Resident Evil 3 Remake Review (PS4)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Resident Evil 3 Remake
  • Platform: Playstation 4
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Resident Evil 3 Remake

Once upon a time when we thought that self-isolation from a dangerous virus was nothing more than the starting point of a scary adventure, the horror genre in video games had two household names: Silent Hill and Resident Evil. While the first franchise is slowly dying, Capcom insists to keep alive one of its best-known series. Resident Evil 3 is reborn as a remake, with updated graphics, new gameplay elements, and a revised story, but the very same Raccoon City that sends shivers down our spines.

Those who know Resident Evil only by their latest installments will have a big shock when facing the first games. Over the years the series mutated from survival horror into action games with zombies, up to the point when they almost completely lost their original fan base. Five years ago Capcom returned to the origin of the series, bringing back Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero as remastered versions. In the meantime, we also had the pleasure to play Resident Evil 7, which showed us that Capcom may have understood the messages coming from the fans.

Thankfully with Resident Evil 2 they revised their remastering strategy and started making remakes, which did not bring just better looks, but also gameplay adapted to modern times. After the resounding success of the adventures of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, it was time to get Jill Valentine in shape and unleash her on the hordes of zombies (or the other way around).

Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3 Remake
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Resident Evil 3 Remake is the modern adaptation of the original game Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Those who played the game first released over two decades ago will remember the story: the T-virus is causing havoc in Raccoon City, turning most of the population into zombies, while those who are not infected are struggling to escape the city. Our main hero is an elite cop, Jill Valentine, who is investigating Umbrella and their connection to the events.

This unwanted attention makes the most infamous company in the history of video games to send after her the Nemesis. In this remake the Nemesis truly becomes a creature born from our deepest nightmares, towering over Jill as a terminator born from bioscience, rather than robotics. After most of her team is wiped out, Mrs. Valentine will team up with the “enemy”: Carlos Oliveira, who is part of a team hired by Umbrella to help evacuate the city. As the new RE3 is a remake, the story could not remain untouched: next to the extended prologue, we are treated to new characters, but also some of the locations and timeline of the key events is revamped as well.

Still, the most obvious update for those who played the original is not just the looks of Carlos, but also the fact that the mercenary is granted much longer screen time. We don’t want to give too many spoilers about the game which can be finished in around 6 to 8 hours - although we are sure speed-runners will finish it much sooner – the game is full of surprises, the only truly familiar element remaining the tension felt throughout the entire story.

Speaking about changes, just as was the case with RE2 remake, the most welcome novelty is the revised control, which turns RE3 in a more docile beast. Do not get confused the game is not easy by any means, not even on the lowest difficulty setting. The producers wanted to keep things tight and scary, but they also wanted to present us with a game that abides by the standards we are currently used to in video games. The greatest benefit of the updated system is the new over the shoulder perspective which allows the player to target directly the enemies they want, rather than getting annoyed by the Russian roulette resulted from the combination of auto-aim and fixed camera angles. Adding a dodge feature to the shuffle things become even more manageable.

Still, the game does not play fair, and in tight corridors or narrow alleys, zombies prove to be more agile than they should be. Against all odds and laws of physics, zombies crawling on their bellies in one second will be sinking their teeth in the silky smooth skin of our heroine in the next. Also, all the improved control in the world does not help you against Nemesis. The chase scenes feel heavily scripted, forcing you to follow the path envisioned by the designers.

For example, in Raccoon City, even if you think that you managed to outrun him by putting half level between you two, he will fall from the sky at certain key points forcing you to waste precious ammo to stop him temporarily in an area designated by the developers. This artificial conditioning will leave you feeling that the odds are stacked against you beyond the expected difficulty settings.

Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3 Remake
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Another thing that did not change is the limited inventory. Of the available space can be increased by finding different pouches, but it will still be very, very restrictive, even more so than the original one. Since RE3 is still a horror survival game, you will only find a handful of weapons and the ammo will be scarce. If you feel you managed to stockpile a decent amount of precious bullets, get ready because soon you will face a sequence in which you will need more than you have.

