Resident Evil 3: Remake (Xbox One)
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
**Spoilers!!** Scroll down to bottom for summary
Where Resident Evil 2: Remake easily took 4.8 to 5 stars, the latest installation in the Resident Evil world fell short of that mark. I was really excited for this game the instant RE2: Remake came out and was so good, so it stands to reason that it would fall flat of any lofty expectations that players like me had. RE3 Nemesis was always the harder-to-enjoy game in the series with even the original RE2 as its predecessor, so my hope was that they would fix its shortcomings with this redesigned gameplay.
Not surprisingly, the game reused most of the mechanics of RE2: Remake, because why fix something that ain’t broke. Not a problem there. The graphics are good and I give it points for making Jill not only more attractive than either Claire or Leon (I’m not sure if they modeled her after someone like they did for C & L or if they just used prior games and made her more realistic. I hope it’s the latter) but quite a bit closer to the original Jill than the other two. Bonus points for a MUCH more practical costume. However, what points they got for that was taken away for constantly showcasing an up close of her face in pretty much every single cut scene, Resident-Evil-Degeneration-style. On a side-note, her boobs wiggle ever so subtley for the fanboys. Carlos, Nikolai, Tyrell and other characters look totally fine, though not surprising because their blocky rendition in the past left no real benchmark, though Nikolai seemed to have toned down on the roids.
Graphics and game mechanics aside, the rest of it falls apart. Capcom took some serious liberties with the game and changed so much of it that it left me looking for prior storyline of the original. Perhaps it was too long ago, but I don’t remember the bug inserting eggs into her throat part, I don’t remember Plaga head zombies (their answer for tying into RE4, I guess), I don’t remember the sewer Hunter Gammas, I don’t remember the doggy-Nemesis transformation. The remake makes no mention of the iconic gas station. There are no puzzles. You are funneled into a mostly straightforward path from the very beginning, lacking the classic Resident Evil backtracking, and seeking inconveniently located keys. In fact, important items are very conveniently placed for a Resident Evil game. The beginning section was very good and very exciting, on the streets of Racoon City, where detail is packed into every movie poster, the stores, and rooms. There is unspoken promise of the same throughout, yet failed miserably to deliver the instant you descend into the sewers. Save one single room in the hospital. The rest of the game felt rushed, like top brass decided to surprise-push the release date.
The lore of the game–the part I usually love the most–felt lacking in content depth. There were plenty to pick up, but missing were the creepiness and side stories usually found in the games. In fact, some of the data files seemed like a later add-in, as if game testers questioned reasoning behind an incongruous event, and the answer was to add a quick data file to explain that inconsistency.
The absolute worst part of the game for me, was Jill’s portrayal. Carlos was great. As a mercenary for Umbrella, he had a good mind, good action, his character design felt very natural for a soldier. In the original game, he was a bit of a womanizer and had an on/off Spanish accent. Gone in this one. Wonderful. Nikolai was spot on, Mikhail was awesome, Tyrell was good, too, however useless on the whole. Nemesis was…kind of eh. He needed to say “STARS…” more often, and sorely needed a third form during the acid vat fight, but he was a good doggy and got plenty of zoomies in throughout the game.
Then we have Jill. The beginning, like I said, was wonderful. Understandably, she was suffering not only PTSD but high anxiety from being suspended for the Arklay Mountain incident and knowing that hitmen would silence her at any moment. Then Nemesis showed up and rocked her world. Then she met Carlos who saved her life (as was his job), and like Jill would, acted suspicious of Umbrella which she knew was behind this whole thing to begin with. Perhaps she was doped up on meds, but basically, she was panicky, over-the-top emotional the entire game. This is Jill, spec ops, S.T.A.R.S. team member, survived the T-virus incident in the Arklay Mountains not 2 months prior, through and through a cop. She acted constantly surprised by things she should have been more than familiar with. She walked through doors in cut scenes like she was strolling around at home, even though she should have been in survival mode, checking her corners at all times. She clung to Carlos on the radio like he was her new boyfriend and needed to text him every 2 seconds, even though she made it clear in the beginning that she didn’t need anyone. She had ZERO calm about her. On subsequent playthroughs, I began to wonder if what bothered me about Jill was the voice acting. Like if Ada’s voice-actor said the same lines or Shepard from Mass Effect said it, it probably wouldn’t be so annoying. Then again, it’s the voice director that ended up choosing how to portray Jill and frankly, I hate it.
To me, she was yet another emotional female protagonist. Claire, a civilian, and Leon, a rookie cop, both with no experience as a cop nor dealing with biohazard monsters were more calm and collected than the veteran. Claire didn’t need a man to help her (at least in RE2…). Jill did, does and will continue to need male character support in the future games.
Ugh. Well, the one thing she has going for her is that Jill appears to be superhuman not only in viral immunity, but physically too. Half of the game had her noodling (limping) after having her body smashed onto metal. No flak vest or protective pads!!
The ending. The ending sucked so badly I couldn’t stand it. She shot Nikolai in the Kevlar’s shoulder portion with her 9mm handgun and he (and Carlos!) was incapacitated? The scene of Tyrell’s death? Wow. Just wow. Like…wow. So stupid.
Overall, it wasn’t worth the $59.99 I paid. I didn’t even get the promised animated movie that was was supposed to be sent to people who pre-ordered (at least according to the description in the Microsoft Store). It was entirely too short and I concur with a review I read where the author felt like RE3: Remake was more of a story add-on to RE2: Remake than it’s own game. 2 wasn’t long either, but had the benefit of multiple endings and high replayability. While the original RE3 had multiple endings, this remake has a normal and a secret ending. RE: Resistance did come with it, but I hate PVP anything, so nope. Honestly, the game feels like how RE5 did in comparison to RE4, though I would rate this far higher than 5. However, it is much more easy to play than the original, even if too much was missing, so a win for those who care little for puzzles and backtracking. I’d recommend buying the game if it was $29.99 – $34.99 or less. Gameplay is solid, if you’re looking for something like RE:2 and the if you’re a fan of the series, jump right on in. Replay value isn’t nearly as high is in 2, but there are plenty of achievements and easy to miss collectibles. Good pandemic quarantine game, if you’re looking for something fast-paced to pass the time, but if you’re on the fence, I’d pass for the moment.
Summary
Mechanics: duplicate of Resident Evil 2: Remake
Graphics: Great
Story: Rushed and thin, different elements than the original Resident Evil 3. Perhaps top brass pressure or future DLC money-making scheme. Needs more flesh.
Characters portrayal: Good for supporting, bad for main. Nemesis was strange and left something to be desired.
Creepy factor: Low-mid. Nemesis was only out during scripted scenes, not chasing you like in RE2, and while the beginning made use of shadows, the rest of the game were jump-scares
Recommended?: If the price drops, and/or you are a big fan of the series.
Good: More of the fun gameplay of Resident Evil 2. Good character design for Jill. Fantastic tie in from RE 2 during Carlos’s police dept section. Great beginning half. It’s a new Resident Evil game that actually is about STARS and not some random swamp with insane people and a very loose tie-in!
Bad: Entirely too rushed, too short, and WAY off the original story. Not scary. Disappointing female protagonist. Where RE 2 stayed mostly true to the original, RE 3 is more like the Mila Jovovich Resident Evils. There was a lot of potential that wasn’t there. The concept art proved that there were definitely more levels designed just either axed or not implemented. I think the inclusion of RE: Resistance proves they knew of the game’s weakness upon launch.