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Resident Evil 3 review

April 20, 2020

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Resident Evil 3 is the next in the Resident Evil series of games that has gotten the royal remake treatment. Much like Resident Evil 2 last year, gameplay in Resident Evil 3 has been updated to include a new camera system, modern graphics, and present day controls. Say goodbye to robotic tank controls and fixed camera angles from the late 90s.

Last year, Capcom proved with Resident Evil 2 that with changes a 20 year old game can still cut it today. Can Capcom work their magic again, this time with Resident Evil 3? Let’s find out!

Resident Evil 3 Details

Platform(s): Xbox One and PlayStation 4
Reviewed on: PlayStation 4 Pro
Developer: Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Genre: Survival horror
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)

A city overrun by a whole new biological threat

Resident Evil 3 takes us back to Raccoon City and follows the adventures of S.T.A.R.S. agent Jill Valentine and U.B.C.S mercenary Carlos Oliveira. The game takes place between the first 2 Resident Evil games and we find the city is in complete chaos. A zombie outbreak has occurred and is worse than ever before.

The game wastes no time in getting your heart racing as right off the bat. Initially, Jill is looking to get out of town and relax after surviving the events of the first game. However, things don’t go as planned. An evil monstrous bio-weapon beast known as the Nemesis is out to kill Jill and the rest of the surviving S.T.A.R.S. agents.

Resident Evil 3

If you’ve played Resident Evil 3 when it first came out in 1999 on PlayStation, you are in for a surprise. Capcom has kept the basic overall story intact but has mixed things up. People you meet and talk to are in different spots in the story and some locations have been consolidated into one area, while others have gotten a fresh coat of paint. At first I was a little put off by it but the more I played the more I liked the changes Capcom made. Things made more sense and the story seemed to flow better than it did all those years ago.

Resident Evil 3

Enhanced gameplay with moderinzed elements

In addition to the massively updated visuals, Resident Evil 3 has quite a few gameplay enhancements to bring it into the modern area. We now get a third-person, over-the-shoulder view and as a result makes playing the game more enjoyable. While not entirely perfect, the camera angle is no longer fixed and as a result there are a lot less “surprise” attacks by zombies.

Jill can now dodge enemy attacks and Carlos is equipped with a clothesline attack that sends zombies flying. Pull either of these moves off without a hitch and you are rewarded with “bullet time”—slowing down of time, giving you a chance to deal a lethal head-shot. Inventory management is still a major factor in being successful and items such as ammunition are scarcely spread out throughout Raccoon city.

Resident Evil 3

There is a great variety of weapons that you’ll come across and if you are running low on ammunition you can craft it with the right materials. This is especially meaningful for your grenade launcher, that is key against your battle with the Nemesis. And, let me tell you, there are some epic battles throughout the game with the Nemesis.

Resident Evil 3

Survival horror never looked or sounded so good

As gorgeous as Resident Evil 2 looked last year, Resident Evil 3 looks even better. The amount of detail added to each environment is amazing. Everything from lighting to character animations to the way the fire illuminates the streets is superb. And, I can’t forget to mention the character models. These are some of the best I’ve ever seen in a game and have an astonishing sense of realism to them.

Another big change to the game’s presentation is the voice acting. Specifically, Nicole Tompkins, the voice of Jill Valentine. She brings Jill to life filled with emotion, anger and horror. Nicole, along with the other voice actors, quickly got me emotionally invested in the characters and pulled me even further into the story.

A new multiplayer experience with Resident Evil Resistance

In addition to Resident Evil 3‘s single player campaign, there is a new multiplayer mode entirely separate from the game called Resident Evil Resistance. It’s a 1v4 asymmetrical multiplayer mode where 4 players assume the role of survivors trying to escape from the evil Mastermind.

As the Mastermind you have a variety of resources at your disposal such as setting traps and spawning monsters to ensure that the others do not escape. Much like Doom Eternal’s Battlemode, it’s a change of pace but nothing revolutionary. It’s good for what it is and that’s having good old fashioned fun.

Resident Evil 3 is another fine remake in the series by the wizards at Capcom

Capcom have worked their magic once again. This isn’t just throwing a fresh coat of paint on a 21 year old game and calling it a day. It’s easy to see the amazing amount of care and detail that they put into remaking Resident Evil 3.

In addition to completely overhauling the graphics, they have modernized gameplay and remixed some of the story and locations. As a result, they have made a great game even better. Some may find this game a tad short, about 6-8 hours to complete, but I found its length to be just right.

In fact, Resident Evil 3 was made to play more than just once. There is a lot to collect, uncover and discover. It’s really quite amazing what you’ll find on your second or even third run through. If you are a survival horror fan there is no doubt that Resident Evil 3 is for you. With rumours surfacing that a remake for Resident Evil 4 is in the works, I can hardly wait to see how one of my favourite games in the series turns out.

+ Modernized gameplay
+ Gorgeous updated visuals
+ Superb voice acting
+ Great replay value
+ Some story elements and locations have been remixed

– Some may find the game too short
– Remixed locations can feel small