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Resident Evil 3 is the game from the famous CAPCOM survival horror franchise and, pay attention: it is a remake inspired by Resident Evil 3: NEMESIS, a PlayStation classic released in 1999, following the same line as the previous remake of series, Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Plot:
The game features Jill Valentine as the protagonist, a police officer who is trying to escape Raccoon City while being chased by NEMESIS, a kind of biological monster created by Umbrella Corporations to annihilate S.T.A.R.S. members, in order to erase sensitive information about the organization.
Gameplay:
The game basically uses the same recipe as Resident Evil 2 Remake – the gameplay has been completely modernized and optimized for the current generation, with a very high quality and simplicity. For those who played the PlayStation classic, it must be easy to recognize some scenarios, characters and enemies, but in a less hostile and more unfolded way. The game does not have the Resident Evil 2 Remake campaign system selectable, having only a linear campaign, which by the way is very short and without many twists, being able to finish the game in a time of approximately 4 ~ 7hrs. Just like in the classic, Jill Valentine meets Carlos Oliveira, a veteran soldier linked to the U.B.C.S. - Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. Instead of being playable in a separate campaign, he has his moments dedicated to the story unfolding. The gameplay is very similar to that of the previous remake: Armed combat, map exploration, items and weapon systems, etc. However, there are some caveats that need to be mentioned: You no longer have the system to get rid of a zombie with the knife, the game has an own avoidance system from Jill and Carlos, which is very efficient, but does not work very well in some moments due to the delay of the movement itself when performing it. The inventory remains small, but the game's loot system is much more generous compared to the previous remake (which was a better experience for me) and the game's puzzle system, so striking in the series, is almost not present, unfortunately. By the way, I would almost forget about the game's “icing on the cake”: Nemesis. At each encounter with the biological monster we have in the game, its 3D model is different, revealing various forms of the villain during gameplay. Moments of mild distress when running from the villain and pretty simple battles do not make the star of this game bad, but it leaves a lot to be desired in relation to Mr. X, the villain of the previous gameplay, who has scenes of real despair and quite difficulty in the battles against the monster, leaving the player really immersed in the villain, something that is not repeated here. Regarding the scenarios, they really are very good, but he gives the impression that they just “copied and pasted” the previous remake, without much news, graphics improvements or easter eggs inside them, really unfortunate. On the other hand, when it comes to the new scenarios on the “otherside” of Raccoon City, we can see that the city has more life: shops, staircases, pharmacies, train station, etc. Really done with great care, with vibrant colors on the signs of the stores and the giant head of Mr. Charlie on top of the Toy Uncle store really makes a splendid contrast between the destroyed city and the scenery, something really magnificent.
Graphics:
Speaking of the most delicate part of the game, the game really is a cinematic work, from which you can easily recognize the high realism of the facial hair and hair in high definition of the characters when the game abuses the close-up on them. The facial expressions in different dialogues with the protagonists are really incredible – movement of the eyes, mouth, eyebrows, movement of the arms, create several possibilities of reactions within cinematics. The physics, dynamics and 3D models of the characters are really mind-boggling, as are the animations, the carnage in killing a zombie and the effects of blood. The depth of field in the transitions between gameplay and cinematics and the field of view itself, really make a game a great work of art. The shadow effects are dense and realistic, as well as softened, respecting their position while an animated model or object moves. The screen space reflection that are based on rasterization that only invert the image of what is visible on the screen is very good, as it is an extremely common technique in the world of games, having only a few errors in specific moments, which could be corrected with technologies like raytracing. The game also has a lack of fluidity in the animations of the long hair of characters that have it, like Carlos for example, they have a strange physics and framerate, as well as the shadows of the zombies in the scenery background, which gives a somewhat contrast how weird in the game. The game has some artifacts in TAA (Temporal Anti-aliasing) technology, which uses the previous frame to correct the knurling of the next scene, and this happens when there is a sudden change in the change of scenery, nothing so noticeable that it interferes with the player's experience. When it comes to the PC version, the game is extremely optimized, and runs even on computers with simpler configurations. I experienced the game in Ultra quality in Full HD, with the resolution scale at 130% and locking the game at 60 frames, using the DirectX 11 API and I didn't have any crash, bug or sudden drops of frames during the gameplay, despite many reports from users who had problems with bugs and crashes in the game using specific AMD hardware.
Soundtrack and dubbing:
Unfortunately, the game has no voiceovers for my country (Brazil), but it has subtitles in my language and they work perfectly well. The soundtrack of the game is good, appearing only in times of greatest distress as in battles against Nemesis. The dubbing is good, with the exception of non-American characters, like Mikhail and Carlos, who have an extremely strange and poorly worked native accent, spoiling the immersion with these characters a little during some cinematics.
