Resident Evil 3 Review Thread

[dscross]

I'm going to be honest, some of the reviews from fans haven't filled me with confidence. It looks like they cut out huge sections of the game and ALL the puzzles. The clock tower and park aren't even there. And apparently nemesis is completely scripted and nowhere near as good as MR X.

I'll wait until you guys tell me what it's like, but I'm not going to rush to buy this one. Don't think it's worth the full price for a 5-hour game.

 

[Hawki]

Any news on whether Regina's outfit is in the game?

It isn't. There's only two bonus costumes - Jill's original RE3 costume (a pre-order bonus, along with Carlos's one) and her STARS uniform, which is awarded for beating the game.

 

[stroopwafel]

I'm enjoying it quite a bit despite my initial disappointment with the demo. Game is super intense and demo kind of failed to provide that proper context of events in order. Scripted setpieces with Nemesis make more sense given the chase/thrillride emphasis and they add to the succeeding gameplay with a sense of urgency and danger. I initially approached it as a game similar to RE2 Remake but it's quite different. This very much plays like the vision they must have had with the original RE3 but were never able to execute due to technical limitations(and as such making it like a more action-y RE2).

RE3 always felt like the third disc to RE2 but RE3 Remake feels more like a companion piece to RE2R. Very slick, tense and focused experience with constant forward momentum compared to it's more exploration based predecessor.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's good so far, but not very survival-horror. If you're looking for a similar experience to RE2 Remake, as in item and threat management while you traverse back and forth through unfamiliar surroundings, you're not going to find it here. It's very straight-to-the-point with little backtracking.

It's also a lot more traditional action gameplay. I honestly haven't shot too many rounds outside of Boss fights, but that's because I spend most of my interactions with enemies just dodging, which I have to say feels way easier than it did in the demo. Overall the game feels easier than RE2 Remake, eventhough I've died a ton of times already. But that probably has to do with it being more an action game and thus not forcing me to play more cautiously than I would otherwise. Also the fact that there's no ink ribbons now even on Hardcore, which I'm playing on. I understand why they took them out on Hardcore, because there's a lot of instances where you'll get killed very quickly or instantly. But it does make traveling through hazardous areas lacking any real risk resource-wise, since you can save as much as you want. And save rooms are very close to one another.

This might scare some people, but RE3 Remake feels more like an Uncharted game set in the Resident Evil universe. It just has that same sort of pacing. There's also quite a few scripted set pieces, which I didn't mind playing through, but I don't know how well I'll like them on repeat playthroughs. It's almost like if Resident Evil 6 actually played really, REALLY well. And this is not me trying to slam RE3 Remake, because I fucking despise RE6 and I do really like RE3 Remake so far.

I really like Jill and Carlos too, and the dialoge and delivery is quite good. And by that I mean it isn't as fucking cringe inducing as the dialoge was in RE2 Remake. The characters sound natural and lively and not like the stiff, awkward androids Leon and Claire were. Oh, and Nicolai gets a really bad-ass introduction. It sorta just comes out of nowhere, and I loved it despite.. well, what he does.

Also, fuck that electricity bit with the bugs. Jesus Christ, that was bad, and Capcom should be ashamed for having put it in the game.

 

[BrawlMan]

I got the last copy at the Target near my job. I have a bit of a dilemma, because my local Gamestop called me, because they have my pre-order. The problems being, one they're only taking credit transaction (no debit or cash), and two, I want use my credit card for food emergencies only. I only had partial pre-order paid off with cash. The guy that called me wasn't sure if he could give me a cash refund. Tried calling corporate, but the wait time is 60 minutes. Tried calling my local store, but they ain't answering now either. Any suggestion?

 

[BrawlMan]

I'm going to be honest, some of the reviews from fans haven't filled me with confidence. It looks like they cut out huge sections of the game and ALL the puzzles. The clock tower and park aren't even there. And apparently nemesis is completely scripted and nowhere near as good as MR X.

I'll wait until you guys tell me what it's like, but I'm not going to rush to buy this one. Don't think it's worth the full price for a 5-hour game.

Everything I?ve read so far - including user reviews - leans towards this being a straight up cash-in attempt hot off the heels of the success of RE2 Remake (which imo was overrated, but at least had more substance). I?m sure it?s made well, but that should be a given with how small of a game it is. Highly doubtful the tacked on MP will have much staying power either.

