While it’s over-hated, it still has some massive issues.

I had a rough relationship with this game for a long time. However, after a replay in 2024, I have a newfound appreciation for this entry in the RE franchise. It really is just more RE1, but not as good.

The coop aspect is the main difference from the rest of the franchise, at least at the time. It must be noted, even though RE5 and 6 did it way later, 0 has the best controls over your partner in single player. I rarely had times where my partner was causing issues for me, where the later entires were destroyed by bad AI. Whoever you’re not playing as has solid AI and can be controlled either by the right analog stick or with status settings in the inventory menu. Having a partner did not make the game worse, if only that could be said for 5 and 6.

While being able to drop items sounds like a great idea, the removal of the item box really sucks. Like really bad. Having to transport your stuff over and over throughout the game as you unlock new areas is very frustrating and tiring. I spent so much time traversing areas solely to keep hauling my items that it wasn’t even funny. I wonder if, during testing, they found item boxes to not work as intended or maybe they followed feedback from people saying they wanted to be able to drop items where ever they wanted. Regardless, this is the worst part of the game. Special shoutout to the hook shot that takes up 2 slots and you have to lug it around throughout most of the game.

Combat is the same as RE1R, so it’s what you would expect from a classic survival horror game. I never really felt like I was going to run out of ammo or ink ribbons, but that may be since I play very cautiously and try to avoid combat and save infrequently. Having a buddy to help you if you get grabbed is fun when it pays off. Weapons feel good to use and this may have the best shotgun in the series.

The story feels like they did their best to justify its existence, but it feels out of place in the series. Like how have we never heard of Dr. Marcus and why have the leeches never come up either? Wesker and Birkin were friends? Why did Rebecca not mention anything of what happened to her to Chris when he gets to the Mansion? Where on Earth is Billy Coen after 0? How did Alpha team not know about the giant explosion at the Training Facility or the Ecliptic Express’ derailment? I know, they wrote this game after the release of RE1 so they couldn’t account for these plot points, but the fact that this story has no repercussions for anything going forward in the series has always stuck out to me as very odd.

RE0 is absolutely worth playing for fans of classic survival horror. It has some quirks, and some baffling design choices, but it really is a great game overall. Not the best in the series by a long shot, but I really underestimated it over the years and I’m glad I came back and gave it another chance.

Name a more hyped release than Halo 3. Then name a game that lived up to the hype like Halo 3.

One of the greatest single player FPS campaigns ever made. All the buildup from Halo 1 and 2 pays off in 3. I’m one of the weirdos who didn’t like Halo 2 very much, but loved Halo 1. Such a tight gameplay loop and it gives you so many new toys to play with in the Halo sandbox. Then, the story payoff at the end is emotional and so satisfying for people who love the series.

Multiplayer in Halo 3 was the place to be in 2007. Some of the best map design around and amazing weapons to play with. The progression was purely cosmetic, yet it kept people playing for years. Compare that to CoD nowadays where they are constantly giving you items to keep you interested, yet people bounce off faster.

Forge and theater were the first of their kinds, and they haven’t been matched in several aspects. The amount of time I spent in both of these as kid, not even playing, was more than I spend in modern shooters now.

Halo 3 wasn’t a game, it was an event. So much love and care went into this, and it shows 17 years later. So many memories were created because of it, and I’d never trade them for anything. There will never be another release this hyped ever again.

VR gaming will never top this.

The most immersive VR experience I’ve ever had. While there are several massive games of this type, Half Life Alyx feels the most like a real AAA experience. The control you have over Alyx is unmatched, creating the most intuitive control scheme VR has ever had. The way it integrates its story into the Half Life universe is so incredibly creative and rewarding to see until the end. Every chapter is memorable, and some are the best levels in a game I’ve ever experienced. Nothing compares to Alyx in the VR world, and it’s one of the best games ever made.