Is it worth it or not?
It's worth it if you're really a fan of the saga. Even for those who, like me, have not had the opportunity to play the PlayStation classic, they will have an immersive, pleasant, simple and even frantic experience sometimes. What is not worth it is the value: the game, until the date of this review, continues to cost the price of its release: $ 59.90, however, if you don’t really care about it or manage to buy the game in some sale, go ahead. In summary the game is very good, leaving something to be desired such as its short gameplay time and lack of puzzles. However, it is undeniable that the game still has the Resident Evil experience in vein.
Resident Evil 3 is the game from the famous CAPCOM survival horror franchise and, pay attention: it is a remake inspired by Resident Evil 3: NEMESIS, a PlayStation classic released in 1999, following the same line as the previous remake of series, Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Plot:
The game features Jill Valentine as the protagonist, a police officer who is trying to escape Raccoon City while being chased by NEMESIS, a kind of biological monster created by Umbrella Corporations to annihilate S.T.A.R.S. members, in order to erase sensitive information about the organization.
Gameplay:
The game basically uses the same recipe as Resident Evil 2 Remake – the gameplay has been completely modernized and optimized for the current generation, with a very high quality and simplicity. For those who played the PlayStation classic, it must be easy to recognize some scenarios, characters and enemies, but in a less hostile and more unfolded way. The game does not have the Resident Evil 2 Remake campaign system selectable, having only a linear campaign, which by the way is very short and without many twists, being able to finish the game in a time of approximately 4 ~ 7hrs. Just like in the classic, Jill Valentine meets Carlos Oliveira, a veteran soldier linked to the U.B.C.S. - Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. Instead of being playable in a separate campaign, he has his moments dedicated to the story unfolding. The gameplay is very similar to that of the previous remake: Armed combat, map exploration, items and weapon systems, etc. However, there are some caveats that need to be mentioned: You no longer have the system to get rid of a zombie with the knife, the game has an own avoidance system from Jill and Carlos, which is very efficient, but does not work very well in some moments due to the delay of the movement itself when performing it. The inventory remains small, but the game's loot system is much more generous compared to the previous remake (which was a better experience for me) and the game's puzzle system, so striking in the series, is almost not present, unfortunately. By the way, I would almost forget about the game's “icing on the cake”: Nemesis. At each encounter with the biological monster we have in the game, its 3D model is different, revealing various forms of the villain during gameplay. Moments of mild distress when running from the villain and pretty simple battles do not make the star of this game bad, but it leaves a lot to be desired in relation to Mr. X, the villain of the previous gameplay, who has scenes of real despair and quite difficulty in the battles against the monster, leaving the player really immersed in the villain, something that is not repeated here. Regarding the scenarios, they really are very good, but he gives the impression that they just “copied and pasted” the previous remake, without much news, graphics improvements or easter eggs inside them, really unfortunate. On the other hand, when it comes to the new scenarios on the “otherside” of Raccoon City, we can see that the city has more life: shops, staircases, pharmacies, train station, etc. Really done with great care, with vibrant colors on the signs of the stores and the giant head of Mr. Charlie on top of the Toy Uncle store really makes a splendid contrast between the destroyed city and the scenery, something really magnificent.
Graphics:
Speaking of the most delicate part of the game, the game really is a cinematic work, from which you can easily recognize the high realism of the facial hair and hair in high definition of the characters when the game abuses the close-up on them. The facial expressions in different dialogues with the protagonists are really incredible – movement of the eyes, mouth, eyebrows, movement of the arms, create several possibilities of reactions within cinematics. The physics, dynamics and 3D models of the characters are really mind-boggling, as are the animations, the carnage in killing a zombie and the effects of blood. The depth of field in the transitions between gameplay and cinematics and the field of view itself, really make a game a great work of art. The shadow effects are dense and realistic, as well as softened, respecting their position while an animated model or object moves. The screen space reflection that are based on rasterization that only invert the image of what is visible on the screen is very good, as it is an extremely common technique in the world of games, having only a few errors in specific moments, which could be corrected with technologies like raytracing. The game also has a lack of fluidity in the animations of the long hair of characters that have it, like Carlos for example, they have a strange physics and framerate, as well as the shadows of the zombies in the scenery background, which gives a somewhat contrast how weird in the game. The game has some artifacts in TAA (Temporal Anti-aliasing) technology, which uses the previous frame to correct the knurling of the next scene, and this happens when there is a sudden change in the change of scenery, nothing so noticeable that it interferes with the player's experience. When it comes to the PC version, the game is extremely optimized, and runs even on computers with simpler configurations. I experienced the game in Ultra quality in Full HD, with the resolution scale at 130% and locking the game at 60 frames, using the DirectX 11 API and I didn't have any crash, bug or sudden drops of frames during the gameplay, despite many reports from users who had problems with bugs and crashes in the game using specific AMD hardware.
