Synopsis

Jill Valentine is one of the last people in Raccoon City to witness Umbrella’s atrocities. To stop her, the corporation unleashes its ultimate bioweapon: Nemesis.

Details

Publisher

Capcom

Developer

Capcom

Reviewed on

PS4 (Pro)

Also on

PC, Xbox One

Cast

Nicole Tompkins, Jeff Schine, David Cockman, Neil Newbon, William Hope, Sterling Sulieman, Darren O’Hare, Rick Zieff, Christopher Mychael Watson, Ken Lally, Todd Haberkorn

Note: The included multiplayer mode Resident Evil Resistance is a standalone experience and will be reviewed separately.

Story & Structure

Arriving a year after the excellent RE2 remake, Resident Evil 3 overlaps its timeline and shifts focus to S.T.A.R.S. veteran Jill and Umbrella operative Carlos Oliveira. The core story beats remain, but the remake fleshes out objectives and context, especially by sending Carlos to the Raccoon City Police Department hours before RE2. It’s a smart, lore-rich detour that answers questions you may not have known to ask.

Enemies, Tension & Pace

The campaign runs you through a fast rotation of threats—parasite-spawning insectoids, instant-kill brutes, and of course the city’s relentless undead. The variety nudges the game toward action, with frequent weapon swaps and inventory triage. Because many new enemy types appear briefly and then vanish, later areas become easier to predict; that helps planning but can soften the suspense long-time fans expect.

Still, standard zombies remain nasty and opportunistic. A corpse you “cleared” three visits ago may pop up on the fourth. Running past is viable, but shared spaces between Jill and Carlos make those choices meaningful later.

Nemesis vs. Mr. X

Nemesis is still a panic switch: when he arrives, tempo spikes and every decision counts. But compared with RE2’s emergent-feeling Mr. X, Nemesis encounters skew more scripted and predictable. They’re punchy and often spectacular, yet rarely give the illusion he could appear anywhere, anytime. He lives up to his 1999 legacy—he just doesn’t surpass it.

Exploration & Item Economy

Raccoon City is dense with missables—documents, upgrades, even major weapons. Classic resource management returns in force: clearing rooms, remembering locked-off spots, and routing back once you’ve found the right key item can mean the difference between life and death. I finished with 9 of 10 weapons; missing the grenade launcher would have made the mid-game brutal.

Combat & Mechanics

RE3 bridges the elegant survival horror of RE2 and the punchier action of RE4. A new dodge/roll adds welcome agility, but the game undersells its depth: perfectly timed dodges trigger a longer invincibility window and a slick counter animation—vital on higher difficulties and never clearly taught.

Length, Replayability & Difficulty

The campaign took ~6 hours, a touch shorter than RE2 and in line with the original. Character growth is light, but replayability is strong thanks to unlockable modifiers, costumes, and speedrun-friendly routing.

Two knocks: lengthy post-death loads (especially during escalating boss fights) and frequent prompts to drop to the adaptive “assist” mode can grate. Tedious safe-room jogs back to arenas don’t help.

Verdict

Resident Evil 3 brings Jill’s story roaring into 2020 with confident pacing, punchy set pieces, and smart universe building. It doesn’t quite recapture RE2’s alchemy—Nemesis is more show than dread—but as an action-horror ride it’s a blast, and an easy recommendation for series fans.

Score: 8/10