Resident Evil 3 Review
Upon completing Resident Evil 2 Remake in 2019, I was completely taken aback by how much I adored the game. I had never been a big fan of survival horror games as I generally play games as a source of stress-relief, however with all of the positive reception around RE2 I had to jump in and try it out for myself. I loved the focused exploration of the Raccoon City Police Station and solving puzzles. I ended up completing RE2 multiple times as I loved playing and progressing through this methodical game. Going into Resident Evil 3 Remake, I had high expectations for how this title would bring a classic game into a modern context. After completing RE3 I overall thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game, but I am left wanting more.
The story of the game is a fun popcorn action movie, but mostly serves to advance the player from one enemy encounter to another. While I did connect with the game’s main protagonist Jill Valentine, I found it difficult to follow some of the narrative as I wasn’t familiar with her background because the RE2 remake was my first Resident Evil game. This knowledge gap is by no means the fault of RE3, but I did find the story more engaging after I did a bit of research to learn more about the events of Resident Evil 1. I enjoyed watching Jill’s character arc progress throughout the game as she faced off against Nemesis alongside the game’s second playable character, Carlos Oliveira. Carlos, who I at first didn’t care for at all because of his “dude-bro” attitude, has an interesting—and dare I say it redeemable—plot arc by the end of the game. While I found the narrative of RE3 to be entertaining, I would not recommend the game solely for its story.
The visuals of RE3 are absolutely stunning throughout. From facial animation, lighting effects and explosive set-pieces, the RE engine continues to rival the likes of graphical powerhouse developers like Naughty Dog or Rockstar. RE3 features really fun set-piece moments that reinforce the idea that you’re playing through an action-packed summer blockbuster zombie movie. The attention to detail within the environments is also excellent. From lab notes on the walls to blood trails leading to something terrifying, there is a tremendous amount of visual story-telling happening with the game.
The gameplay of RE3 puts a large emphasis on combat compared to its predecessor RE2. While RE2 utilized slow-paced exploration and puzzle solving, RE3 is an action-packed roller coaster that pushes you through huge set-pieces and quickly moves you onto the next spectacle. While this provides for a tightly paced game with little downtime, I found myself longing for the thoughtful puzzle-focused moments that I experienced last year in RE2, such as obtaining items to open new sections of the Raccoon City Police Station. Part of the disconnect in RE3 stems from the fact that the streets and shops of Raccoon City proved to be a less compelling setting to explore. In RE2, each room/item led to a new section of the police station, making the completion of each puzzle a celebratory moment that creates a sense of progress within the game. In RE3 I lost this sense of progress as there were few puzzles more complicated than “find the item and use it to open the door in the other room.” This isn’t necessarily a negative thing if you prefer fast paced action vibes over puzzle-solving, but I personally found the latter to be more rewarding and engaging overall.
Now let’s unpack the question on all of our minds: Mr. X or Nemesis? Both characters are large hulking enemies that cause the player terror within their respective games. However, their key difference in terms of gameplay is that Mr. X is a constant threat throughout your time in RE2, whereas Nemesis proves to be an easily avoidable conflict outside of key story moments. I understand why Capcom made the decision to not have Nemesis encounters be an organically recurring segment as you move through the world, however the absence of random encounters make the moments where you do fight Nemesis feel like an annoying chore rather than a thrilling close call, like in RE2 with Mr. X.
Overall, I prefer the puzzle focused nature of RE2 and the tension-inducing role of Mr. X. However, I think RE3 is absolutely worth playing if you’re a fan of survival horror, action movies, or the Resident Evil franchise. The RE2 and RE3 Remakes represent Capcom finding its voice within the current state of game development. I really enjoy these modernized versions of classic games and can’t wait for the next game in this series, whether it be a remake of RE4, Code Veronica or a completely new title within Resident Evil.