Soundtrack and dubbing:
Unfortunately, the game has no voiceovers for my country (Brazil), but it has subtitles in my language and they work perfectly well. The soundtrack of the game is good, appearing only in times of greatest distress as in battles against Nemesis. The dubbing is good, with the exception of non-American characters, like Mikhail and Carlos, who have an extremely strange and poorly worked native accent, spoiling the immersion with these characters a little during some cinematics.
Is it worth it or not?
It's worth it if you're really a fan of the saga. Even for those who, like me, have not had the opportunity to play the PlayStation classic, they will have an immersive, pleasant, simple and even frantic experience sometimes. What is not worth it is the value: the game, until the date of this review, continues to cost the price of its release: $ 59.90, however, if you don’t really care about it or manage to buy the game in some sale, go ahead. In summary the game is very good, leaving something to be desired such as its short gameplay time and lack of puzzles. However, it is undeniable that the game still has the Resident Evil experience in vein.
Other reviews21
1 hour in, so very early first impressions. Graphics looks nice. The gunplay feels a bit light. I want more weight, more impact. Sometimes I can’t tell if my bullets are hitting because there isn’t a clear indication. I don’t remember feeling this way about RE2 but I also can imagine them taking steps backwards in terms of gameplay? So I’m not really sure yet. Maybe I just dont like the pistol and that’s all I have so far. Story seems like it’s going to be generic cheesy bullshit. There have already been a couple “really, that’s what these people are doing right now” moments. Also, I like the big baddy chasing me around the RE2 but I’m not sure if it will land the same this time around. It’s kind of funny how this enemy is walking through walls and taking RPGs to the chest… but then you go through some flimsy looking wooden door and he doesn’t follow you.
2.5 hours in. Way too much nemesis in this one. I don’t like it. There was no build up. They just throw him at you repeatedly. This game is going for more action but the combat and gameplay doesn’t have the juice for that.
I’m not digging this game. Just finished the Carlos section which was just in the same area as the first game. It isn’t even new. It was lame. I’m about to call it quits. It’s hard for me to imagine this even getting to a B+ at this point but I might play a little longer.
Guns are so weak in this game that it makes the combat unsatisfying. Why does it take like 12 heads shots with an assault rifle to kill a normal zombie. For this style of game it should be higher damage and about making your shots count.
It’s been doing just enough to keep me going. I’m just interested enough to see what the next level will be. I might still bail though. Idk.
Pretty sure I missed the magnum which is really fucking lame.
Ya I’m done. Played almost 5 hours out of what’s apparently a 7ish hour campaign so I’m close and I still don’t feel the need to finish it. Missing that magnum was the last draw.
Ends a pretty low B. I didn’t connect with this one. I had issues with pretty much every aspect of the game (story, gameplay, design, progression, even the visuals weren’t as good as I expected).
Final Score: B
2.5 hours in. Way too much nemesis in this one. I don’t like it. There was no build up. They just throw him at you repeatedly. This game is going for more action but the combat and gameplay doesn’t have the juice for that.
I’m not digging this game. Just finished the Carlos section which was just in the same area as the first game. It isn’t even new. It was lame. I’m about to call it quits. It’s hard for me to imagine this even getting to a B+ at this point but I might play a little longer.
Guns are so weak in this game that it makes the combat unsatisfying. Why does it take like 12 heads shots with an assault rifle to kill a normal zombie. For this style of game it should be higher damage and about making your shots count.
It’s been doing just enough to keep me going. I’m just interested enough to see what the next level will be. I might still bail though. Idk.
Pretty sure I missed the magnum which is really fucking lame.
Ya I’m done. Played almost 5 hours out of what’s apparently a 7ish hour campaign so I’m close and I still don’t feel the need to finish it. Missing that magnum was the last draw.
Ends a pretty low B. I didn’t connect with this one. I had issues with pretty much every aspect of the game (story, gameplay, design, progression, even the visuals weren’t as good as I expected).
Final Score: B
Such a great game. I really liked this one. It was short (5h gameplay) but good.
«Blew my mind»
«Time-tested»
Not as good as I remembered.
