Resident Evil 3

- Reviewed on PS4 -

Resident Evil 3 released on April 3rd, 2020. 

The original Resident Evil 3, named Resident Evil 3: Nemesis released on September 22nd, 1999. 

For this blog post, I will be reviewing the remake that came out in 2020. 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

After playing through the remake of Resident Evil 2, I was so happy when Capcom made the announcement of the remake of Resident Evil 3! 

Even though the remake of Resident Evil 3 did leave out some of the original content from the first Resident Evil 3 (named Resident Evil 3: Nemesis) back in 1999, this remake did not disappoint me and my excitement / joy for this title surprisingly stuck with me throughout the entire game.

One thing I wish though, was that this remake could've been a little longer. 

This game felt a lot shorter than the remake of Resident Evil 2 however this did not pull me out of the game as Resident Evil 3 still delivered in the terms of Horror, Gore, Story, and Character Development.

Speaking of character development, you take the role of the main protagonist Jill Valentine, voiced by Nicole Tompkins. 

Jill Valentine also was one of the main protagonists of the very first Resident Evil and she makes her triumphant return in this entry as well. 

The story of Resident Evil 3 surrounds the main antagonist Nemesis, who is / was a creation of some sort by the secret Umbrella Corporation.

Unlike Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3 puts you directly in the hot seat, as the first area of the game (Jill's Apartment) contains the appearance of Nemesis. 

As a Detective and S.T.A.R.S. member of Raccoon City (main location for Resident Evil 3), it is up to Jill to find out who Nemesis is, where he / it came from, and how to stop the Umbrella Corporation. 

Music, as always, can make or break a horror game, even the top horror titles in its genre can be ruined by bad music, Resident Evil 3 did an amazing job with its tense music selection. 

Specifically they did a great job with the music surrounding Nemesis encounters. 

From the very beginning when (SPOILER) Nemesis breaks through Jill's apartment wall, and that music (theme song) for Nemesis pops up, that gave me chills and it showed how big of a threat Nemesis is (was going to be for the whole game) and how you will never know when he would appear.

Resident Evil 2 did the same technique of a stalker enemy (antagonist) with Mr. X. Only difference is Nemesis has / had his / it's own specific music every time he appeared which I felt brought more fear to the player (definitely me). 

Entering a Save Room in Resident Evil 3 brought its own calming music in the T-Virus infested city and it really did immerse me into this safe feeling knowing no enemies could break down the save room door or be in the actual room when I first get / got there. 

Throughout the main story of Resident Evil 3, Jill will encounter Carlos Olivera (just named Carlos in the game). 

One little problem I encountered with Carlos is the very bad, flirty jokes he makes with Jill. 

As a matter of fact, Carlos's dialogue throughout the game isn't that memorable and doesn't really give me the same emotion that I feel when I hear Jill speak in terms of fear for her life. 

Last thing I want to hear in a zombie / monster infested city, is the term supercop. 

The lore of Resident Evil is very well present in each of it's individual titles. 

Whether it's the Umbrella Corporation, Zombies, or Raccoon City, Resident Evil has a very well told, continuous story. 

I bring this up because Resident Evil 3 takes place before Resident Evil 2 (some might even suggest, during Resident Evil 2) and gives sneak peeks into what caused the events you experience(d) as Leon and / or Claire in Resident Evil 2 (the remake version). 

You eventually get to revisit the RPD Station from Resident Evil 2, in Resident Evil 3 (as Carlos). 

This definitely put a smile on my face as I already played the Resident Evil 2 remake and I got to see exactly how everything was set up before hand, like how the zombies were placed in the halls and how certain walls were already destroyed when I played Resident Evil 2. 

I was a little disappointed that Resident Evil 3 did not upgrade (in a sense) their zombie appearance(s). 

The normal zombies looked similar to the ones in the Resident Evil 2 remake and although there were new monster enemies in Resident Evil 3, the default (normal) human zombie still looked the same and uninteresting / scary. 

Combat felt the same as Resident Evil 2 as well, but Resident Evil 3 added a new combat feature of rolling out of the way (as Jill) and shrugging / punching zombies (as Carlos) which I felt was a game changer and a lot of fun to use. 

I love how they stuck with the traditional items as well such as Herbs, Lockpicks, First Aid Spray, Handguns, Knifes, Grenades, Item Boxes, and the Typewriter (to save your progress).

One final thing about Resident Evil 3 which I feel, a lot of games do badly, is that the final boss battle is not that hard compared to previous (mid game) boss battles. 

Resident Evil 3 built up Nemesis as such an unpredictable threat, but in the end, the final boss battle (last form) was not that hard, all it was, was shooting weak points and charging up a huge laser weapon.

Capcom has made one of the best horror series I have ever played, in Resident Evil, and their remake of Resident Evil 3 is top notch quality in my opinion. 

I never once experienced a glitch, audio issues, controlling issues, or anything of the sort (my game being updated to the newest version mind you, as of writing this blog post). 

Although not as long as Resident Evil 2 (remake), Resident Evil 3 (remake) is a game I would highly recommend and you don't need to play the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis to enjoy this remake as much as I did!

Pros: 

    - Realistic Graphics

    - Sticks to Resident Evil Lore

    - Great Story

    - Smooth Controls

    - Great / Tense Music 

    - Fun Combat

    - New Enemies

    - Outstanding Character Development

Cons:

    - Same Zombie Models as Resident Evil 2 Remake 

    - Short Game 

    - Easy Final Boss Battle

    - Bad Dialogue (Carlos)

My Rating for Resident Evil 3 (on PS4):

4 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.