On the 3rd of April, Capcom released Resident Evil 3 for the Xbox one,
PS4 and PC. This game is a remake of the classic PSone game that came out
back in September of 1999. This remake was announced not long after the remake of RE2,
which was one of my favourite games of last year and probably the most anticipated game
from Capcom in years as RE2 is considered of the best games in the long running franchise.
With RE3 being announced for a remake, I was excited like everyone else and we
wouldn’t have to wait years for it to turn up. The original PSone game went into production pretty
quickly as Sony wanted another title on their platform, Capcom were deep into development on
Code Veronica was had the original title of RE3 that was set for release on Sega’s new console
the Dreamcast. Capcom agreed to provide another sequel and renamed the Dreamcast title to Code
Veronica which arrived in February 2000 but the resulting game on the PlayStation felt more like
a side adventure to the events of RE2 and too many didn’t feel like a full-fledged sequel as
you only play as one character, you can play as Carlos for a short while in the story but the
choice of starting out the game with an option to choose a different character was sadly missing.
In efforts to cut corners, they set the story a few days before the arrival of Leon and Jills
escape concludes after Leon/Claire finished their mission. So the developers get to reuse
locations from RE2. Jill in her attempts to escape Racoon City is chased by a new weapon
sent by Umbrella called Nemesis, who turns up to cause trouble as the monster hunts down the
remaining members of Stars. The game focused on less puzzles and more on the action. The game
was well received by fans but they expressed their disappointment by its short length.
This new remake was under development for approximately three years prior to its
announcement in last year. The game was created using the RE Engine that was used in Resident
Evil 7, Devil May Cry 5 and the Resident Evil 2 remake. The Producers said the team
tried to honour the more action-oriented approach of the original game. Nemesis,
one of the central aspects of the game, was redesigned and given new ways to track down
players compared to Mr X from Resident Evil 2. They wanted to give players the feeling
that they were constantly being pursued by a relentless and agile bioweapon by striking a
balance between having players feel anxious and also giving them periods of respite.
With the story, the game opens with Jill having a nightmare and awakens to find Brad calling and
warning her to escape her apartment now, the Nemesis smashes through the wall and chases
her out the building, she finds Brads and he struggles to escape and gets bitten as he helps
Jill. The Nemesis has caught up with her and Jill is saved in the nick of time by Carlos a member
of Umbrellas Biohazard Countermeasure service. They escape to the subway where she meets the
other surviving members of Carlos team. Mikhail, Tyrell , and Nicholai. They have set up subway
trains which they plan to use to evacuate surviving civilians from the city but the
power needs to be restored and they’re unaware the Nemesis is still alive and is after Jill.
I loved the remake of Resident Evil 2 so I was really excited to see what Capcom was going to
see with RE3, my initial feelings on it after playing it for a couple of hours,
I felt it was a bit underwhelming, the graphics were yet again stunning,
the cut scenes look so life like, Jill new resign seems to modelled
on actress Mila Jovovich from the godawful Resident Evil Movies. She is not like for like
the same but from her side profile and how her hair is styled there is a definitive likeness.
the presentation remains high throughout and the excellent gameplay is the same but
I wasn’t feeling as invested in it. The option now to run around a city instead of focusing the
story inside a police station felt thrilling as an idea but in execution, its disappointing as
you’re very limited on where you can go as many areas are cornered off, which makes sense in the
story to hold back the zombies but it makes the game ultimately feel small in scale. As
the story unfolds and I got to play as Carlos I found myself getting more invested in the game,
honestly the plot is a bit thin through the cut scenes and is extended through the notes,
diaries and paperwork you pick up. There is quite a lot to find but I don’t think most
people will bother to read all the onscreen text, I feel Capcom should have provided a more of even
balance between the cuts scenes and the notes you find as overall the story that is given to use in
the cut scenes is a bit light. The Nemesis and how he comes about is quickly shown in the intro
but his backstory and how he has been created isn’t explained in main story, I would’ve been
cool if they had made attempts to expand his character and offer more insight from Umbrella.
With this being a remake there was a prime opportunity to really address the problems
of the original and expand the plot to offer a bigger story, there are levels and events that
are missing from this remake that happened in the original such as the puzzle dealing with the clock
tower, it does make an appearance but you don’t enter the building. Capcom have replaced sections
of the original with new locations, so they made good attempts to look upon the classic game with
a fresh pair of eyes to offer more variety to it. But each location feels short lived.
The original game had less puzzles then the previous entries which probably contributed to
its shorter length, this remake has even less, its more about flicking switches or combining
liquids as it shifts to keep the game moving forward as the action becomes the main focus.
With the encounter with Mr X from RE2 being so tense and scary when he chases after you,
you hear that stumping sound putting you on edge as you try to get away, coming face to face with
The Nemesis, it is unfortunately scripted and doesn’t quite work as well, as you lose control
of the game to watch an elaborate cut scene with moments to press a button to continue your escape,
your battles with him are mostly boss fights which vary in difficultly with each new encounter. There
are moments that aren’t a classic boss battle and you have to narrowly avoid him in the
streets and that’s where the tense moments occur but those are don’t last for long.
The game brings over the dodge move that was in the original game and it proves very handy in
avoiding the zombies and the nemesis with his quick punch attacks which do a lot of damage,
using this move certainly helps conserve ammo if you know you don’t have to return
to a certain section of the game. Your guns can be modified with attachments
for your standard pistol and shotgun, I did find magnum ammo on my first
playthrough but never found the gun, I must have missed a room or something?
is the game scary? It started off failing to make me jump at all,
it only becomes a bit tense when you’re dealing with the spiders, as I hate them and when you
play as Carlos and enter the Hospital, the use of lighting and not knowing what is around the
corner certainly makes it a bit unsettling and the score to the game is very impressive in
setting the tone and atmosphere. There is new monsters introduced and some old favourites,
the game certainly gives you plenty of zombies to shoot which is always fun,
I’m always disappointed when they dial back the use of zombies in these games
to continually throw stronger monsters to fight as you progress through the game.
On first play through I completed the game in just under 5 hours and I took my time with it,
reading all the notes and checking everywhere for additional ammo and herbs, so the game is
way too short sadly I think for a full priced game, for £40 or say $60 you don’t really get
much in return for your money especially compared to the length of RE2, sure you can do a speed run
through that game but in terms of the scale of this new remake and what it offers, RE3 is short
in that department. Depending on how you performed in the game and what items you picked up outside
of the ammo and health you’re awarded credits, to spend on items for your next playthrough,
I grabbed the samurai edge gun, you can also change your outfit or purchase bigger guns.
I did have fun playing this game there’s no doubt about that, but with the original RE3 game feeling
at the time a bit light as a follow up to RE2 so does this remake unfortunately. I just wish it was
longer and the story offered more, maybe start the game with a choice between Jill and Carlos,
see his side of the story as we see him being sent to Racoon City, in the game once you stop
playing as him he is off screen for ages, we don’t know what he is been up to and he just
turns up for the convenience of the plot. So I think it was a missed opportunity for Capcom
to address the issues of the original so this time round they could offer fans an expanded
experience of Racoon City and the battle with The Nemesis. It’s a good game and im sure will
please fans of the original. but maybe wait for it to drop in price before putting down £40.