I played this game at its launch and, despite its campaign duration, I thought it was good. Honestly, since I'm not a hardcore fan of the franchise, I liked what I saw - even though I knew that some parts of the original were cut. But now, I'm replaying all of the RE games with my girlfriend, and I have some thoughts to share.
First of all, the story. Simply put, it's not as good as its predecessor. The characters are not as compelling, nor is their fate. The relationships between them could be deeper, but everyone seems one-dimensional - basically, there are no surprises. I like Jill Valentine, but her charisma isn't enough to carry the plot.
The gameplay was also downgraded. Now there's a dodge mechanic that doesn't feel natural at any point. The connection I loved in RE2 was severely reduced in the new map design. Naturally, the reward we have by exploring is affected - a lot. And I can't forget about Nemesis. Mr. X is an excellent example of how to do it. Unfortunately, Nemesis has no soul - in a bad way, since he's boring as hell. It feels like a scripted version of Mr. X.
The audio was something that surprised me in a bad way because it was unimpactful. Playing RE2 on my soundbar with Dolby Atmos was stunning. Here, you can't feel the shots because there was not a good dynamic range. But the Japanese audio was good, I must say.
That's it. It's worth buying when on promotion, but it is disappointing.
2° playthrough date: 03/2023
I played this game at its launch and, despite its campaign duration, I thought it was good. Honestly, since I'm not a hardcore fan of the franchise, I liked what I saw - even though I knew that some parts of the original were cut. But now, I'm replaying all of the RE games with my girlfriend, and I have some thoughts to share.
First of all, the story. Simply put, it's not as good as its predecessor. The characters are not as compelling, nor is their fate. The relationships between them could be deeper, but everyone seems one-dimensional - basically, there are no surprises. I like Jill Valentine, but her charisma isn't enough to carry the plot.
The gameplay was also downgraded. Now there's a dodge mechanic that doesn't feel natural at any point. The connection I loved in RE2 was severely reduced in the new map design. Naturally, the reward we have by exploring is affected - a lot. And I can't forget about Nemesis. Mr. X is an excellent example of how to do it. Unfortunately, Nemesis has no soul - in a bad way, since he's boring as hell. It feels like a scripted version of Mr. X.
The audio was something that surprised me in a bad way because it was unimpactful. Playing RE2 on my soundbar with Dolby Atmos was stunning. Here, you can't feel the shots because there was not a good dynamic range. But the Japanese audio was good, I must say.
That's it. It's worth buying when on promotion, but it is disappointing.
2° playthrough date: 03/2023
would be passable game if it wasnt for the production value that is topexcept gameplay side.L Gameplay being the worst part of that game. gameplay is bad cause of the evade key. that key allow u to evade most of the attck and if time perfectly all the attack i belive ( i didnt test for everything but it seem to work all the time ). That just made the game really dumb, later the same key use to evade allow uy to counter monster that made twice your size . look stupid and play badly
Great opening. I wish there was just a bit more to add to make a new game more like NG+ - right now it's just kinda... play the game again to go for more achievements. That said, what I like about RE3 over RE2 is that, because how Nemesis is more scripted than Mr. X, I actually have some incentive to replay this game on higher difficulties or faster times or new achievements without groaning to myself at how much time I'll be wasting basically circle-strafing Mr. X. Nemesis is an actual threat, unlike Mr. X who just became an annoyance after the first playthrough.
I never played the original RE3 so idk if these are new enemies, but it felt like they tried to tie enemies more into RE4 at least aesthetically. Bug-like heads with long spiky tails and regenerators.
Other than that, this is really held back by some cheap deaths. Both types of Hunters can one way or another lead to instant deaths and that's never fun in any game. It's not difficult for Nemesis to stunlock you, too, which quickly turns him from threatening to a gamey annoyance.
I never played the original RE3 so idk if these are new enemies, but it felt like they tried to tie enemies more into RE4 at least aesthetically. Bug-like heads with long spiky tails and regenerators.
Other than that, this is really held back by some cheap deaths. Both types of Hunters can one way or another lead to instant deaths and that's never fun in any game. It's not difficult for Nemesis to stunlock you, too, which quickly turns him from threatening to a gamey annoyance.
Opens with a bang, and doesn’t let up. The character models are among the best I’ve seen on the PS4. I had PTSD from the RE2 Remake so I hoarded bullets and had the box overflowing by the end of the game. Nemesis always being on your tail turns up the tension of this game and while the game still has that survival quality it is more action oriented.
Another stunning remake from the team. The RE engine looks incredible and I am confident that Capcom is taking the franchise in a great direction.
Another stunning remake from the team. The RE engine looks incredible and I am confident that Capcom is taking the franchise in a great direction.
