Something seems to be happening in Resident Evil land. It seems like Capcom is teasing a Resident Evil 3 remake. Which is exactly what we need, after that stellar Resident Evil 2 remake. I mean, depending on which platform you favor, you might not have played this entry since 2000. Fortunately, PlayStation Classics is here. You can get a digital copy of the game immediately, and there are plenty of reasons why you should play.
Seeing S.T.A.R.S.
Look. You had to figure there would be repercussions from The Mansion Incident. Umbrella knows people saw what the company was doing and lived to tell the tale. That means it is cleanup time with an effective new janitor!
That janitor is Nemesis, a gigantic, bio-organic weapon. He’s targeting the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) members who know what happened. As the game begins, only Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, Mikhail Victor, and Nikolai Zinoveiv remain. They’re trapped in Raccoon City, which is experiencing an Umbrella-caused zombie outbreak.
Your goal? To help Jill get out of the city alive.
Why Should Someone Play Resident Evil 3?
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis plays in the same way as a lot of other installments, but there are some major changes that help it stand out and stay compelling. Only a small part of that is the setting. It takes place during the Raccoon City outbreak we saw in Resident Evil 2, with part of it happening before Claire and Leon arrive and more happening after they both made it out alive (spoilers, sorry).
A big part of it has to do with Nemesis and the choices his presence provides. Jill is being stalked here. (Just like Mr. X stalks Claire and Leon in the 2019 version of Resident Evil 2.) Except Jill has options. When he arrives, you can run or gun. If you stand your ground, you can try an knock him down for different bonuses. If you realize he’s a terrifying and unstoppable force and want to run, you can. Those decisions, as well as the choices you have Jill make at certain points, can alter the ending.
Its inclusion of the Mercenaries minigame was a big deal too. The Mercenaries: Operation Mad Jackal follows Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service agents running around Raccoon City to run errands. They have to accomplish goals in certain amounts of time. You pick which one to use and head out, trying to accomplish other tasks along the way to earn more time. This was the first time the mode appeared, paving the way for its Resident Evil 4, 5, 6, and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D incarnations.
Hoping for That Resident Evil 3 Remake
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is almost something of an oddity. In a world where so many Resident Evil installments have been remade, remastered, or ported to new platforms, it remains a relic from another era. It’s largely frozen in the 2000s, the 2003 GameCube release aside. Even the PC version isn’t easily accessible, unless someone does a lot of legwork. Hints at a remake aside, the PSOne Classic version is the easiest way to hop into it. PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita owners can grab a copy from the PlayStation Store for $5.99/£7.99. It may not be the prettiest thing, but it can help us get by and fill a hole in our hearts.
