So after beating RE4 I couldn't shake that RE bug and decided to play through RE0 too. Don't think this is a controversial opinion (judging by skim-reading some review scores from back in the day) but it is in my opinion the worst of the 'classic' tank control games.
Started off promising enough, graphically it looks really good and I liked the 2 character gimmick but it all quickly fell apart.
Game feels derivative, the training academy section especially is a poor copy paste of the Spencer mansion. Some weird design choices too - there were multiple times where they put text boxes near item pickups and I'd spend a minute trying to position myself just right to pick up ammo or something.
The leech enemies are stupid. Not because they are tough, I like a challenge, they look fucking stupid wobbling around and instead of being intimidating I just chuckled to myself every time I saw one. Like one of those 90s rubber/goo figures you'd fling at a wall to make it stick with their stupid floppy arms.
Probably one of my biggest gripes is the item management though. They got rid of the item boxes, apparently at the suggestion of fans? Its 10 times worse in RE0! You just end up backtracking a dozen times to ferry items to a new section of the map like an asshole. Enjoy getting eaten alive by a mutant frog after backtracking to pick up some ammo after a boss fight.
It is by no means a bad game but considering the original REmake came out the same year RE0 looks shit in comparison.