Resident Evil 3 Review

The third entry into the Resident Evil series was released only three years after the original. The game follows the exploits of former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine, as she tries to escape the city of Raccoon City, after the outbreak occurs. The first half of the game takes place one day prior to the events to ResEvil 2, while the second half takes place a day after. It was nice little insert into the game that I enjoyed, having thought it was a little unbelievable that the protagonists from the two previous games managed to escape the horror within 24 hours. Keeping on the story side of things, for a moment, Resident Evil 3's story is so much more complex than the previous games in the series. Jill, soon meeting up with U.B.C.S. member Carlos Oliveira, try to escape the city, as well as the brand new B.O.W. Nemesis' grasp. The story thinly unveils itself in such a simple and, at the same time, epic way, that you'll feel as if you're watching a very well done post-apocalyptic movie. Instead you're playing a pre-apocalyptic game, which is no way a downgrade.
Throughout the game, you'll find gun powder, instead of regular gun upgrades featured in the previous two titles in the series. Instead of upgrading your weaponry, in RE3, you'll essentially be upgrading your ammo for your weaponry, as gun power mixes to create brand new, and more powerful bullets for your already souped up guns. Speaking of guns, just like in the previous games, you'll pick up handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, grenade launchers, and other weapons, as well as ammo for these. The trusty old rocket launcher, which dispatched bosses from ResEvil 1 & 2, does not dispatch Nemesis in RE3. Instead, for the first time, the final boss will be taken out by the all powerful Magnum, which I think works so much better, as it seems to pack much more of a punch than the rocket launcher, and might as well be considered equally powerful, as most enemies can be taken down in one shot.

The graphics in RE3 are certainly superior to RE1 and RE2, but still have the since of "cookie cutter" images within the characters and creatures. Sure, it's a now ten year old game, but still. Many games to come around this period didn't have the same presence, but the graphics, like most RE games, are still top notch. Controls in RE3, feel a little more tank to me than most RE games. Many people complain that RE controls have always been tank, but I rarely see it in the games. Only a few games in the series really feel like tank controls to me, and unfortunately RE3 is one of them. Many of your favorite creatures return, such as Web spinners, Cerberus, Hunters, and Chimeras. Sadly, Lickers from RE2, do not appear, which is a little strange, considering they appeared in the previous game, which as a I said, takes place in the same span of days.


 Unlike previous RE titles, where you could choose from two characters to play as from the start, in RE3, you can only play as Jill Valentine, which is in no way a bad thing. One playable character, and one fairly strait forward story, really limits this titles replay value, but it's just so fun you won't bother to notice. Supporting character, Carlos Oliveira, is playable in one small section of the game, and is the only one of the two to enter the Raccoon City Hospital, and for that, I feel bad for him. There's no doubt in my mind why I hated Hunters so much, and why I gladly to Lickers over them in RE2. They can slice you head off in one clean swipe. I can't begin to explain how many times I died because of that, and how many times I wanted to kick my TV screen in every time it happened.


Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a superb entry into the series, and glad to see the third entry in the franchise didn't get stale. Most do. The graphics and controls are a bit of the a drawback, but are the only ones at that. While RE3 plays a little more like action, as opposed to horror for the first time in the series, there are still is plenty of jump moments that will actually make you jump. While not as commercially successful as it's predecessor, RE3: Nemesis, deserves all the credit it can get.


                                                                                      4.2

                                                                                    out of 5
                                                         Graphics - 4.0 out of 5
                                            
Controls - 3.7 out of 5
                                             Story - 4.6 out of 5
                                             Level Design - 4.4 out of 5
                                             Replay Value - 4.5 out of 5




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