It's been over two full years since Capcom released the last original Resident Evil game (Code Veronica), but we've been blessed with two this year. While technically not a new game, the GameCube remake of Resident Evil was a stunning game and a welcome sight for horror fans. Following hot on its heels is Resident Evil Zero, a GameCube prequel that started its life on the now-defunct Nintendo 64. We finally get to see how Umbrella got started and witness the events that lead up to the now-famous mansion incident in Resident Evil. Though it is mostly more of the same, there are a few new wrinkles that should keep fans of the series playing long into the night.

In Resident Evil Zero you take on the roles of S.T.A.R.S rookie Rebecca Chambers and escaped convict Billy Cohen. Though controlling two characters is nothing new to the survival horror series, RE0 marks the first occasion in which you will control them simultaneously. For the first time in a horror game or movie, you can actually force characters to stick together instead of splitting up. The game starts out with S.T.A.R.S Bravo team flying over the Arklay mountains investigating a series of bizarre murders. Engine failure forces a crash landing, and the group is quickly dispersed in the forest surrounding Racoon City. Rebecca stumbles upon a ghostly train, and it's here that you take control of her.

Resident Evil Zero plays almost identically to REmake and just about all of the other games in this long-running series. You'll know what to expect if you've played these games before, so I won't even bother complaining about the outdated control. (Just make sure you pick up a Nyko PlayCable so you can play the game with a Sony DualShock controller.) Like most games of this type, you will navigate your characters through a variety of environments that are populated with traps, puzzles and hordes of ghastly monsters. Items must be picked up and used in the appropriate places and ammunition must be scrupulously conserved throughout the course of the game. The basic formula is exactly the same as prior installments, so if you didn't like any of those games you won't find much to like here.

Although the setup is very familiar, a few new gameplay elements are introduced in Resident Evil Zero. Both Rebecca and Billy can be controlled simultaneously, though only one can be your main character. You can switch between characters in realtime, dictate the behavior of the CPU-controlled character and even swap items between them. It's a good idea to keep them together as much as possible, though they will be separated at various points in the story. This separation most often boils down to simple fetch quests intended to eliminate the barriers between them, so its potential is mostly wasted. The biggest challenge in the game comes when Rebecca, who is weaker, is forced to fight and explore in the absence of the stronger Billy. Overall it is very enjoyable to progress through the game with both characters together, though it tends to take away some of the creepiness that stems from a solitary adventure.

In addition to character switching, Resident Evil Zero completely eliminates the standard item boxes that have been used throughout the series to store excess items. Rebecca and Billy can drop any of their items at any time, freeing up an inventory slot for a more valuable item. The in-game map tracks all of the items you've dropped so that you don't have to remember where everything is. It's great to be able to drop useless items in favor of important objects without having to backtrack to an item box. On the downside, it quickly becomes tedious to manage a group of items laying on the ground, and there is a limit to how many items can be dropped in a room. You'll often have to backtrack to retrieve some of the slot-hogging items (the hookshot, shotgun and grenade launcher all consume two slots!) because you'll never know when you'll need them. The item dropping functionality should stay in future games, but Capcom desperately needs to bring back the item box.

The standard assortment of monsters show up in RE0 to cause you bodily harm, such as zombies, zombie dogs, crows and Hunters. A few new baddies round out the roster, like crazed monkeys, giant insects and mutated zombies that can wipe you out with a pus-spewing explosion. There are a handful of bosses to contend with throughout the game and they always seem to show up at the worst possible time. Of course, you won't be defenseless. The weapons you'll wield during the game should be very familiar to Resident Evil fans, and include such favorites as the shotgun, multi-use grenade launcher and magnum handgun. Ammunition seems much more scarce in this game mainly because you need to keep two characters equipped with their own weapons and ammo.

Resident Evil Zero looks almost identical to the Resident Evil remake released earlier this year, and uses the tried-and-true system of 3D characters superimposed on flat backgrounds. Like REmake, RE0 is a visually stunning game and looks almost photorealistic at times. Rather than static background plates, the environments are all composed of looping movie footage that make them feel more interactive and alive than they actually are. Visual effects like rain streaking down on a train, shadows dancing on a wall due to a fire, and trees flickering in the wind all help to create a sense of motion and life in RE0. The environments all look fantastic, ranging from an antique train to a creepy mansion (not the one you're thinking of) to the factory from Resident Evil 2. You'll see lots of familiar sites in RE0 that help tie the various storylines together.

The character models are outstanding as well, featuring the same expert modeling, texturing and animation that was seen in the Resident Evil remake. The realtime models are identical to the pre-rendered ones and blend in very well with the detailed backgrounds. They are animated very well and exhibit a wide variety of life-like movements. Some nice lighting and shading effects add to the already impressive atmosphere of the game. Enemies are also very detailed, with high-resolution texture artwork and even a little bump-mapping (the scorpion boss looks incredible). On the negative side, it seems Capcom still hasn't figured out how to implement anti-aliasing on the GameCube, as the 3D models retain the jagged edges that plagued Resident Evil earlier this year. And though they look great, the pre-rendered backgrounds severely limit the games' ability to immerse the player in its game world. It's time for 3D in Resident Evil 4, Capcom.

Much like the visuals the sound is of the same high quality that characterized Resident Evil. Shotgun blasts, zombie moans and background noises are all crisp and clear, and some simple stereo separation often helps you to determine where enemies are. The typically understated score punctuates some of the more pressing moments and helps to craft an air of tension throughout much of the game. The acting is acceptable for the most part, as Rebecca and Billy at least sound like real human beings holding a real conversation. Like most of these games the dialogue is laughable, but the actors do their best with it. Capcom seems to have toned down the cheese factor in the Resident Evil franchise, a trend that I hope continues in future games.

Finishing the game the first time through should take roughly ten hours, but subsequent trips should require much less. There are three difficult modes to try (easy, normal and hard). Easy is recommended for novice players, while RE veterans should have no problems with Normal. Completing the game will unlock a variety of extras, including infinite-ammunition weapons and alternate costumes. Billy gets a cool lounge suit, while Rebecca steps out in a naughty leather ensemble. In addition, you can play through a mini-game entitled Leech Hunter, which challenges both characters to collect 50 leech charms each in the shortest time possible. Completing this mode with a high rank will unlock additional items for your characters.

The audiovisual components of the game definitely make it a creepy affair, but is it scary? As a veteran of half a dozen Resident Evil games, RE0 did not strike me as a fearful experience. Many of the scare points are predictable due to pauses and skips in the game or excessive loading events. A pair of Hunters caught me off guard on one occasion, but there's really nothing surprising here if you've played a Resident Evil game before. Overall it is a solid and well-made game that simply repeats most of the elements that made previous games scary. My only real beef with the game is the premise itself, as the story is very weak and seems forced and contrived. The mansion incident was the perfect way to begin the series, and I'm not too keen on Capcom shoehorning a story around it just to get another game out.

Overall, Resident Evil Zero is a solid horror game that follows a successful formula while throwing in a few new twists. The dual character setup adds some fun and flexibility to the series, but the missing item boxes make managing items an unnecessary chore. The ability to drop items is a welcome change, though, that I hope stays in future games. Resident Evil fans will likely find the game enjoyable, but the original Resident Evil is still a better starting point for virgin players. Hopefully the next installment brings true innovation to the series, but Resident Evil Zero is a fine experience in the meantime. If you can get past the silly storyline, there is a world of spooky fun in store for you.