the story as a whole. Sure, we learn how the T-Virus was originally leaked and we get some back story between Albert and Wesker. Although, honestly, it doesn't really add anything to the overall plot and it feels like a half baked attempt to create an interesting story that turns out to be just a bit too convoluted and over the top.

VERDICT - Resident Evil Rebirth takes the point here, it's not a ground breaking story but it's so much more cohesive opposed to Resident Evil Zero's fan-fiction level story.

AUDIO

RE Remake's soundtrack is credited to Shusaku Uchiyama, Makoto Tomozawa and Misao Senbongi, who have done a really fine job of bring the original games pieces into the year 2002. That familiar haunting mansion piece has returned and really benefits from the update. It's even more beautifully horrifying and really suits the aesthetics of the mansion.

I like that all the music isn't blaring at your ears incessantly and just sets the mood. The composers have been very restrained in the arrangements and it's all the better for it.
Sound effects are perfect for a horror game; zombies throaty groans send shivers up your spine! Ambient sound effects do a fine job as well; there's something relaxing about wind in the trees as you travel through the surrounding woods and the drip drop of condensation in the caves.

Resident Evil Zero has only one credited composer: Seiko Kobuchi. Much like RE Remake, the music plays in only specific areas, allowing ambient effects to set the mood of some locales.
The train area at the beginning is a perfect example of letting the effects be the soundtrack; the train is wonderfully eerie, clicking and clacking along the lines and the jingling sounds of cups, glasses and plates.
On the flip side, when we get to the Training Facility we're treated to a less than ear pleasing arrangement. I get that they want it to be creepy but the Facility's theme is unpleasant and a little too loud. It doesn't add anything to the tension but just irks me and considering how long you can spend in the Training Facility it gets old and irritating really fast.

VERDICT - Tie! No one game outshines the other. Sure that Training Facility music grates me but it's a minor bit of nit picking on my part.
It's those atmospheric ambient sounds that ultimately saw these two tie break.



GAMEPLAY

RE Remake and Zero both keep the tank controls of the original PSX games but they do differ in some key areas that gives each game it's own identity.
Now, RE Remake plays very similar to classic games. One of the additions is defensive weapons; one time use items that player's can collect irrespective of inventory space. There're a great "get out of jail" card to use when cornered by Zombies and give newer players some breathing space.

They've also expanded the mansion, modified and added puzzles and changed enemy placements. The mansion has definitely seen some of the biggest alterations. It's general layout is familiar but there are new rooms and new branching areas.
You can also explore outside the mansion grounds and venture through a small portion of the surrounding woods.
Core gameplay is very familiar. You can select either Chris or Jill who have some defining differences, such as Jill has greater inventory space but Chris can take more damage.
Item crates are present throughout as previous titles allowing players to access stored items at any time.

Completing RE Remake opens up additional modes which modify the game to make it harder, such as de-linking item crates which increases back tracking and rewards forward thinking when storing items.
There is also an invisible enemy mode as well for those who have mastered the game.

RE Zero makes some big changes to the standard formula; firstly Rebecca isn't on her own. Zero debuts the first partner system with Billy. The player must utilise Rebecca and Billy's individual abilities in order to complete the game. Often they must split up in order to complete sections of the game but you can generally travel with the pair of them to tackle the hordes of zombies.

Item crates are also absent from Zero, instead players can pickup and drop items at will in any location (but there is a limit to how many items in one area).

Completing Zero opens up the Leech Hunter Bonus Game, where the player has to collect colour coded leeches to unlock bonuses for the main game.
There is an element of RNG in this mode as items and leech locations vary from play through to play through.

While RE Remake doesn't make any overhauls to the core gameplay, the expanded elements are simply sublime and create a well balanced game.
Zero's partner system is clunky at best and inconvenient at worst. The idea of dropping off items at will seems like a great idea but it lacks the convenience of the interconnected storage boxes of old. It is absolutely aggravating to back track to some many different locations to pick up the odd item and it's a real headache for first time players.
Weapons such as shotguns also take up extra space in the inventory which means even though you have two characters most of the time, inventory space can feel at a real premium.
Ultimately, the partner system and item management don't add improvements to the game, at best they're moot points at worst irritating.

VERDICT - Rebirth wins! It's a distilled gameplay experience opposed to Zero's misfire. Zero feels so clunky that I generally find it a difficult game to replay.

GRAPHICS

Rebirth and Zero look very different from their origin games and they're all the better for it. The level of detail in the pre-rendered environments is extensive and visual joy. Each viewpoint is a work of art; full of tiny details that pique players interest and urge the sense of discovery.
Both also include animations in their environments and Zero does exceptionally well here with the train environment. The level of detail is astounding.

Both games do themselves a justice visually, neither one stands out over the other and so it's a...

VERDICT - Tie! Both games do themselves a justice visually, neither one stands out over the other. When I look at these games I so wish Capcom would make another throwback RE game, we're all desperate to see RE2 get the Rebirth treatment but whether we will see that? Who knows. It'd be an instant seller, that's for sure.

And so it is decided, the winner is...

It's crystal clear that Rebirth is the better game. It's just a truly distilled experience that is enjoyable for returners and newcomers.
I admire Zero for trying to do something different and reinvigorate the brand but it just doesn't work. If there is one thing I've learnt, it's that partner system in survival horror games don't work. Having a backup immediately takes away that sense of loneliness. Having two characters naturally means double the ammo which in tandem means more enemies which makes games feel far more action oriented that they're supposed to be.
If the likes of RE7, The Evil Within and the plethora of stealth based horror games has taught us is that the element of loneliness is a key in generating fear in the player.

If you haven't played either game I seriously advise you do so; both are available in HD versions on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC and I sincerely urge you pick them both up. Even if Rebirth is the better game, Zero is worth your time and your appreciation.