«Blew my mind»
«Can’t stop playing»
Being a fan of both the past two types of RE games (survival horror and action-oriented), I was quite curious to see how Capcom handled these “back to the horror roots with a tweak on action” remakes. Having not played the RE 2 remake or RE7 I didn’t know what to expect, but to the very least, it looked good on a superficial level. After a few nights of energic playthroughs, I was happy with the result, yet like a leech crawling in your back, I encountered some details that I couldn’t shake off.
The horror aspect in the series has always been attributed to the first three games (4 if we count Code Veronica) still, I firmly believe that from the very second game, Capcom was looking to change the course to action instead of horror. RE 2 did a great job on intensifying combat and maintaining the survival part, RE 3 Nemesis, however, did struggle to keep a steady ground between the two of them, although it was experimental, some mechanics felt pretty hit or miss. Battles and enemies were more intense than the past games, but your movement was still the same, so it was more a feeling of frustration rather than horror and hopelessness. They added an evading maneuver that was neat in theory but clumsy and random in its execution. Its biggest selling point: a stalker OP creature called Nemesis, starts good and gives you uneasiness, but at some point, it becomes a repetitive and cumbersome mechanic. Still, with all its flaws the 3rd cannon game was fun and one can only praise its ambitions even when they fell short, or as Shinji Mikami said in an interview to Archipel, and I’m paraphrasing: “It was more an experimental game with an indie spirit”. Generally speaking, it was a good game with prominent flaws that felt too ambitious for the hardware limitations.
Metamorphosis
This remake, on the other hand, seems to be what developers were looking to make back in 1999 and for some instances even more. The most notorious overhaul is its gameplay, using the 3rd person perspective that the series has been using for a long time, is hard to go wrong. Even when they are slow, zombies move erratically, and it’s not as easy to make headshots, so you want to take your time while dealing with them since ammunition is somewhat scarce. I don’t know if this is a mechanic introduced in RE 2 remake or RE 7 but, if you steady your aim without moving, after a couple of seconds your aim becomes more focused and, for that single shot damage will increase and are more prone to make critical hits. I find this mechanic rewarding and make combat all more fun, as being in the same place increases the chances of you being attacked or ambushed, it is a clever way to weight your decisions and style of gameplay.
The evade action is back and thankfully, it is now a unique button to activate it. The way it works is similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild as if you dodge an attack with good timing, time will turn slow and, you will be rewarded with one aimed hit or maybe a couple of normal ones. It is not as easy to trigger as in BOTW where basically you could activate it for each enemy blow though it is not as hard and it has some drawbacks as it doesn’t work to break through enemies. Foes telegraph their movements with manageable clarity, however, a type of enemy that appears in the middle of the campaign can be unfairly punishing as it is pretty quick and their attack patterns too irregular. Nonetheless, this mechanic is useful and fun to master.
Different from the original game on which Nemesis appeared from the very game’s title, here it is not featured on the name but it’s still one of the stars, maybe one of the reasons that a lot of people will play this game. In the original, it started as a good antagonist as his appearances were incredibly tense and, they felt random (like it should be because it keeps the element of surprise), though the more he appeared, the more it was an annoying mechanic than an enemy. Here Nemesis is still a force to be reckoned with, so you will likely run from him whenever he appears or attack him with grenades to get useful loot. Since the camera is not fixed and you have better mobility, these encounters are a little easier than the original so, they also threw zombies to limit your space. In the original, in most of these appearances you are asked if you want to confront him or run away, here you’re not asked but if you want to fight him you’ll be rewarded with a nice weapon upgrade (like in hard mode of the original), it makes for a bet worth having. I also like that all the boss battles are focused on Nemesis, and every time you beat him he’s angrier in the next one, it makes this “rivalry” more organic as if Nemesis is trying to kill Jill not only because he is programmed to but because of a grudge, it’s not only better handled but it makes the plot moving forward.
However, even when in the original game his appearances were annoying, you always had this sensation of dread or being stalked, since it has an element of surprise and randomness to some degree. In this game, I never felt like I was being stalked or chased by Nemesis ever. Each time he appeared was too obvious and unsurprising that it felt scripted, not that in the original you couldn’t tell when he was going to attack but here, the clues are way too evident. Still, his chases were fun even when you were waiting for them to start. Normal difficulty is a little challenging but not too much to the point that you’re most likely see a few continue screens here and there, but also not so easy that you’ll be wandering around as if you owned the place. Ammunition and health items are kind of limited but I didn’t encounter a time where I needed bullets, although I tend to save stronger ammo for boss fights so I end up with a lot of extra grenade shells, maybe if I was more flexible with my stronger weapons I could even have more normal ammunition. Here’s where they tried to balance horror and action and at least for this game, in particular, it is in a safe middle ground with a small lean towards action, so in the end, even when it is good, it never excels with the horror nor the action. It is not as action and horror can’t be mixed, a good example of a game excelling in these two aspects is Bloodborne, you’re always hacking and slashing your way through but the atmosphere and the fact that every encounter could result in being killed raise your tension and plays with your physique in a way that few other games that are completely focused in the horror achieve. It is weird to say this but, the moments that I enjoyed the most with RE3R were the action-focused ones, to the point that I wanted to switch and play RE4 or RE6 instead. Yet, as I say, it plays in a comfortable middle ground, so it is still a great time, just maybe a little too comfortable.