 

[votemarvel]

The dodge mechanic is still VERY unforgiving but it definitely has less of the Mr. Fantastic grab element.

Overall though I've enjoying it a lot more than I did the Resident Evil 2 Remake. RE2RM kept everything I didn't like about the original and that really grated against the more modern everything else. There's still an awful lot of back and forth in Resident Evil 3 Remake but the smaller map works in its favour for me, it doesn't feel as if I am wasting my time.

Nemesis just feels irritating rather than challenging. He's not like Mr. X who always followed you, he only shows up for set pieces but again given the smaller map size that makes sense.

I've reached the point where I get to control Carlos for the first time.

 

[votemarvel]

I've just had my second random crash in the game. Very frustrating when you are trying to avoid manual saves.

 

[Hawki]

Okay, I've played for about an hour, so here are my thoughts.

Overall, I'm enjoying it, but if I compare it to RE2 (the remake), it strays into uncanny valley territory. As in, it looks similar, it plays similar, but it doesn't take you long to notice the differences.

First off, the zombies are much weaker. I'm playing/played on normal difficulty each time, but whatever the case, zombies go down much more easily here. In RE2, you could down zombies, even with headshots, and the bastards would come back for more. Here, I'm popping off headshots, and making zombie heads go pop as well. Consequently, I've got no shortage of ammo. In RE2, for most of the game (well, at least the A scenario), handgun ammo was at a premium. Here, I suddenly came to the realization that I'd played less than an hour and had 60 rounds. You could attribute this to me taking the lessons from RE2 and applying them here, but I don't think so. They're zombies. I know to make headshots. Headshots have been a part of the series from day 1 in some form or another. Here though, the zombies are weaker, and there's more ammo to deal with them. I've seen it suggested that the headshot factor is to represent how Jill, as a STARS officer, is a better shot than Leon or Claire, and while that does make sense, I doubt that's the rationale behind it. But whatever the case, so far, there's more ammo and weaker enemies than RE2. And consequently, while both games have a 'dread factor,' RE3's kind of lost it already for me. I can't really call that bad, per se, since RE3 makes it clear from the start that it's different in RE2 (RE2 starts in an abandoned gas station, RE3 starts with explosions, fire, Nemesis, and hordes of zombies), but it's a noticable shift in tone.

That said, this isn't an action game. It isn't even a game in the vein of RE4. What I mean by this is that in RE4, you faced hordes of Ganados, and a lot of the time, you had to keep on the move. Take the village at the start of the game - best method is to pop off some shots, move when you have to, rinse and repeat, and the ganados are reactive to where you shoot them. In contrast, RE3 still encourages you to take your time. Stand still, let the icon close in, fire, repeat, move only if you have to because it's going to bugger up your aim (like RE2). The encounters are still slower, so the game doesn't cross into the 'action' side of the franchise. Or at the least, despite what I said, it has more in common with RE2 than RE4.

Oh, and minor notes, I love the easter eggs scattered around. Like, there's movie posters everywhere, and they all reference a Capcom IP or schlock horror. But on the flipside, the characters? I dunno. Dario gets a 1 minute appearance, though you can try talking to him instead of running on ahead, in which case he'll use lines from the original RE3. Which is weird, because they're the same words, but without the hammy voice acting, they sound off. Also, Brad. I'm torn. Like, part of his character was that he was a wimp, whereas here he's not a wimp, and while it establishes effectively that he and Jill are close colleagues, it's jarring to see Brad be so different from his RE3 persona of a guy being on the edge. And as for Nemesis? Fuck's sake, don't throw Jill around, just kill her. God, lethal B.O.W. my arse. And Jill herself? Well, I'd tell you more, but it's lunch time and I'm going to make myself a sandwich (actually, noodles).

So, yeah. It's decent, but overall, I prefer RE2 so far. Better atmosphere, slower paced, harder, etc. Still, early days yet.

Oh, and Resistance? I tried a match. I died. Quickly. We all did.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'm nearing the end of the game, and I just got past the difficulty spike. Holy shit, do you need to have Carlos' perfect shoulder rush down if you want to make it through that on Hardcore. That or somehow have 3 grenades on hand.

