If there is a game out there that can be defined by having everything but the kitchen sink thrown at you, it would be this one. From the moment you get past the main menu, Resident Evil 3 throws everything at you. With Jill Valentine having to survive through ordeals that would give Isaac Clarke a run for his money. This latest survival horror game from Capcom is intense, exciting, and never lets up.
That being said there are a few things about it that you may want to know before you buy. So the question is, is it worth purchasing? Read our thoughts on the game and decide for yourself.
An Intense Survival Horror
The game starts in first person, with you controlling Jill Valentine in her apartment. This wasn’t seen in the original game–as that immediately starts with Jill bursting through an alleyway on fire. One might be mistaken to think that the remake is taking things slower this time. The opening sequence is about as slow as the game gets. The rest of the game handles its pacing like a roller coaster on full throttle.
Resident Evil 3 Remake doesn’t really go for nostalgia. Fans who have played the original will notice that the Remake does things quite differently, despite the story going down the same road. For one thing, the very first enemy you encounter is Nemesis, who promptly chases her out of her apartment complex..
From then on, you’re thrust into the cruel hellhole of Raccoon City streets. Infested with zombies and other mutants, the streets of Raccoon City is a hostile environment where even a single regular enemy can take down Jill Valentine.
Jill’s Investigation STARS Operative, Jill Valentine The “Cannibal Disease” Infected
Raccoon City is in complete chaos. Many have been infected with the strange “cannibal disease” that turns the ordinary denizen into a flesh eating monster. Capcom did a good job portraying the absolute mess any metropolitan city would be when struck with a zombie plague. Streets are filled with cars often blocking your way. A lot of buildings are on fire due to unchecked maintenance. Stores have been looted.
However, exploration isn’t as free as you might want it to be. Although Resident Evil 3 does allow for a degree of exploration, the game is mostly linear. With the environment taking more after Dead Space’s claustrophobic hallways. While the gameplay flows smoothly, freedom of movement is limited because of this. And it makes the zombies far more intimidating than they should be.
By The Skin of Your Teeth
Survival can boil down to how fast your reflexes are and how good you are at being frugal. Resources are scarce in Resident Evil 3. And you may find yourself without the ammunition or the health spray you need to survive a certain situation. One instance comes to mind is when Nemesis attacked me with a rocket launcher shortly after a rough encounter. I was already one hit away from death with no health items. As you can guess, I probably had to repeat that segment of the game no less than 6 times.
On harder difficulties, enemies can be particularly brutal. Jill Valentine can be a simple two hit kill on Hardcore Mode and it really revolves on how much distance you have between you and the infected. While this is easy enough to do on some of the more slower enemies, it can be a nightmare to maintain that distance on faster enemies such as zombie dogs and gigantic mutated bugs.
There are moments when you have that split second decision to choose to waste valuable ammunition to get past an enemy or risk injury by attempting to skillfully slip past them. Jill is capable of dodging on command. However, the move can be incredibly difficult to pull off as mastering it would require experienced knowledge of when the enemy will attack. Dodge at exactly the right time, and Jill momentarily enters a slow motion bullet time where she gets a chance to counter.
Enemies are tough. Unlike most zombie fiction, the average undead does not go down in one hit to the head. One of the most challenging aspects of the game is trying to figure out how many bullets it would take to down an enemy proper. Unless you have something powerful like a shotgun, the regular pistol does not have enough stopping power to penetrate the zombie’s head.
If you’re out of ammunition, you’re capable of crafting your own. You’ll find a variety of gun powder or explosive mixes that allow you to craft ammunition on specific combinations. This makes collecting them particularly beneficial. However, you also have to manage your very limited inventory space.
Inventory management is a key feature in the game. Many key items in Resident Evil 3 require that you take up inventory space. This can limit your ammunition carry, health items, and other equipment. Your weapons also take space in your limited inventory. What you can carry becomes a matter of life and death as you weigh down and try to predict what items you may need. Do you save that inventory slot for a special item you may encounter, or do you carry the lock picks with you to unlock lockers and briefcases that may be on the way. While your inventory starts off as incredibly cramped, you can expand it by finding pouches as you proceed with the game.
The Looming Threat
Of course, what would Resident Evil 3 be without Nemesis? This gigantic STARS obsessed stalker is hounding your every move. And it is the primary source of what makes Jill’s journey hellishly difficult.
Nemesis can’t be killed. You can slow him down with your weapons, but he gets back up after some time. He is fast for his size and is seemingly able to just appear from the sky. Unlike other enemy types, Nemesis is intelligent. He can carry weapons such as flamethrowers and rocket launchers. He is resilient no matter the injury you inflict on him.
Taking on Nemesis isn’t recommended. But it is manageable. However, it does require sacrifices in your resources in order to momentarily stop him in his tracks. Defeating him can give you some significant rewards, such as an extended magazine for your pistol. But by the time you do put him on his knees, you’ll probably be out of ammunition and precious health items.
While there are key segments that forces you into a boss fight against him, most of the time your only choice is to really just run. Nemesis induces panic in players that chills you to the bone. Every encounter with him is a constant test of endurance and attrition.
Nemesis will not stop pursuing you when he is in the area. The only place you’re truly safe from him and other enemies is in the Safe Room. Unlike its predecessor, Resident Evil 3 is capable of automatic saving when you hit certain points in the game. But much like its predecessor, you are also able to save your progress through a typewriter in safe rooms, but this time even in Hardcore mode, inks aren’t required to save.
A Great, But Flawed Experience
Resident Evil 3 Remake is amazing. It is graphically impressive but does suffer from certain flaws. Probably the biggest people may notice, is that the game is quite short. Beatable in relatively 9 hours depending on the difficulty and skill level of the person playing it. Probably the reason for which as to why Capcom released Resident Evil Resistance as an add-on alongside Resident Evil 3.
While the game is solid in most parts, it does suffer from a noticeable drop in quality in certain aspects. The plot feels rushed. While voice actors do a good job for most parts, some conversations between Jill and Carlos can come off as bland. The game tries to give them chemistry but doesn’t give them enough time to properly develop.
Which brings me to my main issue about the remake of Resident Evil 3…time. The developers over at Capcom only had a year after Resident Evil 2 Remake to make the game. And while there is noticeable graphical and gameplay improvement, it does come at the cost of content. Sometimes it can feel as though that the game is simply throwing one horror scene after another without proper pacing.
Overall, Resident Evil 3 Remake is still good. But you may want to keep in mind the short length of gameplay it has before purchasing it at full price.
