Resident Evil 3 (2020) Review – My Bloody Valentine

As a modern re-imagining of a PlayStation classic from the wayback yesteryear of 1999, the new Resident Evil 3 is, on paper, a direct follow-up to last year’s Resident Evil 2 remake. Widely praised by fans and critics, 2019’s Resident Evil 2 didn’t just modernize the classic game’s visuals and sounds, but made surprising additions to its narrative. The result was a remake that was faithful to its source material but also bold, fresh, and exciting.

And while 2020’s Resident Evil 3 is a blast from start to finish – it places the hunter-versus-hunted dynamic between protagonist Jill Valentine and zombie wrecking ball Nemesis front and center – it also recreates the original’s shortcomings, and may disappoint fans by the omission of some memorable features. So, while Resident Evil 3 recreates that strong action-horror title with greater, Hi-Def spectacle, it’s not nearly as satisfying as last year’s remake.

Exit, Dodge Right

As a matter of personal preference, I wasn’t a big fan of how much Resident Evil 2 required you to go back and forth to find quest items, only to return to where they needed to be used. I understand that exhaustive room searching is a time-honored Resident Evil tradition, but it also feels like a contrivance born largely out of another (some may say unnecessary) tradition – the limited inventory system.

Resident Evil 3 doesn’t do away with this entirely; you’ll still have to find tools and keys to unlock rooms as you progress, but the emphasis is on forward momentum. By and large, the game takes an all killer, no filler approach to gameplay. What infrequent speed bumps exist help break up an experience that takes you from one hot zone to another. Once key moments are triggered, there’s no going back.

Each area also features more monsters than in Resident Evil 2, providing players with more reasons to use every weapon. This for me was where the limited inventory led to interesting pressure, challenging my creativity as a player. Do you want to overstock on every bullet and grenade you’ve got and risk passing up items you’ve got no room for? Or do you keep the bare minimum and risk being in dire need of an additional clip? What about lockpicks and keys? Health items?

So while Resident Evil 3 may eschew the tightrope of survival horror, it kind of makes up for it with some great fist pumping moments of excitement. That might not be everyone’s cup of tea, including fans of Resident Evil 2, but it is what it is. The resulting action-centered experience is more intense and engaging, emphasizing Jill Valentine’s traits as a capable survivor who isn’t so much out of her element as she is in over her head.

Less Stalking, More Fighting

That’s especially true with regards to Nemesis. Effectively speaking, Nemesis is this game’s follow-up to the iconic Mr. X, the fedora-wearing tank man from Resident Evil 2. Nemesis will announce himself with a thunderous drop, or break through walls like the Kool-Aid Man, trip you up with his tentacles, let out a paralyzing roar, and take hold of zombies to mutate them further.

Nemesis is designed to keep you on edge, but his novelty wears thin by the time you reach the second half of the game. Many of his appearances past a certain point are simply scripted events, set-piece action numbers that wouldn’t be out of place in Tomb Raider or Uncharted, and while I’m a sucker for that kind of cheap thrill, these moments feel at odds with the rest of the game’s survival horror exploration.

Nemesis is at his best in random encounters on the streets of Raccoon City. The anticipation and claustrophobia makes each alley turn generate a moment of intense dread. But when he’s reduced to boss fights and quicktime events, his imposing figure is reduced to shallow spectacle: thrilling, but fundamentally uninteresting, and the consequence of that is it casts a harsh light on how little Resident Evil 3 has to offer in terms of enemy variety.

Ordinary zombies are in great supply in Resident Evil 3, but they provide little in the way of challenge or tactical substance. There are other enemy types, but they don’t show up nearly as often, not unless you crank up the difficulty. Even on higher difficulties, little is done to paper over the game’s anemic encounter design. Resident Evil 3 does little to test your combat tactics, and as a result, gets a bit braindead towards the end.

You Want Stars, I’ll Give You Stars

Personally, I had a good enough time with Resident Evil 3. I’m not a devotee of the series, but I came away with a genuine affection for Jill Valentine. As a capable survivor filled with anger at a morally bankrupt antagonist and exasperation at the constant harassment of Nemesis, Jill is likable and relatable. I also loved the goofy Point Break-era Keanu energy of deuteragonist Carlos Oliveira, whose awkward crush on Jill gave their interactions some much needed comic levity.

But it’s difficult to translate my enjoyment of the game to a recommendation. RE3 ends at around five hours, possibly less if you’re trying to speed-run through it. This length is comparable to that of the original game, but gamers expect a little bit more out of their full price sixty dollar purchases these days. If you’re already a big Resident Evil fan, that might not be a problem, but those with only a passing interest might be better served waiting for it to go on sale.

Shelf-life is to be extended by (A) several replays, which let you unlock new outfits, gear, and items from successive playthroughs, and (B) the bundled in 4v1 multiplayer game Resident Evil Resistance. Unfortunately, these additions feel more like padding for Resident Evil 3. Without the split-second choices from the original, there’s very little incentive to replay other than to while away time, and matchmaking queues for Resistance are already getting lengthy so soon after launch.

So while Resident Evil 3 is a slick-looking remake of a fondly remembered game, it falls short of the standard set by its 2019 predecessor. The action-packed spectacle looks and feels great, but it can’t cover up the contrived nature of the encounters with Nemesis. The absence of some of the locations and plot beats of the original only shortens a narrative that’s already criminal in its brevity. I loved playing Resident Evil 3, but its virtues are nearly obscured by its overall shortcomings.

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7/10

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Highlights

+ The RE Engine continues to astound with incredibly atmospheric visuals and eye-popping effects.

+ Action-packed narrative with exhilarating cinematic feel is a blast to play from start to finish

- Central antagonist Nemesis hamstrung by being largely confined to scripted encounters

- Criminally short experience for a full price $60 game; replay options are not very satisfying either

- Some fans may dearly miss locations and plot beats from the original

What I’ve Played

• Finished campaign twice, with a third playthrough started at time of publishing, for a total of 13 hours of play time

• Unlocked 21 out of 32 achievements, for a total of 66% completion on Steam

[This review is based on a PS4 review code provided by Capcom.]

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