 

[Hawki]

So I've just arrived at the hospital. Going to give some more thoughts:

-Nemesis is different from Mr. X, and I don't mean that in a good, or bad way. A lot of people have complained that Nemy is more scripted - Mr. X had a constant presence in the RPD. Nemy doesn't really follow the same paradigm, in that he turns up for set encounters, but each one of those encounters is memorable. So, on one hand, Nemy avoids the annoyance factor Mr. X could have, in that you could be minding your own business, only for him to find you, run away, rinse and repeat. With Nemy, if he turns up, run. Just, run. Or, failing that, take him on, but use the power boxes whenever you can. I think a testament to this system is that I actually downed Nemesis by chance, where he dropped a case, but I had to keep running due to all the zombies around. I didn't get round to picking up that case until much later while he was on my tail again.

Basically, Mr. X is a more constant horror, while Nemy is more short bursts of horror that are memorable each time. I don't think either of these systems are better than the other, but they do fit the tone both games are going for.

-Concerning characters and character interactions - RE3 follows the RE2 remake in regards to character details, in that there's much less script, but it's tighter. Much less plot, but it has the benefit of improved graphics. Like, seeing Nicholai's smug smirk...yikes, he's even uglier than Nemy. Similarly, Mikhail. We get far less time with him than in the original, but it's able to convey a similar amount of character depth. Which isn't all that much, granted, but the UBCS characters do a good job of selling the notion that they've worked together for awhile and are a unit with a history. But as for the main duo?

Of the two, Jill comes out of this pretty good. The writing of her toes the balance of badass and compassion. Like, she gets thrown around a lot (and I mean, a LOT), and you're left to wonder how the poor girl is still on her feet before she's infected by Nemy. We're not talking RE4 Leon here, but, well, let's just say I don't see RE2 Leon or Claire surviving the hell Nemy constantly puts her through. I mean, not complaining, this is a STARS officer we're talking about, but not only can Jill take a pounding, but she can deal it in turn. Well, least she can with her mouth. Why yes, there IS a lot of swearing in this game, how could you tell?

As for Carlos? Well, in a recurring trend for these remakes, he's got less personality, but it's a less archtypical personality, so pick your poison. That said, the game doesn't really do it for me in selling me the idea that there's a bond between these two, because of what I've played so far, the majority of their interactions have been over the radio. It's not exactly what I'd call contrived, but honestly, I think the buddy system they had was done better in the original game.

-Another point, atmosphere. The game is less atmospheric than RE2, but it's not bereft of it. Like, you start off at around 8pm (the game gives you time stamps), and by the time you're done with the subway car (and speaking of subways, the gem puzzle unlocks loot in the clock dial, because someone stored stuff there for some unknown reason), it's past midnight, and the game's much, much darker. Also, fun fact, in the early stages of the game, you can hear RPD radio chatter if you get close enough to police cars, but by this stage, the chatter's gone dead. It sells the idea that in the time you've been playing, there's no-one left alive. It's atmosphere that doesn't match that in RE2, not even when Carlos enters the RPD himself (in part because I'm going through the motions, in part because the assault rifle means you're never short of ammo), but it's atmosphere nonetheless. The game starts off with a bang (well, a whole lot of bangs, and sirens, and helicopters), but ends with a whimper. While you've been playing, Raccoon City's died around you. The original did something similar, how the game got darker as you played onward (plus the zombie moans in the background), but the remake does it well also, just in a different way.

So, yeah. Enjoying the game so far.

 

[BrawlMan]

The section with the Gamma Hunters were tough. There definitely more durable than the original. I already passed the first Carlos section in the RPD. It was fun going through there and see how certain line up before Leon/Claire get there in 2. Nice use of continuity. I'm back as Jill and taking a brief brake.

Thoughts. This game is great. There are still some problems with the dodge mechanic being super tight. Otherwise it's mostly fine. I tested this, and if you switch to Type C controls (dodge button becomes the O/B), dodging is a beat easier. The game is not as good as RE2Remake, but that is not a bad thing. The game is still great. I have no interests in Resistance. Luckily, you do not have to install it. Both modes have their own installation applications., so I don't have to waste any space.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I finished it and I don't know how I feel about it, but certainly not as possitive as I was about RE2 Remake.

The game is very short, though that on itself shouldn't be as much an issue, but it's still something that really sticks out. Added to that is that a) the game kind of races through most of the environments, and b) leans quite heavily on cinematic set pieces.

