Resident Evil 3 | PS4 Review

Remakes, revisions, and reboots are a dime a dozen these days. Seems hardly a week goes by without there being some news on a video game of yesteryear being given a fresh coat of paint. What’s interesting about remakes like Resident Evil 3, however, is that they feel like entirely new games. Sure, the skeleton remains the same, but the organs, muscles, and sinew are something else entirely.

Get the Hell Out of Dodge

Last year saw the release of the exceptional Resident Evil 2, and this year Resident Evil 3 follows. The quick turnaround makes sense, because, much like the original versions of these games, so much is shared between them. Mechanics, environments, and even some plot points. While Clair Redfield and Leon Scott Kennedy were off solving the mysteries of Umbrella, Jill Valentine had a much simpler goal: Get the hell out of Raccoon City.

If only it were so simple. The T-Virus scourge wasn’t enough to slow down Jill according to Umbrella. To silence the members of the Elite Police Force S.T.A.R.S., the Nemesis project is unleashed. This tyrant of a monster will stop at nothing to eliminate Jill, and bears down on you for the entire game. Seriously, never do more than 15 minutes go by where this menace doesn’t show his face. While I worried this might end up being annoying, I was proven dead wrong.

Stop Following Me

Several of your encounters with Nemesis are scripted chase scenes. Each of these is breathtaking in their cinematic flair. Jill gets knocked around and puts herself to the test for survival. You as the player may have relatively little input in how these set pieces play out, but they’re just interactive enough to put you on the edge of your seat.

Nemesis is also a recurring boss fight throughout the game. You’ll square off with him four or five times, each different from the last. Resident Evil 3 utilizes its short length to its advantage here, ensuring that each tense standoff with your overbearing stalker is memorable. Having an antagonist be so ever present in a game is always a delight, but the veracity at which Nemesis keeps coming after you stands out. It leaves you with a memorable villain, even if all he ever says is “STARS!”

As I mentioned, Resident Evil 3 is almost entirely new. Gone are the “choice moments” from the original game, but you won’t miss them much. The story has been streamlined into only allowing one ending, and that gives the narrative more cohesion. It also allows for Carlos Olivera to be playable in certain areas where you originally controlled Jill, such as a visit to a certain memorable police station.

The Aim of the Elite Task Force

The gunplay is as exquisite here as it was in Resident Evil 2. The crosshair takes several seconds to “lock” into place and guarantee your accuracy after every shot. Coupled with the fact that standard zombies take a few headshots to drop, it makes slow zombies a threat. Once their numbers add up, the pressure is on. Resident Evil 3 is pretty brutal to its players even on the default difficulty, a fact that keeps every moment feeling like it matters.

It’s a little more linear than Resident Evil 2, but that’s not the word of horror that many people think it is. There’s still a lot of areas to explore, and I quite liked learning the layout of the streets of Raccoon City. Puzzles are less esoteric in a way that can’t compete with the mystique and grandeur of RPD, but, in honesty, you wouldn’t want them here anyway. Not with the constantly looming presence of Nemesis. If RE2 were Alien, RE3 would be Aliens.

Shiny

As readers of mine will know, rarely does technical performance come into weight for me. But I have to mention how over-the-top gorgeous Resident Evil 3 is to look at it. It’s one of the best looking games in recent memory. The character models, and the variety of them (I do not remember any two zombies looking the same) are staggering. Each muzzle flash lights the screen up, and the barrels of the guns even turn red hot after being rapidly fired. The acting (yes, Nicole Tompkins as Jill swears real good for those wondering) is all-around great, as well. The story won’t win any awards, but it is fun, and there’s something to be said for that.

I don’t know what else you want me to say about Resident Evil 3. Go play it. The comparisons will be inevitable, so allow me to say it’s every bit as excellent as Resident Evil 2. If there was anything other than nostalgia you loved about last year’s game, you need to play this one. Once the thrill ride starts, you won’t stop until it’s over.

To hear me talk more about Resident Evil 3, be sure to check out Episode 289 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast at the 1:28:30 time stamp.

This review is based on a purchased copy of Resident Evil 3 on PS4. It is also available on Xbox One and PC via Steam.