Unless you have been living under a rock these last few months, then you already know that Capcom’s Resident Evil 3 Remake was released worldwide on April 3, 2020. Following the release of Resident Evil 2 Remake last year, the game was brought up-to-date using the RE engine. The trailers and advertising surrounding the release heavily shared images of a burning Raccoon City, big new baddies, and the upgraded walking terror that is Nemesis. But in the end, how well does this stand up to other titles in the Resident Evil franchise? Keep reading to find out!
Proceed with more caution then entering the streets of Raccoon City, there are spoilers ahead.
Storyline Overhaul
Resident Evil 3 Remake follows main protagonist Jill Valentine, a true queen of the survival horror franchise, as she attempts to escape Raccoon City and coincides with the events of Resident Evil 2 Remake. The game doesn’t stray too far from the original but does take this time to make a few minor continuity changes. One change is the death of Brad Vickers at the hands of Carlos and not Nemesis. Fans of the original will catch on real quick to the changes, but they do make the game feel more complete.
Resident Evil 3 Remake progresses from story beat to story beat as the player completes each level and it really feels like a true natural progression. Jill comes into contact with major characters early on in the story including fellow protagonist Carlos Oliviera and antagonist Nemesis. The other characters within the game feel flushed out as well through the use of cut scene encounters and information picked up through interactions and notes left behind.
Capcom really hits the nail on the head when it came to overhauling the story for the remake. It feels canonically in line with the franchise while still standing out as its own game. I just wish they had expanded further to create a game longer than six hours where the constant push to complete the objective left the game feeling far shorter.
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Much Needed Update
Fans of the Resident Evil franchise have been waiting patiently for a visual update to 1999’s Resident Evil 3: Nemesis since the launch of Resident Evil 2 Remake last year. The team at Capcom used the RE engine to give a much-needed update to the game. The graphics look phenomenal and help to build the world in which we get to explore throughout the game. The realistic look helps to give players the feeling they are right there in the action.
The graphic update isn’t the only thing driving Resident Evil 3 Remake forward. Following the playstyle of recent Resident Evil games, the game is set to over the shoulder perspective to give players more control. Though with more zombies, new enemies, and the unstoppable Nemesis, are we ever actually in control? Spoiler alert, the answer is no, but we sure like the look around us as things spiral out of control.
Aside from graphic updates, the game features a new dodge mechanic for Jill and what I have dubbed the “super punch” for Carlos. With some quick thinking, there is a chance Jill can narrowly miss a finishing blow from Nemesis and slow things down for just a moment to get back the upper hand. This blends well with the game’s much faster-paced action feel. It also adds in an additional way to handle the boss fights rather than just kiting and unleashing an entire magazine of ammo.
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Can it Get Any Better?
I am a bit biased when it comes to the Resident Evil franchise as it sits at the top of a long list of favorite video game franchises. Each game builds on the horror and increase the ever-expanding lore. However, I will say that while Resident Evil 3 Remake has been fantastic to play it does have some faults. Like I stated earlier the game has a six-hour campaign which isn’t necessarily short, but feels like it is as objective pushing keeps the play constantly moving.
My only other complaint lies within the underuse of quick-time events to build momentum with Nemesis. While Resident Evil 2 and its remake relied heavily on scaring players with Tyrant constantly following and possible right outside the next door, Resident Evil 3 Remake uses Nemesis in scripted parts of the game. This isn’t bad however it does leave him to be far less horrifying since every chase sequence we have is just a lot of running.
There are ample amounts of times where a quick-time event could be added to make the player feel the stress. Within the first few minutes of the game, Jill is escaping Nemesis through her apartment building’s hallway. Most of this gameplay is left out of the player’s hands when it could have served to drive the player right into the action instead. This could then be built on by using quick-time events every time the player interacted with Nemesis during a chase scene.
Overall Thoughts
With or without the addition of more quick time-based events and making the game feel longer, Resident Evil 3 Remake is still a nearly perfect game to me. Long time fans of the series will find enough similarities in the game without it being a frame for frame copy of the original. It marries the survival horror known within the Resident Evil franchise with the heavy packed action. Lore-rich games, action, survival horror, and memorable boss fights, what more could you ask for? In my eyes this is a must-play for everyone this year.
Resident Evil 3 Remake is available to play now on PC through Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
This was originally published 4/5/20
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
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