RE2 Remake starts with a little bit of straightforward gameplay at the gas station, followed by a short section where you're meant to simply run. But once that's over you're set lose to make your way through the rest of the game, with maybe Leon's crocodile run being the exception. RE3 Remake starts with a pretty long drawn out intro that has you walk from one scripted sequence into the next that's supposed to feel tense, but since there's little you can do but move forward till the next cinematic triggers it really doesn't. There's no ticking clock or sense that something dangerous is niping at you heels; during your "hectic" escape you can literally wait for an hour just before Nemesis crashes through another scripted floor to get you. All these scripted moments that Nemesis shows up in (which is a lot) not only lack the same tension Mr. X had in Remake 2, but also Nemesis in the Original RE3. Those games simply introduced the monster into the gameworld and then it became part of the gameplay from then on. Remake 3 Nemesis feels like a cinematic gimmick.

The game's environments also feel too small and linear for Nemesis to properly roam around in, which is likely why the developers opted not to. He only really shows up to roam in that one small area from the demo, but once you're done there he's relegated solely to scripted events, cutscenes, and Boss fights. The police station was perfect for Mr. X, because it consisted of a lot of rooms and hallways. Which is also why he doesn't really show up post-station. But the gameworld of Remake 3 is small, linear, and often getting blocked off by cutscenes, so Nemesis can only jump around a bit in one section comprised of maybe three or four streets and a couple of little shops.

So yeah, Nemesis was kind of done dirty. He's not as imposing as Mr. X or Original Nemesis, and once he sheds his initial form he just becomes an extremely generic monster. Also, one of his later Boss fights is fucking awful due to the inclussion of an annoyance factor that the game's camera is not designed for at all. This game is a lot more focused on action, but its gameplay is mostly unaltered from Remake 2. So for the game to suddenly require you to keep track of a very dangerous and fast foe AND a bunch of other moving threats while Jill takes up, like, 30% of the screen is kind of shit.

 

[Hawki]

The section with the Gamma Hunters were tough. There definitely more durable than the original.

More durable perhaps, but I found them very easy. Shotgun, stand, wait for them to open, shoot, repeat. They get even easier when you get the grenade launcher - same process, shoot a flame round, they die (well, least they did on the difficulty setting I was on). They reminded me of the G offspring from RE2, but easier.

I have no interests in Resistance.

Of what I've played so far, you're not missing out on much.

 

[BrawlMan]

Beat the game earlier. Got a C rank, and I beat the game a little over 6 hours. Like I said before, the game is not as good as RE2. but it still great game. I honestly don't mind they removed some stuff the original. I hated the puzzles in the clock tower, Gravedigger was never a fun boss fight, and I certainly don't miss the little snake enemies nor the spiders either. I do miss the multiple choice pathway system. I understand why they got rid of it, but I wish they kept that anf Mad Jackal. Getting rid of the first mercenaries mode is no excuse.


The Nemesis boss encounters are some of the best and most fun in RE history. I won't spoil anymore more boss wise.
I am definitely going to try the game on Hardcore and Nightmare later. If anyone has a questions, just let me know?

 

[BrawlMan]

Some statistics from the game?s player base. [https://www.residentevil.net/sp/en/threestats.html#bd_select]

 

[dscross]

Beat the game earlier. Got a C rank, and I beat the game a little over 6 hours. Like I said before, the game is not as good as RE2. but it still great game. I honestly don't mind they removed some stuff the original. I hated the puzzles in the clock tower, Gravedigger was never a fun boss fight, and I certainly don't miss the little snake enemies nor the spiders either. I do miss the multiple choice pathway system. I understand why they got rid of it, but I wish they kept that anf Mad Jackal. Getting rid of the first mercenaries mode is no excuse.


The Nemesis boss encounters are some of the best and most fun in RE history. I won't spoil anymore more boss wise.
I am definitely going to try the game on Hardcore and Nightmare later. If anyone has a questions, just let me know?

Sounds like a good game broadly but a crap remake if you loved the original?

 

[BrawlMan]

Beat the game earlier. Got a C rank, and I beat the game a little over 6 hours. Like I said before, the game is not as good as RE2. but it still great game. I honestly don't mind they removed some stuff the original. I hated the puzzles in the clock tower, Gravedigger was never a fun boss fight, and I certainly don't miss the little snake enemies nor the spiders either. I do miss the multiple choice pathway system. I understand why they got rid of it, but I wish they kept that anf Mad Jackal. Getting rid of the first mercenaries mode is no excuse.


