Resident Evil 3 (2020) Review

*Contains Spoilers*

A Fun Game That Just Missed The Mark
Following the success of Resident Evil 2’s remake in 2019, fans were eager to experience yet another reimagining of a classic survival horror experience. I was certainly excited to see how Capcom would approach Resident Evil 3’s story, set once again in Racoon City amidst a viral outbreak and eventual annihilation. If you’re like me, you were hoping for a wide open city to explore, crafted with the same stunning graphics RE2 Remake and RE7 displayed, decisions that shift the story and eventual outcome of the game, and an unrelenting and seemingly unstoppable Nemesis which could show up at any moment and send players running for their lives. Not to mention some depth to the characters and storyline that may not have been possible to include back in 1999. What we received, however, was a rushed experience which was missing pretty much all of the key aspects that made the original so wonderful.

Storyline-wise, wow… What can be said except “oof”? The game begins with Jill in her apartment, clearly dealing with PTSD from her previous experience at the mansion in RE1. This aspect was interesting and a good starting place. However, things quickly turn into a series of fast-paced cutscenes in which Nemesis already makes an appearance, busting through a wall of Jill’s apartment and the player must run forwards (that’s it) for the next several minutes as Nemesis gives chase. When Jill escapes the apartment building and Nemesis is slowed by some debris in a doorway, she meets Brad “Not-So-Chickenheart” Vickers. Brad, in the original game, was a small, weak, terrified person who would mumble about how everyone is going to die before Nemesis makes his first appearance and skewers Brad’s head like a kabob. It really set the tone for the rest of the game and let players know that they were going to be in for a serious fight. In this game, however, we see Brad for what feels like moments before he bravely bars the door so Jill can escape and a zombie, not Nemesis, takes a bite out of his arm. Later, he somehow manages to lumber his way back to the police station as a zombie and give Carlos a hard time. No mention of her encounter with Nemesis and no behavior which would make his “Chickenheart” nickname seem well-deserved. An opportunity which, in my opinion, was missed.

After Jill gets through some annoying “run and respond to QTE” sections, we meet Carlos and Mikhail (already) and get to the real action. Now Jill has a weapon (not her signature Samurai Edge) and a mission. She has agreed to help Carlos and his team ready the subway train for departure with the few survivors Raccoon City has left. As you make your way around the city doing this and that for Carlos, players may begin to realize just how small Raccoon City feels in comparison to the original. The segment players experience in the demo ends up being most of the map, aside from a few detours which take Jill to a power station and behind RPD to visit her old pal Kendo. Worst of all, Jill never even enters the police station so players are left only wondering how she would have responded to seeing her colleagues dead or in distress and reminiscing about old times in the S.T.A.R.S office. Leaving the aforementioned out was truly to this game’s detriment. Other sections the remake left out include the Clock Tower (which was reduced to a lame fight with a dog-like mutation of Nemesis), and the city park.

Graphically, the game was as “gore-geous” as its predecessor, utilizing the RE Engine to bring sinister creatures and beloved characters to life in stunning detail. The version of Raccoon City we see here is vibrant, but in a state of disarray from the chaos of the recent viral outbreak that turned ordinary citizens into zombified, flesh-eating monsters. Vehicles have crashed or been repurposed as barricades, store windows are shattered, glass and corpses litter the streets, and fire flickers from the alleyways. Though what we see was severely limited in comparison to the original game, each section of the map was crafted with the level of care we have come to expect from the Resident Evil franchise in recent years. That said, I am disappointed players were unable to see and visit more of Raccoon City and beyond. The potential for a wide open map with Nemesis hot on your heels and the need to hide or make a desperate run for it was largely unfulfilled. Many of the zombies and the design of “Nest 2” were recycled and overall, it felt lazy and uninspired. This version of Nemesis was also not my favorite, appearing more like a mutated rat wrapped in trash bags than an unstoppable force to be feared. I understand this was likely the designer’s attempt to make Nemesis look more like a mass produced product on Umbrella’s shelves, but it honestly just makes him look less threatening, especially when we first meet him with the bag material wrapped around his head. How does he see where he’s going? Much less attack Jill with any amount of accuracy? He only appears that way at the outset, but that is a very crucial time in the game where first impressions are key.

Mechanically, the game is hit or miss. While I do love the ability to dodge like the original game and the addition of the deadly follow up attack after dodging successfully, the feature doesn’t always work when you want it to. I found myself attempting to execute a dodge and having it inexplicably fail. The unlockable combat manual helps with this, especially for the harder difficulties where dodging is a necessity. You can unlock other items that make Jill stronger, more deadly, and heal faster, as well as a variety of weapons that make replays of the game more interesting. The lack of puzzles is also a detriment to this game. Resident Evil games traditionally have a series of puzzles that force the player to explore their environment thoroughly, take risks, and put on their thinking caps, and the original RE3 was no exception. The Remake, however, removes most of the puzzles and one of the few that do exist is now optional if the player wants to go through the trouble to get some extra gear. Decisions were also removed from the game so there’s only one real path and final outcome, which severely damages the game’s replayability. Fights with Nemesis are also scripted, making that aspect of the horror almost nonexistent. He shows up at very specific times in specific places and leaves very little to speculation, even on the first playthrough. Two out of 4 major fights with Nemesis are also near identical. After the subway accident, Nemesis mutates into a wolf-like creature you must fight. The next time Jill runs into Nemesis, he’s almost the same form in a similar arena, save his new tentacle arm. I feel the devs missed an opportunity to explore a different mutation and fight scenario here.

RE3 Remake’s soundtrack is one of the areas where it really shines. Instead of creating a whole new soundtrack like they did for RE2 Remake (the original being optional), the original soundtrack was just refreshed with a modern twist, leaving players with all those nostalgic feelings they’ve been longing for. If only the rest of the game followed suit…

The voice acting and mo-cap were phenomenal and really helped bring these beloved (and not-so-beloved) characters to life. The chemistry development between Jill and Carlos was delightful, illustrated by the hesitant, sometimes standoffish interactions which, over time, turn into respect and admiration. Players will also learn to hate Nicholai on a whole new level by the end of the game.

Overall, RE3 Remake is a fun, fast-paced zombie shooter. However, if you were hoping for a thoughtful recreation of the original, prepare to be disappointed. Unless you enjoy challenging yourself with harder unlockable difficulties or new items, the game offers little replayability. The game, while beautiful to look at and fun to play, cuts a ton of content and leaves much to be desired.

Note: Included in your purchase of RE3 (2020) is Resident Evil Resistance - an online multiplayer game where you are either a “Mastermind” bent on preventing a team of survivors from escaping your facility with a variety of abilities and monsters at your disposal, or one of four survivors who must collect puzzle pieces and dodge wave after wave of monstrosities to escape the facility alive. The game is non-canon and unrelated to Resident Evil 3, so I have not reviewed it here. In summary, it is a fun game to play with your friends, but suffers from balance issues and slow matching times. It does, however, host an array of characters new and old with various abilities that keep it fun and interesting, forcing teams of survivors to strategize together.

[Lady played Resident Evil 3 (2020) on PC with a mouse and keyboard]