Which Resident Evil game was released in 2002 as a prequel to the original Resident Evil?

Resident Evil 0 was released in 2002 as a prequel to the original Resident Evil.

The game chronicles events immediately before the mansion incident of the first title. Its story follows Rebecca Chambers, a young S.T.A.R.S. medic, and Billy Coen, a former Marine sentenced to death, as they investigate a series of murders in the Arklay Mountains.

Resident Evil 0 introduced a partner-based system in which players switch between Rebecca and Billy. It also removed the traditional item-storage boxes, allowing items to be left on the floor and retrieved later. This changed inventory management significantly compared with earlier entries.

The game was first released for the Nintendo GameCube. It was later remastered for modern platforms, but its original 2002 release remains important to the series’ chronology and to Rebecca Chambers’ backstory.