Resident Evil 3 Review for PlayStation 4

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was a beloved addition to the Resident Evil franchise when it released in the twilight years of the original PlayStation back in 1999. Containing more enemies, more ammo, dodge moves, and explosions galore, it was easily the most action packed of the original Resident Evil games, while retaining the well-known and beloved survival horror traits the series is known for. A key ingredient to this mixture was of course the titular Nemesis, a super behemoth of an enemy that can best be described as a mix of the previous games’ Tyrant bosses, the Terminator, Jason Voorhees, the Predator, a bit of the Xenomorph, and last week’s dinner at the back of the fridge that does NOT look safe to eat. Unerringly pursuing S.T.A.R.S. officer Jill Valentine, his combination of relentless pursuit, memorable look, weapons, and menacing roar of “STAAAARRSSS…” quickly made him a fan-favorite enemy, and what originated as a spinoff game quickly turned into one of the most memorable in the franchise.

So how does the remake hold up 21 years later? Very well actually! Once again taking on the role of Jill Valentine, your quest to escape the T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City will have you facing down hordes of the undead, bio engineered creatures with many teeth and claws, corporate spies and mercenaries, and of course, the big guy himself, Nemesis. Resident Evil 3 looks and sounds absolutely incredible, owing to the stellar facial capture technology of Capcom’s patented RE Engine, which saw its maiden voyage with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, returned in the Resident Evil 2 remake and Devil May Cry 5, and makes perhaps its last voyage before an update next generation with this remake.

Simply put, the engine is one of the most realistic out there, up in the pyramid with the engines used by 4A Games for the Metro series and Rockstar Games for Red Dead Redemption 2. It takes a once campy B-movie atmosphere, and while keeping beloved elements of that, makes the setting and its characters more believable. Undoubtedly, Jill and company take beatings that would send most real humans to the hospital, but it is easier to accept crazy events when you can suspend your disbelief more, which the more realistic RE Engine completely succeeds at doing. The music is also standout. While I think RE2’s remake had an underrated atmospheric soundtrack to it, it definitely was not as memorable as the original soundtrack (hence it arriving as DLC). Comparatively, RE3’s remake has a more vivid soundtrack to it, remixing the original version’s soundtrack while adding some new and welcome flavors as well.

The story remains mostly the same as the 1999 original. Veterans of the series may lament the omission of areas such as the park (ironically, it was a last minute addition before the original game launched) and the subsequent Gravedigger boss, and there are some adjustments to the canon that may not be to the liking of some fans in order to bring it more in line with the more realistic entries in 7 and 2.

There are a stellar amount of atmospheric touches brought forward by the always loved files and journals you can find in the world, as well as the subtle characteristics of the setting, main cast, and enemies. These little notches in the story truly allow you to delve into the world of Resident Evil. This may have always been the case, but with a modern game engine and facial technology, it only gets better with each installment. What the story and game may omit from the original version is more than made up for in superior characterization and changes, updates, and additions to other areas in the game. Carlos Oliviera is a standout. His character has been adjusted, turned into a grittier, much more enjoyable and likable human being. While the original version is enjoyable in many ways, I believe fans like myself will enjoy the much more grounded yet still wisecracking at times (and definitely more badass!) take on Carlos this time around.

It is not just his personality that is a standout, however. The sections where you play as him were probably my favorite in the game. They may be the greatest and near perfect mixture of action and horror ever put to a video game. Being a bit bulkier than Jill, Carlos has a little more power to his punches, and his assault is as powerful as you could hope. While this gives off the appearance that his sections are purely action versus the more survival-horror of Jill’s, that would be a great mistake to make.

In my opinion, his sections are actually scarier than Jill’s, with his story paths containing enough enemies, paranoia, and dark corridors to keep both you on the edge of your seat, and your ammo reserves low. There are also certain enemies from this point of the game onward that are NOT to be joked around with, as my death tally by game’s end can attest to. It is this illusion of greater power than makes these sections so effective. By the time I finished the final part of the Carlos-led sections, my blood and heart were pumping faster than any horror game I have recently played.

But what of the titular Nemesis? He is definitely a scarier version of Mr. X, and is NOT to be trifled with. Whenever he appears to stalk you, he is a menace, and while you can definitely put him down for a bit (with surprising rewards like the original game), he will surely be back soon enough to torment you. The only downside to this is that I wish these sections lasted just a little bit longer, as I definitely wanted to experience more of this dread during my journey (but fear not, he is even worse on the unlockable difficulties!). Another wish of mine is that there were just a few additional puzzles to drain my brain a bit more in the story. I think one or two more may have provided a better mixture of survival horror, action, and puzzle solving that the series and genre is known for.

Nemesis’ boss battles were definitely standout, and I do not think anyone will be disappointed in them. Additionally, the intro to the game is maybe one of the best I have ever seen, and it is definitely one of my favorite intros to any movie, game, or novel that I have experienced. With both fortunate and unfortunate timing, the intro also contains a newscast with certain comments that surreally reflect the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, so there is really no better game to play at a time like this!

Resident Evil 3 may arguably not be as great a survival horror game as Resident Evil 2. Longtime fans be not surprised though, as this is arguably how the original versions of the game stacked up against each other. There are just as many good reasons to pop in and play the original classics as there are the two new re-imagined versions, and each version does things in their own way that makes them preferable to one player over another, it is just the nature of the situation.

I do think, wholeheartedly, that fans of the franchise will not be disappointed in this new version of Resident Evil 3. It brings a lot of what fans loved of the original game, adds and changes things up, and puts out a unique product all its own. If you truly love the series, there is no reason not to enjoy both versions of the games on their own merits. The game itself may be a bit on the short side (my initial hardcore run took just about seven hours on the nose to complete), but not to worry, as Resident Evil 3 has plenty of unlockable and bonus difficulty modes to test your might, and who knows what future content Capcom has planned ala RE2’s the Ghost Survivors. To complement it, the game comes with an asymmetrical multiplayer game, Resident Evil: Resistance, which shall be covered in a separate review. It may not be Outbreak File #3, but it sure looks like it can be a blast in its own right.

If you are looking to revisit a classic in a new light, feel like some scares, explosions, and horrid monstrosities clawing at your flesh, or simply need a viral outbreak-based game to reflect the current worldwide quarantine, there is no game to arrive at a better time this remake of Resident Evil 3. I truly had a blast, and may do back to back playthroughs of this and Resident Evil 2 to experience the nightmare of Raccoon City all over again!

Story: 9/10

Music: 8.5/10

Graphics: 9.5/10

Gameplay: 10/10

Overall: 9.3/10

Check Out the Resident Evil 3 Trailer:

Resident Evil 3 is available now in North America and Europe both physically and as a digital download on the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X, and digital-only on Steam for MSRP $59.99.

For more information, please visit: https://www.residentevil.com/re3/us/

Matt O'Toole

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Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!

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