The Nemesis boss encounters are some of the best and most fun in RE history. I won't spoil anymore more boss wise.
I am definitely going to try the game on Hardcore and Nightmare later. If anyone has a questions, just let me know?

Sounds like a good game broadly but a crap remake if you loved the original?

That varies from person to person. Me personally, despite some issues removing stuff, I found it to be a great remake. It is not as great as the remake of 1 or 2, but still a great remake nonetheless. If there is one thing I'll give credit for, it has the best pacing out of all the remakes. Look, not every make has to be almost exactly like the original with updated graphics being the only new thing. It's only a crap remake, my
if that is what you decide or you're just basing and hoping to be almost the exact thing like the original. I've noticed that it's a problem with certain reviewers online or hardcore RE fans.

Edit: Google speak screwed up again. I fixed up the grammatical errors.

 

[dscross]

Beat the game earlier. Got a C rank, and I beat the game a little over 6 hours. Like I said before, the game is not as good as RE2. but it still great game. I honestly don't mind they removed some stuff the original. I hated the puzzles in the clock tower, Gravedigger was never a fun boss fight, and I certainly don't miss the little snake enemies nor the spiders either. I do miss the multiple choice pathway system. I understand why they got rid of it, but I wish they kept that anf Mad Jackal. Getting rid of the first mercenaries mode is no excuse.


The Nemesis boss encounters are some of the best and most fun in RE history. I won't spoil anymore more boss wise.
I am definitely going to try the game on Hardcore and Nightmare later. If anyone has a questions, just let me know?

Sounds like a good game broadly but a crap remake if you loved the original?

That varies from person to person. Me personally, despite some issues removing stuff, I found it to be a great remake. It is not as great as the remake of 1 or 2, but still a great remake nonetheless. if there is one thing I'll get a credit for, it has the best spacing out of all the remakes. Look, not every make has to be almost exactly like the original with updated graphics being the only new thing. It's only a crap remake if that is what you decide or you're just basing and hoping to be almost the exact thing like the original. I've noticed that it's a problem with certain reviewers online or hardcore RE fans.

I think resident evil 2 remake walked the line perfectly of both - I loved that game and so did a lot of the fans of the original. It doesn't sound like this one does try to walk the line at all. It seems like they cut all my favourite parts. The clock tower. All / most of the puzzles. The backtracking. The park. The factory. The choices. The multiple endings. The choice of ink ribbons. And they made nemesis worse.

On top of that, they seem to have essentially started the game partway through near to where you meet Carlos. Ok, they added some stuff into the hospital and another NEST, but I'm not that bothered about all that.

It sounds like also changed the game to be linear and too action-heavy. Yes, the original was a little more action-y than the 2nd but it wasn't combat focused. It was still basically the same type of thing.

The original took me about 10 or so hours the first time. Is this one 4 or 5? I'm sorry but it doesn't sound like a good remake. I'm sure it's a good game more broadly if you know nothing about the original or you weren't that bothered about a lot of bits of it. But it seems like lost all of its personality.

I'll still play it - I've played every mainline resident evil game including both revelations games - but I'm sad they didn't pay homage to one of my favourite games. I really think a lot of big fans of the original will be disappointed whereas they weren't for RE2. I think it's a wasted opportunity.

 

[Hawki]

it has the best spacing out of all the remakes.

Spacing out?

It's only a crap remake if that is what you decide or you're just basing and hoping to be almost the exact thing like the original.

I didn't expect it to be the exact same, but the fact is that there's a lot of stuff that's been outright removed. The uptown area has been reduced to an intro run. The downtown section is much smaller. The clocktower's been completely removed. Yeah, the RPD section is about equal in length, and the sewer section was added (though pales to its RE2 counterpart), but at the end of the day, the remake's given us less, while the RE1 unoquivacably expanded its scope, and the RE2 remake mostly expanded its scope as well.

I mean, I have enjoyed the game so far, but it feels like it got the short end of the stick. Again. I dunno, maybe it's fitting, since the original RE3 was meant to be a spinoff, but compared to the original, I can't deny that the remake is missing a lot of material.