Resident Evil: Zero takes place before the events of Resident Evil. You play as one of two characters: Rebecca Chambers, the Bravo team medic from the first game, or Billy Coen, an ex-con being transported. The game starts with the Bravo team flying overhead on their way to investigate a string of murders, and something, something, and something, and something, and something causes the helicopter to crash. Everyone survives, but when they start looking for each other, they come across an overturned military transport truck with nothing but corpses inside. Rebecca Chambers, the Alpha Team’s youngest member, investigates the Umbrella Company Luxury Train, which has mysteriously stalled in the middle of the woods. You now command Rebecca, and your journey begin.
The game introduces a “partner zapping” system, which allows you to switch between Rebecca and Billy at any time, in addition to the series’ traditional survival horror gameplay. This feature is sometimes necessary because the game requires both characters to collaborate to solve some puzzles. New to the game are a slew of terrifying enemies, such as the mutant centipede, new areas to explore, and the ability to drop items on the ground rather than searching for an item box.
Unlike the original GameCube release, all subsequently enhanced ports include an additional Wesker mode unlocked after completing the game. That mode introduces two new costumes: a red-eye-controlled Rebecca look and a Wesker looks for Billy, with specific Wesker abilities. Both skins appear based on Wesker and Jill from Resident Evil 5, released after this game’s GameCube release.