A New Threat is Born
The story on this remake is more or less the same, but it has some tweaks that made it more appealing to modern sensibilities, long is gone the corny dialogue and bad acting from the first entries, you will also find some differences between the original and this game so “veterans” will get some new stuff too. I like better the full-on action of the past timeline, however, drama and story is better handled here, to the point that I care. In the original, I didn’t buy Jill and Carlos’s relationship but here I find it very charming. I was also surprised to root and care for other characters that don’t have a lot of screen time, but they still managed to stand out in a good way. The game manages to stay in a safe middle ground and that also is true for its rhythm progression. Now the transitions between Jill and Carlos have more synergy and don’t feel like two separate segments. My only concern is that towards the end, this kind of back-to-back succession can be a little repetitive but nothing too serious.
Environments and atmosphere look great, even when everything is industrial and urban, there is a lot of versatility in regards to the places where you go, despite they cut out one of the unique segments of the original game. The music was good and it sounds like a Resident Evil game should be, but it has a blockbuster sound to it that stains the horror with its familiarity. The game would benefit a lot if in some places the music was completely muted out and it was just your footsteps and the eerie sound of enemies and ambient.
I played with the Japanese voice over and it was great as expected, at first I struggled a little to get accustomed to Jill’s voice since I know her only for her English VA from the past games, the only issue I encounter with this VA is that in the subtitles Jill curses more often than not, but her voice in Japanese didn’t sound that worked up, I’m no Japanese expert, but it seems that the localization team made her sound ruder to make her more badass or something? I’m not sure and maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t prefer that much when localization makes this kind of tweaks because they reinterpret a character different from the original creator’s vision, still, is just a nitpick but I think it’s worth noting it. The rest of the cast is also fantastic and if you’re an anime enthusiast you’re going to hear some familiar voices. I normally don’t prefer the English dub on Japanese games but there is something about the Resident Evil games that always make a great job. I played the 2nd round in English and it is also great, I still prefer the Japanese, but the actors and the direction they had for the English counterpart were also pretty good.
The length of the campaign is similar to the original: short, depending on your difficulty and your experience with this type of game you’ll likely complete your first run in 7 to 9 hours, so it is a short game compared to other AAA or big studio games. When you finish the game, in typical Resident Evil Fashion you are scored with your play style and give the option to buy upgrades and skills with in-game currency to give you a sense of replayability, I would prefer that these upgrades were attainable in the campaign and the fact that you only have one unlockable costume for Jill and the other one (the classic outfit from the original PS1 game) can only be bought with real money, make me think twice to restart the game again. The game is also “bundled” with a download for a multiplayer complement called Resident Evil: Resistance, on which 4 vs 1 player matches take place, the premise sounded interesting but playing it was another story, it didn’t help that all the other players were always too experienced and I was always the novice, so I did quit after some runs. I imagine this was Capcom’s way to justify a $60 USD price for a game so short, I don’t prefer this type of complements as in a few years when the servers are down you will no longer get access to it, but I imagine that other people would prefer it, so that’s that.
No Other Way
It may sound that I didn’t like this game but I did enjoy it quite a lot, the things that I don’t like are trivial for the most part, I’m not sure it is the definitive version to play part three of the series as it offers a lot of new stuff while cuts other from the original, but I prefer this remake better, it sure plays it safe but it also looks like a lot of the original intentions that couldn’t make the cut were implemented while it maintains the original’s essence. I don’t think that its short campaign will appeal to everybody, but it has an arcade aura that challenges to play it faster and better that is kind of hard to not do it because of its short length, I still don’t think that’s enough to a $60 ticket, but I’m not an arcade person, and surely a lot of people will find this option too irresistible. As far as remakes go, this one might be one of the most respectful out there that also builds and propose new stuff from the source material, while maintaining its spirit. It is not hard to recommend it to both newcomers and veterans to the series, the plot is more centered on character development than its lore so is easy to pick it up and play without any before knowledge. Even when it has things I don’t prefer, I like where this new direction is going and with some refinements and tweaks, I believe the future entries and remakes could achieve a true horror and action experience.
