Resident Evil Zero has always been stuck in the the most unfortunate of super-good video game sandwiches, between the definitive GameCube classic "REmake" and the then-contemporary revolution of Resident Evil 4. Heck, this new remaster of Zero even parallels its original release, attempting to cash in on (bear with me for a second, this remaster stuff gets messy) last year's Resident Evil HD Remaster surprise success, much like the original GameCube release was seen by many as a hasty follow-up to REmake's surprise success. One could argue REmake was Capcom trying to buy some time between the classic series' stagnation and whatever the next step would be. Resident Evil 4 would become that next step, pushing the series so far forward nobody really bothered to look back. Now, in our post-Resident Evil 6 world, Capcom is again trying to figure out what the new next step is, and these HD remasters (now collected in the Resident Evil Origins Collection at retail) are history repeating itself before our eyes.

So on one side you have the best version of a timeless classic, and an iconic zeitgeist of gaming progress on the other. Resident Evil Zero isn't even really a bridge between the two. It's very much an experiment as much as it is a REmake coattail-rider, another take on the familiar formula with a new gimmick tossed in as an attempt to rekindle survival horror’s fire. It was also a sadly botched attempt at deepening the lore, something that rarely works in horror, much less most other forms of storytelling.

In short: I think Resident Evil Zero is pretty cool, but this is a re-release that doesn't serve much of a purpose in terms of igniting precious nostalgia or moving Resident Evil in… any direction. But here's why I like it so much: Resident Evil’s brand of survivor horror, despite what stand as the iconic moments (jump scares), is about resources. It’s about scaring the bejeezus out of you because you need a lot of stuff to survive and the game doesn’t want to give you any. The most terrifying thing about Resident Evil isn't a dog jumping through a window, it’s a dog jumping through a window when you only have enough bullets to comfortably deal with one dog… and then another shows up. The most terrifying thing about Resident Evil 4 isn't a bunch of violent murmuring off in the distance as you explore a creepy village, it’s the scramble you make to find anything that could help you deal with the moment you run into the source of that murmuring.

Resident Evil is the granddaddy of today’s survival game craze, from Minecraft to Don't Starve, but it also had that lovable coat of George Romero-inspired paint that made it perfect for edgy 90s kids. Resident Evil Zero approaches survival horror from a new angle, one that not only takes your resources away, but robs you of your control and perception of your surroundings as well.

Leading up to the co-op splatterfests of the last two games, Resident Evil had been a strictly solo affair. Zero sports two playable characters, Rebecca Champers and Billy Coen, and expects you to keep track of both of them at the same time. The player has to manage two inventories, often in unison to solve ridiculous puzzles, and can even move both at the same time with both sticks. New control options are a godsend in that case, as the old “tank” controls made that a different kind of nightmare. You can even mess around with some behavior options for the character you aren't controlling; setting them to attack on their own if you aren't worried about ammo (ha).

But sometimes, the two characters are separated. That's when the poop hits the fan in a way dwindling ammo numbers were never able to. It doesn't happen a ton, but Resident Evil Zero makes an early effort to plant in your head the fact that a character left behind by the player can and will be attacked. The idea floats over you like a cartoony storm cloud formed of very real dread, threatening to downpour whenever Rebecca and Billy have to split up. I found myself, even knowing how toothless the threat ends up being most of the time, constantly swapping back and forth during puzzle sections, just knowing the moment I let my guard down would be the moment someone gets eaten by a… giant frog or something.

Ultimately this gimmick runs through the duration of the game, as the series-trademark silly puzzles get more and more complex, which on top of the insane-but-not-in-the-fun-way plot becomes more and more of a detriment. So sure, Resident Evil Zero is far from the shining light of the series, and this remaster doesn't do its muddled legacy any new favors. But, it reminded me of its existence, its flawed but oh-so creative, intriguing and legitimately nerve-wracking existence, after all these years, and I appreciate that. This game might be the most underrated in the whole series.

Now excuse me while I revisit my collection of S.D. Perry Resident Evil novels like an incorrigible nerd. 

Hint: Pick a central safe room and commit it to memory. You’ll need somewhere reliable to dump items you don't want but might need later. No magic item boxes in this one!

by Lucas White