Resident Evil 3 Remake is a great game that leaves me wanting more. Coming into this, I was expecting it to be as amazing as last year’s Resident Evil 2 Remake. What I got was something a little less. I don’t hate Resident Evil 3 Remake at all, but it could be so much more than it is. There are so many decisions in this game that I do not understand. Much of what the made original great has been cut, and it eventually left a sour taste in my mouth.
The tale of Raccoon City
Resident Evil 3 Remake follows S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine, and U.B.C.S operator Carlos Oliveira as they take on the horrors of Raccoon City. Jill’s job in Raccoon City is to uncover what Umbrella Crops. has been up to. S.T.A.R.S. has deduced that Umbrella were the ones that caused the outbreak and are the makers of the T-Virus. It is up to Jill to let the others know the truth behind Umbrellas actions. In a countermeasure, Umbrella deploys one of their Bio Organic Weapons to try to stop Jill and any other S.T.A.R.S. members. The B.O.W. being the Tyrant named the Pursuer, or as it is classified the Nemesis T-Type. Nemesis will go through great lengths to finish its mission and end S.T.A.R.S. from intervening with Umbrellas actions.
Carlos’ mission on the other hand is to save as many residents as possible. While working for Umbrella himself, he is unaware of what Umbrella is actually capable of. It is up to him and other U.B.C.S. operators to try and save the city from certain death. It is also his mission to help and rescue Dr. Bard, the one man that can possibly cure all of Raccoon City from the T-Virus.
Gameplay
Resident Evil 3 Remake plays almost identical to Resident Evil 2 Remake. This isn’t a problem though. What is new to RE3R however is the perfect dodge mechanic. If dodged at the very last second before an enemy hits, Jill will go into a slow-mo action that will allow the player to get a few free shots off. This ability is really useful when going against Nemesis, or if surrounded by a group of Zombies. It can also save time by skipping enemies all together. Carlos’ dodge mechanic is a big ole punch to whoever tried to hit him. It will knock whatever enemy you are facing down to the ground. In this time you can spray and pray into the enemy or take this chance to run from it. This mechanic is a welcome addition and opens the way to so many cool moments.
Moving on, Resident Evil 3 Remake decided to cut a lot from the original. Let that be actual areas that were playable, decision making that would change how the story would play out, and of course the lack of puzzles. Without the puzzles, the game is super linear if you don’t backtrack to find weapon attachments or extra resources. The puzzles helped the game have more variety and it is shame that they are gone. Then there is the problem of cutting the Clocktower portion of the game. The Clocktower was a vital part of the original, but now it is just used as a boss arena. Jill doesn’t even go inside the tower itself. Once the boss fight is done, the game hightails it into the next section. While the boss is neat, I just wish the remake actually remade everything the original had and then added from that.
The big ugly himself – Nemesis
Nemesis in this game is great. He is fast, powerful and has all new abilities to make him a greater threat than the original. He is no Mr. X though. Nemesis himself is very scripted. He only appears when the game tells him too. Nemesis should cause panic and anxiety, but I never felt that with him. Yes he may cause havoc in downtown Raccoon City, but that is the only time he really shines outside of becoming a traditional boss. With Mr. X you had to be on your toes the entire time inside the RPD. He was constantly looking for you, and didn’t care if he caught you off guard. With how liner RE3R is, Nemesis doesn’t get that opportunity. If more time was given to Nemesis before he transforms than I would say that he would beat out Mr. X.
The Tunes and Ambiance of R.C.
Capcom really nailed the ambiance of a city at the brink of collapsing. Hearing the far off gunshots, the screams of people, or even the occasional siren. It all just blends well and makes me feel unsettled. Pair that with the sounds of Zombie cries, or the sound of fire cracking. I was immersed my entire playthrough. Then there is the music of Resident Evil 3 Remake. The music surprised me the most about the game. The fight boss fight has a banger of a song. There is one song at the end of the game that I stopped myself from moving forward just so I could keep listening to it. A surprise to hear these types of songs from Resident Evil in general.
The faults in the STAAARS
Resident Evil 3 has some glary issues. Some have already been stated like cutting portions from the original, the missing gameplay variety of the puzzles, and how Nemesis isn’t as impactful as Mr. X. One issue that I had I constantly when playing was my game would freeze up every time I got an achievement. It even effected a cutscene. I double checked if it was my PC causing the problem, but I have found nothing. Reseting it didn’t help fix the problem either. This problem isn’t a huge hit to the game for me, but watching a cutscene freeze, but hearing the audio keep going is annoying. Then the game would unfreeze then play the cutscene with delayed audio. I asked others if they had this issue, and a few of them did. Hopefully this gets fixed, and patched in soon.
Another issue I have with the puzzle gameplay being missing, is just how actiony the game becomes. The action is fun don’t get me wrong, but that is what the game becomes once you get rid of that vital part of the original. Run from one location to the other, while unloading everything you have on the way there. The only real worry I had was having no ammo at one part at the end of the game.
One last issue is the introduction of the spiders at the grid tower. The game introduces a mechanic where you can get infested with parasites, but that is the only time it can happen. It would have been great if the spiders appeared again at the end of the game to raise the stakes even higher. Introducing a cool mechanic that makes you use your green herbs more often should have been implemented into different sections not just a one and done.
Leaving Raccoon City behind once and for all
Resident Evil 3 Remake overall is a great game. If this wasn’t a remake then I would love it even more. Leaving out vital parts of the original game in your remake is confusing, and makes the remake have less. Even after all my issues with this remake, I still enjoy it. Jill and Carlos are re-designed perfectly in my opinion. The visuals are mind blowing, and the lighting in the game is next level. Ambiance and music bring the city to life in its destroyed shell of what it was once was. In the end I hope whatever game they remake next keeps all gameplay aspects and adds onto them. Do not take away from what made the original good, and streamline it.
Stay tuned for more Reviews at Final Weapon!