The horror aspect in the series has always been attributed to the first three games (4 if we count Code Veronica) still, I firmly believe that from the very second game, Capcom was looking to change the course to action instead of horror. RE 2 did a great job on intensifying combat and maintaining the survival part, RE 3 Nemesis, however, did struggle to keep a steady ground between the two of them, although it was experimental, some mechanics felt pretty hit or miss. Battles and enemies were more intense than the past games, but your movement was still the same, so it was more a feeling of frustration rather than horror and hopelessness. They added an evading maneuver that was neat in theory but clumsy and random in its execution. Its biggest selling point: a stalker OP creature called Nemesis, starts good and gives you uneasiness, but at some point, it becomes a repetitive and cumbersome mechanic. Still, with all its flaws the 3rd cannon game was fun and one can only praise its ambitions even when they fell short, or as Shinji Mikami said in an interview to Archipel, and I’m paraphrasing: “It was more an experimental game with an indie spirit”. Generally speaking, it was a good game with prominent flaws that felt too ambitious for the hardware limitations.
Metamorphosis
This remake, on the other hand, seems to be what developers were looking to make back in 1999 and for some instances even more. The most notorious overhaul is its gameplay, using the 3rd person perspective that the series has been using for a long time, is hard to go wrong. Even when they are slow, zombies move erratically, and it’s not as easy to make headshots, so you want to take your time while dealing with them since ammunition is somewhat scarce. I don’t know if this is a mechanic introduced in RE 2 remake or RE 7 but, if you steady your aim without moving, after a couple of seconds your aim becomes more focused and, for that single shot damage will increase and are more prone to make critical hits. I find this mechanic rewarding and make combat all more fun, as being in the same place increases the chances of you being attacked or ambushed, it is a clever way to weight your decisions and style of gameplay.
The evade action is back and thankfully, it is now a unique button to activate it. The way it works is similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild as if you dodge an attack with good timing, time will turn slow and, you will be rewarded with one aimed hit or maybe a couple of normal ones. It is not as easy to trigger as in BOTW where basically you could activate it for each enemy blow though it is not as hard and it has some drawbacks as it doesn’t work to break through enemies. Foes telegraph their movements with manageable clarity, however, a type of enemy that appears in the middle of the campaign can be unfairly punishing as it is pretty quick and their attack patterns too irregular. Nonetheless, this mechanic is useful and fun to master.
Different from the original game on which Nemesis appeared from the very game’s title, here it is not featured on the name but it’s still one of the stars, maybe one of the reasons that a lot of people will play this game. In the original, it started as a good antagonist as his appearances were incredibly tense and, they felt random (like it should be because it keeps the element of surprise), though the more he appeared, the more it was an annoying mechanic than an enemy. Here Nemesis is still a force to be reckoned with, so you will likely run from him whenever he appears or attack him with grenades to get useful loot. Since the camera is not fixed and you have better mobility, these encounters are a little easier than the original so, they also threw zombies to limit your space. In the original, in most of these appearances you are asked if you want to confront him or run away, here you’re not asked but if you want to fight him you’ll be rewarded with a nice weapon upgrade (like in hard mode of the original), it makes for a bet worth having. I also like that all the boss battles are focused on Nemesis, and every time you beat him he’s angrier in the next one, it makes this “rivalry” more organic as if Nemesis is trying to kill Jill not only because he is programmed to but because of a grudge, it’s not only better handled but it makes the plot moving forward.
However, even when in the original game his appearances were annoying, you always had this sensation of dread or being stalked, since it has an element of surprise and randomness to some degree. In this game, I never felt like I was being stalked or chased by Nemesis ever. Each time he appeared was too obvious and unsurprising that it felt scripted, not that in the original you couldn’t tell when he was going to attack but here, the clues are way too evident. Still, his chases were fun even when you were waiting for them to start. Normal difficulty is a little challenging but not too much to the point that you’re most likely see a few continue screens here and there, but also not so easy that you’ll be wandering around as if you owned the place. Ammunition and health items are kind of limited but I didn’t encounter a time where I needed bullets, although I tend to save stronger ammo for boss fights so I end up with a lot of extra grenade shells, maybe if I was more flexible with my stronger weapons I could even have more normal ammunition. Here’s where they tried to balance horror and action and at least for this game, in particular, it is in a safe middle ground with a small lean towards action, so in the end, even when it is good, it never excels with the horror nor the action. It is not as action and horror can’t be mixed, a good example of a game excelling in these two aspects is Bloodborne, you’re always hacking and slashing your way through but the atmosphere and the fact that every encounter could result in being killed raise your tension and plays with your physique in a way that few other games that are completely focused in the horror achieve. It is weird to say this but, the moments that I enjoyed the most with RE3R were the action-focused ones, to the point that I wanted to switch and play RE4 or RE6 instead. Yet, as I say, it plays in a comfortable middle ground, so it is still a great time, just maybe a little too comfortable.
