After Capcom's highly successful remake of their classic survival-horror hit Resident Evil 2 last year, fans have been asking for a remake of the third entry in the series. With REmake 3 feeling like an inevitability, rumors of the game started circulating around the web, and it was officially announced late last year alongside the multiplayer experience Resident Evil: Resistance. Although both games came bundled together in one package, this review focuses solely on the Resident Evil 3 Remake and not the multiplayer portion.

Released worldwide on April 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Resident Evil 3 is an action/survival-horror title. Developed and published by Capcom, it is a remake of their 1999 title Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. It was packaged alongside the online multiplayer game Resident Evil: Resistance. The game has received mostly positive reception and successful sales numbers.



Resident Evil 3 is set approximately two months after the first Resident Evil and occurs simultaneously with the events of Resident Evil 2. Original Resident Evil survivor and S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine must make her escape from Raccoon City amidst the chaos caused by the T-Virus outbreak that has infected most of the city and turned the citizens into zombies. However, an intelligent and practically indestructible new threat known as the Nemesis is on a mission to eliminate any remaining members of S.T.A.R.S. and will stop at nothing to prevent Jill's escape. The story is serviceable but nothing special, and it will be predictable even to those who haven't played the original.


The remake of Resident Evil 3 plays similarly to the remake of Resident Evil 2, albeit with a few variations. The game plays from a third-person perspective and tasks you with exploring different locations within Raccoon City in order to find items needed for progression, with a few puzzles thrown in for good measure. Enemies will be littered throughout the environment to impede your progress, and it is up to the player to either dispatch them or avoid them altogether. The shooting in the game feels great and landing a critical headshot on a zombie is always satisfying.

There are a few changes to the gameplay that help the game stand apart from REmake 2, most notably the new dodge mechanic, which was a feature in the original RE 3. Pressing the dodge button will cause Jill to roll out of the way of enemy attacks, and a well-timed dodge will trigger a slow-motion 'bullet time' effect that allows you to quickly counterattack enemies. The game will put you in control of another character named Carlos on occasion, and Carlos controls similarly to Jill except, instead of a dodge mechanic, Carlos can punch enemies to knock them down. It is also worth noting that the defensive item mechanic is not present here, so items such as knives and grenades cannot be used to interrupt and save yourself from enemy attacks.


Speaking of which, many of the enemies in the game are returning series' staples. The obligatory zombies are here, and just like in REmake 2, they are more of a threat than ever as they are deceptively fast at times and can take quite a bit of damage to put down. Infected dogs also make a return and can be quite difficult to land a shot on due to their speed. Hunters also make a return to the series in both their Beta (large humanoid frogs with sharp claws that are very quick and agile) and Gamma (large frog-like creatures with sharp teeth) forms, and both are extremely dangerous as they are capable of one-shotting you. Lastly, the Drain Deimos' are large insectoid creatures that quickly crawl along the walls and ceiling, allowing them to easily surprise you.

As the title of the original RE 3 implies, one of the core aspects of the game is the Nemesis that you will have to deal with throughout the game. There are a handful of times throughout the game where Nemesis will appear and stalk you throughout the environment, and while he can be momentarily incapacitated after taking enough punishment, he cannot be killed. My only real problem with this is that, unlike the Tyrant/Mr. X from REmake 2, you can't outrun Nemesis, and he will relentlessly pursue and attack you from behind, meaning your only option is to use the aforementioned dodge against an enemy that you can't even see. Nemesis also appears in various forms as a recurring boss fight throughout the game, and these encounters were well done and enjoyable.


Aside from the aforementioned complaint about Nemesis, another aspect of the game I found disappointing was its length. If you're like me and have little interest in the online mode, then essentially all that's here is a roughly five-hour campaign with some higher difficulty settings and arrange modes. In fact, there were key segments from the original game that were completely scrapped from the remake, which can cause the game to feel incomplete to fans familiar with the original. Compared to Resident Evil 2's dual A/B campaign scenarios, survivor modes, and free DLC episodes, as well as the higher difficulty settings, the content in RE3 feels extremely bare.

Just like REmake 2 before it, Resident Evil 3 looks great and impressively detailed, from the environments to the character and enemy models. There are also some nice visual easter eggs scattered throughout the game which are always a nice touch. The sound design is also great with sound effects keeping you immersed in the experience. Being a horror game, music is used sparingly, but it hits the right notes when it is used, and hearing recreations of the classic save room themes was a treat.


While it doesn't quite live up to the high expectations set by REmake 2, I still found the game to be a great experience while it lasted, although the short run time makes me hesitant to recommend it at full MSRP. I suppose the price point could be justified when you consider the multiplayer portion of the game, but I would wager that most reading this are only interested in the single-player experience. If you consider yourself a fan of Resident Evil and enjoyed the Resident Evil 2 remake in particular, you're sure to enjoy this also, just be aware of its short length and maybe wait for a sale if you don't want to pay $60 for a five-hour campaign.

Permalink | Comments [1] | Digg This Article | Tweet