R
esidentEvil3 wasa horrorgameaheadofitstime.
Theconceptwasthattheplayerwouldbepursued
throughRaccoonCitybya single,seemingly
unstoppableenemy.Thefinalversionofthisideawasmore
limited,asthegame’sNemesiscouldonlyambushyouin
specificareasofthecity.Nonetheless,thenotionpavedtheway
forgamessuchasAlien:IsolationandCapcom’sownremake
ofResidentEvil2, wherea hulkingopponentcalledMrX chases
youthroughthecity’sPoliceStation.
The presence of Mr X in Resident Evil 2 made the prospect
of a remake of Resident Evil 3 incredibly exciting. Capcom had
both the technology and capability to explore the ideas of the
1999 game properly, translating the terrifying cat-and-mouse
play of Resident Evil 2’s Mr X onto the much broader canvas
provided by Resident Evil 3’s setting.
The Resident Evil 3 remake doesn’t do that though. Aside
from a single sequence early in the game, Resident Evil
3’s Nemesis is only ever encountered during boss fights,
epitomising what is a markedly less ambitious reimagining
compared with the remake of 2. It not only reduces the
mechanical breadth seen in that game, but also makes
significant cuts from the 1999 original.
As if all this talk about remakes and sequels isn’t confusing
enough, you also need to know that Resident Evil 3 actually
takes place before the events of Resident Evil 2. It puts you in the
shoes of Jill Valentine, one of the two main characters from the
original Resident Evil. Now living in Raccoon City, Jill is present
during the initial outbreak of the T-Virus, which turns the city into
a big undead street party. Preparing to escape, she’s suddenly
attacked by an enormous, masked creature – the Nemesis. AsshefleestheNemesis’ clutches, she runs into a soldier named
Carlos,withwhomshe begins to plan how to get out of Racoon
Cityalive.
Forthefirsthouror so, Resident Evil 3 shows promise. You’re
thrustimmediately into the burning heart of Raccoon City,
racingthroughthestreets and ducking through alleyways as
youavoidtheleering grasp of zombies. The city itself looks
greattoo.Thestreets are illuminated by garish neon signs, and
youfindyourselfslipping through neatly designed diners and
amusement arcades as you explore.
Resident Evil 3 was always more action-orientated than
its predecessor, and the remake goes some way to evoking
this situation. There’s a larger number of zombies prowling
around, while the game is never far away from an intense
action sequence. The larger areas also enable greater flexibility
in combat, such as letting you lure zombies toward explosive
barrels for a quick kill.
When you first encounter the Nemesis in these open streets,
it’s a thrilling moment. Not only is he enormous and powerful,GAMES / REVIEWS
RESIDENT
+^ Strong opening
+^ Looks quite nice
+^ Multiplayer has
potential
EVIL
-^ Nemesis criminally
underused
-^ Huge chunks
missing from the
original 1999 game
-^ Way too short
Resident Evil 3 / £49.99 inc VAT
DEVELOPER Capcom / PUBLISHER Capcom