The Resident Evil series has something that always brings me back, no matter what people are saying about it. I haven't played every game, but it's fair to say that, generally, I love the series. That said, my love for the series has always been closer to the crazy puzzle box survival entries like Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, or Resident Evil 7, rather than the more action oriented entries like Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 4 was the only time it ever worked for me, partially due it not forgoing the tension the series was known for, and partially because the plot and writing was so campy and lovable it makes the game hard to dislike (although, if I had a criticism for the game, it would be that it was too long). All of this is to say that Resident Evil 3, the remake of the PS1 sequel sans subtitle, was probably not going to appeal to me in the first place.
One of my regrets in my past reviews was that I was a bit too harsh on Resident Evil 2 (2019). The game was unlucky enough to be released around the time I had decided to bulldoze my way through multiple installments of the franchise, and thus was the third game I played in a row, with the others being the masterful Resident Evil remake and the spectacular new direction of Resident Evil 7. When Resident Evil 3 was announced and said to be developed by the same team and in the same engine as Resident Evil 2, I was pretty excited. The original PS1 games aren't the easiest to play these days, and though I've never beaten any of the originals, of what I played Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was always my least favorite. The action focus, brisk runtime, and lack of parallel campaigns was always a turn off for me. The story choice mechanic in the original was always neat, but hardly enough to sell me on what was essentially a lesser sequel to two classics.
Resident Evil 3 drops the story choices, but keeps the action focus. Talking about the story is sort of a waste of time, because Resident Evil stories are all ridiculous, and you either have fun with them or you don't. The gameplay is where a Resident Evil game lives or dies, and Resident Evil 3 did try, for what it's worth, but just couldn't quite cut it. The gameplay is largely the same as in Resident Evil 2, albeit with minimal exploration and its resource management at odds with the way it siphons you through conflict. Resident Evil 2 worked because choosing how to limit or kill zombies (and which you chose for either option) was tactical. It was thinking ahead to where you were going to need to go later, and what could potentially pose a problem if, say, Mr. X showed up surprisingly. Given the linear nature of Resident Evil 3, this conceit is no longer applicable in the first place. To add insult to injury, however, there are several sections where you are so swamped with enemies you have no choice but to mow them down, limiting supplies be damned (at one point even equipping you with a machine gun and plenty of ammo). It takes a lot of the fun out of the game. Resident Evil 3 still has those basic mechanics that Resident Evil 2 had, but the sentiment is different. Nothing exemplifies this better than the fact that Jill is given a dodge move, and Carlos a melee move. I don't dislike these moves, but it does feel they could have been better utilized if they were a part of parallel campaigns rather than different sections of a single, linear campaign.
While the linearity and mediocre combat are definitely the worst offenses in Resident Evil 3, what contributes the final death nail is Nemesis himself. Mr. X was one of the coolest and most tension building mechanics in Resident Evil 2, adding a layer of caution to all of the proceedings in that game. Nemesis is a scripted creature, only appearing when he needs to in the plot. In fairness, this was also true of the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, but I didn't much care for it there, either. He acts as a boss fight when you need one (so, every boss fight is him), and a bullet sponge or quicktime event otherwise, meaning dodging him or pressing the prompted button are just about all you have when it comes to interaction with the dude. I'm surprised they didn't enhance his role any more, as the only time he gave an inkling of the Mr. X magic was when he pursued me in the city blocks that make up the first level of the game.
The city blocks are easily the most enjoyable parts of the whole game. Part of this is because it gets closest to the puzzle mansion design of the earlier titles, but also because every subsequent place is the boring parts of any Resident Evil game: sewers, hospital, lab. I was warming up to the game nicely during the city section after being slightly annoyed at the "run in one direction from scripted event" introduction, but when I cut three chains with the bolt cutters and the game told me I could throw them away since I wouldn't need them again, the game deflated for me and never picked back up.
Much like the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, this game feels like it was made to fill a quota rather than for any good reason. The game mostly feels like a slim mod of Resident Evil 2, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if it didn't take everything out of that game that was good. And it isn't that Resident Evil 3 is an awful game, because it isn't. It is just annoyingly mediocre, but I'm not sure that was totally the developer's fault. They were working with weak source material, no matter what anyone says about their days as a child playing that demo disc that came with Dino Crisis. As I said in my last Resident Evil review, I sincerely hope they keep with the remakes, especially since Resident Evil 4 could be the next one up (Code: Veronica would not be a terrible choice, either, or Dino Crisis, which could use a second try). If there was any other game in the series that would almost definitely benefit from this sort of remake process, it would be Resident Evil 4. Until then, however, I might just be cautious. Here's hoping Resident Evil VIII: Village doesn't disappoint.
6.0
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