A New Threat is Born
The story on this remake is more or less the same, but it has some tweaks that made it more appealing to modern sensibilities, long is gone the corny dialogue and bad acting from the first entries, you will also find some differences between the original and this game so “veterans” will get some new stuff too. I like better the full-on action of the past timeline, however, drama and story is better handled here, to the point that I care. In the original, I didn’t buy Jill and Carlos’s relationship but here I find it very charming. I was also surprised to root and care for other characters that don’t have a lot of screen time, but they still managed to stand out in a good way. The game manages to stay in a safe middle ground and that also is true for its rhythm progression. Now the transitions between Jill and Carlos have more synergy and don’t feel like two separate segments. My only concern is that towards the end, this kind of back-to-back succession can be a little repetitive but nothing too serious.
Environments and atmosphere look great, even when everything is industrial and urban, there is a lot of versatility in regards to the places where you go, despite they cut out one of the unique segments of the original game. The music was good and it sounds like a Resident Evil game should be, but it has a blockbuster sound to it that stains the horror with its familiarity. The game would benefit a lot if in some places the music was completely muted out and it was just your footsteps and the eerie sound of enemies and ambient.
I played with the Japanese voice over and it was great as expected, at first I struggled a little to get accustomed to Jill’s voice since I know her only for her English VA from the past games, the only issue I encounter with this VA is that in the subtitles Jill curses more often than not, but her voice in Japanese didn’t sound that worked up, I’m no Japanese expert, but it seems that the localization team made her sound ruder to make her more badass or something? I’m not sure and maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t prefer that much when localization makes this kind of tweaks because they reinterpret a character different from the original creator’s vision, still, is just a nitpick but I think it’s worth noting it. The rest of the cast is also fantastic and if you’re an anime enthusiast you’re going to hear some familiar voices. I normally don’t prefer the English dub on Japanese games but there is something about the Resident Evil games that always make a great job. I played the 2nd round in English and it is also great, I still prefer the Japanese, but the actors and the direction they had for the English counterpart were also pretty good.
The length of the campaign is similar to the original: short, depending on your difficulty and your experience with this type of game you’ll likely complete your first run in 7 to 9 hours, so it is a short game compared to other AAA or big studio games. When you finish the game, in typical Resident Evil Fashion you are scored with your play style and give the option to buy upgrades and skills with in-game currency to give you a sense of replayability, I would prefer that these upgrades were attainable in the campaign and the fact that you only have one unlockable costume for Jill and the other one (the classic outfit from the original PS1 game) can only be bought with real money, make me think twice to restart the game again. The game is also “bundled” with a download for a multiplayer complement called Resident Evil: Resistance, on which 4 vs 1 player matches take place, the premise sounded interesting but playing it was another story, it didn’t help that all the other players were always too experienced and I was always the novice, so I did quit after some runs. I imagine this was Capcom’s way to justify a $60 USD price for a game so short, I don’t prefer this type of complements as in a few years when the servers are down you will no longer get access to it, but I imagine that other people would prefer it, so that’s that.
No Other Way
It may sound that I didn’t like this game but I did enjoy it quite a lot, the things that I don’t like are trivial for the most part, I’m not sure it is the definitive version to play part three of the series as it offers a lot of new stuff while cuts other from the original, but I prefer this remake better, it sure plays it safe but it also looks like a lot of the original intentions that couldn’t make the cut were implemented while it maintains the original’s essence. I don’t think that its short campaign will appeal to everybody, but it has an arcade aura that challenges to play it faster and better that is kind of hard to not do it because of its short length, I still don’t think that’s enough to a $60 ticket, but I’m not an arcade person, and surely a lot of people will find this option too irresistible. As far as remakes go, this one might be one of the most respectful out there that also builds and propose new stuff from the source material, while maintaining its spirit. It is not hard to recommend it to both newcomers and veterans to the series, the plot is more centered on character development than its lore so is easy to pick it up and play without any before knowledge. Even when it has things I don’t prefer, I like where this new direction is going and with some refinements and tweaks, I believe the future entries and remakes could achieve a true horror and action experience.