Resident Evil Zero Gamecube (RESTART)

If you are an aficionado of Resident Evil , this is the game you've been waiting for. Resident Evil Zero will take you back in time to the era when Raccoon City was overrun by zombies and monsters of the darkness, just like in the worst of nightmares, until finally revealing all the background of the terrifying series. The "zapping between characters", introduced for the first time in this game of the saga of Resident Evil lets you control two protagonists simultaneously - STARS police rookie Rebecca Chambers - sent to investigate a series of murders in the Raccoon City area - suddenly finds herself in trouble after her helicopter crashes, while former SEAL Marine Billy Coen is an escaped convict who Rebecca meets following the accident of the prison van Billy was riding in.

The "zapping" feature works amazingly well - you can simply press a button to switch between characters, whether they're in the same room or miles apart. The C-stick lets you control the "inactive" character, so that he automatically attacks any threats that wander nearby. You can also swap items between Rebecca and Billy (including "mixed" items that only Rebecca can combine) if the two characters are close enough together. This dual-control system will have you on the edge of your seat more than any previous version of Resident Evil . In fact, not only will you feel your body run through with shivers of terror as soon as the duo is separated, but you will also have to overcome unexpected and terrifying situations that your character is absolutely not prepared to face, such as, for example, commanding Rebecca when it would have been more useful and "safe" to manage the heroic Billy.

And it doesn't stop there. Are you sure you want to experience hair-raising thrills? Resident Evil Zero will throw you into out-of-control train carriages infested with groaning undead, lead you through rooms overrun with possessed lunatics who will tug at you horribly, and finally force you to go on a dazzling series of "amazing" blind dates with some of the most enormous and revolting T-Virus-infected monstrosities you've ever encountered. The visuals are not only as impressive as the Resident Evil released earlier this year... but they are far better, thanks to a greater accuracy of detail and an advanced precision of the play of light that makes the flickering glow of the candles and the dancing movements of the shadows in the background appear real, accompanied by the slow and ghostly swaying of the curtains moved by gusts of wind that penetrate the broken windows, while the rain bouncing off objects and scenery gives the whole a dark and eerie effect.

Each room is a feast for the eyes, but you might also get lost in it. How? Simple - the filming technique and the effects used for the cameras are so horrifyingly realistic (for example when you are observed from outside a window) that you might end up covering your eyes with your hands in fear rather than admiring the scene. Every corner of Resident Evil Zero hides a new terror, a new visual threat that will make you curl up in fear. Add to this the clever use of chilling music and sound (alternated with even more spooky pauses of silence) that will make you slip into absolute panic. May it be the best Resident Evil never made it? You bet your head on it.