With the revised story progression and the way the story unfolds, you cannot help but feel, that the adrenaline-packed sequences are a bit more predominant than the ones requiring to use some brain cells. The developers did a pretty good job, keeping up the pressure and with limited resources, often it is a better option to run away and try to find alternative routes on the map. Unless you are hunted by the Nemesis, and you have to do things the way the producers set them up. The level design is pretty clever, and the new map feature does a very good job informing you if an area is still hiding items or if you can safely move on to the next. While exploring is thrilling, the inventory management remains a real chore, despite the storage boxes you can find.

What changed, on the other hand, are the puzzles we already mentioned: they are still here, they are still a big chunk of the game, but the veterans will not be able to rely on their memories. Most of them have been reshuffled and are very different from the ones in the initial game. That is the result of the fact that the game world has been rebuilt, and now the designers could experiment with new places. This means you have larger freedom to explore and look for hidden nooks and crannies where you will find not only precious items but also hints about what you have to do.

Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3 Remake
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Fortunately, the hints and notes left around, this time is less cryptic than they were in 1999. As a result in some sections of the game, you can actually feel somewhat in control, knowing what and how to do it. Until you come upon a stage where you are hunted, again, by the Nemesis, and you realize the feeling of control was a temporary illusion. Even if you cleaned an area with tactical precision, terminating all the undead when these chase sequences start the game will throw fresh zombies at you. But somehow this is part of the fun: to discover the mechanisms put in place and beat them. Just as is the case with discovering the week points of the enemies, guessing what types of ammo you will need, deciding how to use or mix the healing herbs.

Resident Evil 3 is reanimated by the RE Engine, which does not give us too many reasons to complain. The environments are very detailed, just as are the character models, but the HDR is tricky to set up correctly, and some textures will remain blurry even indirect light. But overall, everything works smoothly at 60 fps, the artistic style and special effects making the game look spectacular. The aforementioned pressure you will feel throughout the game is also maintained by the visuals working in par with the audio: even if you cleaned an area, you will not will safe, the tension will be constant due to noises accompanied by dynamic visual elements. Some of the looks of the characters have changed, became more practical, but this is for the better, just as are the new dialogues that actually feel like a natural human interaction.

We have to also mention Resident Evil: Resistance, which serves as the multiplayer part of the game. You could say that with RE3 remastered you will also get a second game, Resistance being separate content with its very own set of trophies. Following the current trend, for Resistance the developers chose an asymmetric concept, pitting against each other a group of four tough as nails Survivors and a devilish Mastermind. Reminding us somewhat of the Saw movies as well, the goal is simple: the survivors have to escape the labyrinth of death in less than 5 minutes, while the Mastermind tries to prevent this by using traps and summoning different creatures.

Resident Evil Resistance
Resident Evil Resistance
Resident Evil Resistance
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If they do not manage to do this, the mastermind wins. Although fun in small doses, the experience can become cumbersome. As a survivor the means to communicate and synchronize your actions with your teammates is essential. The overall value of the multiplayer experience is diminished by the fact that microtransactions can be used to boost the rate at which RP is gathered. RP represents the points gathered by playing Resistance and can be traded for abilities and cosmetic items. Although you still have to play the game to gather the points necessary for obtaining the rewards, microtransactions do affect the balance in the favor of those who pay.


The Good

  • Spectacular graphics with smooth 60 fps
  • The dark and heavy atmosphere
  • The rebuilt story which will offer surprises to the old fans

The Bad

  • More linear storytelling than the original game
  • Microtransactions dilute the multiplayer
  • Action scenes eclipsing the puzzles

Conclusion

Resident Evil 3 is clearly more than a decent remake, but at the same time is somewhat worrying. It feels that the balance shifted once again towards the action scenes, leaving the puzzles a bit in the background. We have seen Capcom going down this path before, and since we do not doubt that a remake of Resident Evil 4, the most well-received game of the series, is in the works, we don’t want to end up again with something like RE5.

We feel like the decision to substitute player freedom with scripted scenes is questionable, even if it was done to maintain the pressure throughout the game. Overall, Resident Evil 3 Remake feels solid, being worth of the time both of the newcomers and old fans alike.

story 8
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 9
audio 9
multiplayer 7
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 
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Resident Evil 3 Remake screenshots (33 Images)

Resident Evil 3 Remake
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