Resident Evil 3 Review

How ironic? A video game about a viral outbreak that causes a pandemic across the globe. If this isn’t timely, then I don’t what is. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis had always been considered the oddity from its acclaimed trilogy, on the PlayStation One. It had a tough act to follow in its legendary predecessor in Resident Evil 2, one of the greatest survival-horror titles ever developed. RE3: Nemesis was met with high praise amongst critics, However it was given a luke-warm reception from gamers who adored the initial and second entry in the franchise. While RE2 innovated off the foundation laid with RE1, RE3 merely mirrors RE2’s entire gameplay pattern with some minor yet noticeable tweaks. While it never mirrored the legacy its prequel attained, it remained a must play for all PlayStation and Dreamcast owners. Skipping ahead some 20 years after the release of Nemesis, fans were treated to an absolutely stunning remake of Resident Evil 2. If there was anything to take away from Resident Evil’s revival in 2019, is that its initial concept placed within the original version had all the makings of an excellent modern horror, that ultimately stood the test of time. Nominated for multiple Game of the Year awards, Resident Evil had been reborn, and Capcom knew they had something special on their hands.

Once again, history repeats itself. Resident Evil 3 is revealed in December 2019 to a flurry of adoration from fans that could not wait to sink their teeth into the potentially masterful zombification – get it? It’s because they’re bringing the title back from the dead. Resident Evil 3 takes us back to Raccoon City, reintroducing us to our protagonist Jill Valentine, a former member of STARS (Special Tactics and Rescure Service). The entire campaign of Resident Evil 3 take’s place prior to the events of Resident Evil 2, with the city’s population infected by the outbreak of the Tyrant Virus, or T-Virus as it’s commonly known; a biologically enhanced mutation of an ancient African RNA virus which was used for acts of terrorism, initially developed by Umbrella Corp. While attempting to flee the copious hoards of zombies, Jill is confronted by the title’s main antagonist, Nemesis. The creature is an amalgamation of multiple parasites infected by the T-Virus, stringed with experimental bio-organic weapons, hence his full name ‘Nemesis T-Type’.

The creature had been programmed to annihilate all surviving members of the special forces division, including Jill. In between the chaos ensuing in the city, Jill’s attempt to escape almost costs her, but she’s saved by mercenary and our second protagonist of the title, Carlos Oliveira. With Carlos temporarily incapacitating the creature, the two flee underground through Raccoon City’s subway system. This is where it get’s intriguing. Recalling events of the title’s primary version, heading towards the train with a gravely injured Mikhail Victor, was placed within the infected city. In the 2020 remake, the entire sequence has been written and recreated to match an overhauled experience. I immediately noticed that the event was set to be the catalyst of this trait seen in Resident Evil 2, with memorable moments being slightly tweaked to fit the scale of Resident Evil 3’s larger environments. Given the fact that the entire experience is a retelling, not a carbon copy of the original, it’s more than a welcome addition, seeking to set itself apart and create a unique narrative and delivery while remaining faithful.

While it may be easy to compare the title to the original or it’s true prequel, Resident Evil 3 maintains a solid delivery within the entire duration of the campaign. While the title will deliver some fun and shocking moments, the story still falls short of its phenomenal predecessor. By no means would I label this title as lackluster, or would want to deter fans from experiencing what could be a potential cult classic reborn, but the sensations of panic and fright were all but seemingly absent from much of its plot. While Resident Evil has always prided itself for the excellence in original survival horror storytelling, it would be hard to place Resident Evil 3 into that genre. I’d say if the title was marketed towards people who love their engaging action titles, then yes it certainly fits the mold. In the original title, players are cautionary of ominous encounters with various enemies that loom around each corner. Sinister intentions fall flat, and are replaced with the sense of alertness rather than an inauspicious feeling of imminent doom. It’s weird to think that Resident Evil could not delivery any trepidation.

It was almost like a matter of urgency took over the majority of fear and dread experienced from the original. Nemesis cements this matter with his disposition that opposes his original incarnation. While his goal remains the same, he seemed to be such more of a threat in the original title. With our modern remake, he is hurdled like some whimsically placed obstacle that opposes a minimal threat toward our heroes. Translating the original encounters into Quicktime events lead to some cinematic improvements, but disappoint with it’s fixed “on-rails” confrontations. Taking advantage of Capcom’s established RE-Engine, Resident Evil 3 borrows much of its core mechanics from RE2: Remake. It remains a warm welcome to revisit the narrative of an older title, with a fresh coat of paint applied. Making your way through the war-torn, corroded cityscape, you will grasp a complete understanding of the overall map design. It very much feels like a hybrid of old-school corridor entanglement, blazoned with baddies and blasters.

While I collected various items throughout my time in-game, I noticed how sparse ammunition was. It was noticeably easy to obtain various pieces of weaponry, but I questioned why there were more guns than there was ammo? While I had moments of reflection in certain arcs of the title’s short 9 hour campaign, I came to realise how linear the story and gameplay was. At no point in its entirety did I feel like I missed anything, or needed to retrace my steps. Combat-wise, the engine takes the core physicality experienced from the prequel, and shows how adaptable it is in any setting while adding some new features that shows flexibility. With zombie’s and monsters roaming in large hoards, you may easily dodge them, and if equipped with hardware, you will automatically aim at the enemy’s exposed weak-point, burying shrapnel into their decomposing corpses. If unsuccessful, most zombies will treat Jill like a well-based piece of meat and gnaw a chunk of flesh right off her neck.

I never felt a moment of sincere frustration playing RE3: Remake. The entire experience was a little too easy. While nobody wants to deal with the burden of repetitive circumstances, or the difficulty of an overpowered enemy that is solely designed to bottleneck, I found the campaign to be straightforward and simplistic. Sometimes, it can be emphatic on a narrative to deliver the player a tight-nit title that display its mesmorising detail, rather than keeping us held in unnecessary situations; simple, yet effective would sum it up. Resident Evil 3: Remake asserts itself as it’s suggested, a remake. While it hopes to ascertain the same reception as its predecessor, it may fall short in the narrative department but still holds a candle to its incredible redesign. Borrowing the blueprint of Raccoon City’s floor-plan, then discombobulating some scenery and reinstating some of its quality features, displays Capcom’s incredible devotion in redesigning the massacred streets, infested building, and inundated undergrounds.

Resident Evil 3: Remake is no eyesore, its a thing of beauty. There is a certain level of devotion placed within its design that makes the overall experience worth the price of admission. The intricacies laid into our core character’s remodel, with every pore displayed in stunning 4K, leaves me gobsmacked. I was so glad to see the reimagining of Jill Valentine’s character with the respect a strong female lead deserves, but what is up with Carlos’ new hairstyle? In any event, our cast of characters are given a slick remodel, with each cutscene arranged to display the incredible quality that has been recreated. Just as smooth as RE2: Remake, Resident Evil 3’s contoured overhaul is made apparent with its streamlined appeal, not just in design but its overall gameplay loop. Matching this with the intensity of its timid tones, and excellent sound design, the overall package improves the title’s known legacy.

Resident Evil 3: Remake may fall somewhat short of its prequel, but remains a must play for any fans of the series. Comparing it to the last entry of the reborn franchise will be hard to avoid, just as it was while reviewing the title. As a standalone experience, RE3 is quite solid. It’s still an intense, fast paced, survival-horror adventure; jam packed with bombastic sequences, subtle comedy, and a cast of memorable characters that re-counts their story to an entirely new generation.