I recently replayed Resident Evil Zero for the first time in years, and I came away hoping that the remake addresses three specific issues I had with it. Resident Evil Zero originally launched as a GameCube exclusive, but it eventually made its way to the Wii and other platforms as an HD remaster. The HD remaster offered a modernized control scheme and updated the graphics, but was more or less the same experience as the GameCube original.
As far as Resident Evil games go, Resident Evil Zero is definitely one of the most divisive. Resident Evil Zero made certain changes that did not sit right with many fans, and the way its story seemingly creates more problems for the overarching RE narrative also proved controversial. With rumors that Capcom is working on a Resident Evil Zero remake, I decided to take a stroll down memory lane and replay Resident Evil Zero. With that playthrough in the bag, I came away with three things I want addressed in the remake.
Resident Evil 1 Remake Gets Disappointing Update
A reliable insider gives a disappointing update on the Resident Evil 1 remake that some fans want to see materialize.
Resident Evil Zero Remake Needs to Bring Back the Item Box
From a gameplay perspective, there isn't much to say about what a Resident Evil Zero remake could change, because it will almost certainly be yet another third-person, over-the-shoulder RE game in a similar style as the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes. However, there is one key problem that I hope is addressed. Resident Evil Zero famously made it possible for players to simply put down unneeded items, which was hugely convenient, but it also took away item boxes. Taking away item boxes leads to needless and excessive back-tracking that seriously drags down the Resident Evil Zero experience. A Resident Evil Zero remake should keep the ability to put down items, but it should also feature item boxes so players get the best of both worlds.
A Resident Evil Zero Remake Can Expand on Rebecca and Billy
My other two hopes for a Resident Evil Zero remake are story-related. Before reading on, please note that the rest of this article will have SPOILERS for Resident Evil Zero. As its name implies, Resident Evil Zero is a prequel to the original Resident Evil game. It shows what happened to the STARS Bravo Team before the mansion incident. That's all fine and good, but it creates an issue with Rebecca Chambers. After the events of Resident Evil Zero, Rebecca should know that the Umbrella Corporation is behind everything and be skilled at fighting the various monstrosities in the mansion. But in Resident Evil 1, Rebecca is weak and effectively clueless. This discrepancy doesn't make much sense, and perhaps truly fixing it means that Capcom will need to do another Resident Evil 1 remake, but the work can start in a remake of RE0. Bonus points if Capcom can come up with a plausible reason why Rebecca lost all her weapons between the end of RE0 and the start of RE1.
And finally, I want the remake to address exactly what happened with Billy Coen. One could argue that Billy's story is over by the time Resident Evil Zero rolls credits, but he's a fun character and the Resident Evil Zero remake would be a great opportunity to expand on him. I want to know if Billy made it out of the forest alive, or if he was killed trying to get to safety. He's never mentioned or seen in the franchise again, and that's a real shame.
Reliable insiders have said that Capcom is actively working on a Resident Evil Zero remake, but the project has yet to be officially announced. We know that Resident Evil Requiem is launching on February 27, but rumor has it that the next two games in the pipeline are remakes of RE0 and Code: Veronica. If the rumors are true, fans shouldn't expect any Resident Evil Zero remake announcements until some time after Requiem hits store shelves.
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- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
