043PREVIEW
off by burning vehicles much like in the original,
so again you progress through patient backtracking
and finding paths through shops, restaurants, and
apartments filled with nostalgic ’90s detail. From a
distance we spot the neon sign above the forecourt
of the Stagla gas station, a long-remembered location
in the original, though we can’t yet reach it. We’ve
no time for sightseeing anyway, Nemesis is back.
We’re not completely defenceless – deal Nemesis
enough damage and he will fall to one knee for a few
moments, enough time to get away. A grenade, for
example, will give him pause for thought. Sparking,
knackered generators are everywhere – shoot one and
Nemesis and any other monsters near it are stunned
by an electrical explosion.DODGY BUSINESS
Jill also has a dodge move. This was your only way
to get past the Pursuer in 1999, and it was really
hard to pull off. For the reboot, dodging takes the
form of a thankfully more forgiving Quick Step
move, a shoulder-drop and shimmy out of the way
of Nemesis’ lunges. Time your reaction just right and
you enter into a Perfect Dodge, where time slows a
little as Jill rolls deftly forward past her enemy, giving
you a small time advantage to get running again.
This is good, but frankly we’d quite like a pad button
that makes Nemesis count to ten with his
eyes covered, before squealing “Coming
ready or not!” like an excited child who’s
got no idea that in that time you’ve legged
it all the way down the street.
So we’re cowering in a safe room with no
health and no herbs, wondering how we’re
going to get through this, when Nemesis
comes in. Oh, come on! Not even Mr X could
enter safe rooms! Dodging past him and
out into the street, we finally pull off exactly
the right timed dodges, shoot the sparking
generator at the exact right time, run the
right way (easy to panic and run into a dead
end), remember to have our shotgun fully
loaded for the zombie that comes round
the next corner, and then finally make it to
safety.It’s taken us a while to perfect the manoeuvre,
but the feeling of achievement is exhilarating.IF LOOKS COULD KILL
Next we slog our way through sludgy sewers to face
some rebooted Hunter Gammas. These frog-faced
pseudo-dinos have long been considered ‘cute’ by
some, but that doesn’t stop Jill from emptying a
couple of fire-rounds into their yawning maws. Again
the fresh level of detail in the new-old monsters
is amazing, while the sewers themselves are just
disgusting. Especially when Jill has to walk under a
waterfall of sewage which coats her bob with viscous
slime.Capcomhasagainusedphotogrammetryto
capturelikenessesincharactersandenvironments,
andvisuallyit’sasimpressiveastheResi2 reboot.
Once more employing the RE Engine and over-
the-shoulder view, this is a companion piece to
that game in more ways than one. Both share the
Raccoon City location, and the action in Resi 3 takes
place before, during and after the events at the RPD.
Capcom has confirmed there will be some shared
locations and other details that eagle-eyed gamers
will clock. Whether or not you played the Resi 2
reboot or the original Nemesis, though, this retelling
of the iconic Jill and Nemesis story will smash it.FACTRICK
Carlos, the friendly Umbrella
merc from the original is
playable– thoughhewon’t
havehisowncampaign.1.OURCAR-LOSSResi 3’s three-year
development time
overlapswiththatof
theResi2 reboot.2.SHAREPAIRIn the original, Nemesis
showed damage. Capcom
has confirmed you’ll see
“changes” in him this time.3.CH-CH-CHANGESAbove Jill uses the subway system to get around Raccoon City, dodging
zombies and buskers. Here she’s headed home for a quick shower...
Above The sewer-dwelling, amphibian Hunter Gammas are
actually quite cute, until they open their mouths.
Above In case your untiring enemy, Nemesis, isn’t scary
enough, in one sequence he wields a great big flamethrower.
“THE FRESH LEVEL OF
DETAIL IN THE NEW-
OLD MONSTERS IS
AMAZING; THE SEWERS
ARE DISGUSTING.”