Is the Original Resident Evil 3 a Masterpiece?

Resident Evil 3 had quite a fascinating development history. There was a lot of shuffling around regarding what Resident Evil 3 should actually be. At one point, what eventually became Resident Evil 4 was considered Resident Evil 3, and Code Veronica was also part of the discussion. However, Capcom feared that if they didn't release a new Resident Evil game before the end of the PlayStation 1 era, the gap between releases would become too long and the franchise might die out.

It's a funny thought nowadays, considering Resident Evil 10 is practically a sure thing. 

So, long story short, Capcom took one of their smaller projects, expanded the team, and turned it into Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The decision was made to make Jill Valentine the protagonist, and that worked out incredibly well.

The game begins with Jill escaping her apartment as the surrounding buildings explode, throwing you straight into the streets of Raccoon City. You immediately start shooting zombies, and compared to Resident Evil 1 and 2, the more action-oriented gameplay is obvious from the very beginning.

Resident Evil 2 already leaned more toward action than the first game, but it still walked a fine line between survival horror and action. Resident Evil 3 clearly takes a step toward action, but that's not a bad thing. You need some over-the-top action to survive the streets of Raccoon City. 😄

Depending on the difficulty you choose, you start with either a pistol or an assault rifle. As a kid, I always played on Easy, and it was so much fun. I remember being scared to death in Resident Evil 2, constantly running away from zombies. But now? I could mow them all down with a machine gun.

It's payback time, bitches!

The player mechanics were refined to the limit of what the technology could achieve at the time. You can now change direction much more quickly (thank God), and you can even dodge enemy attacks. The controls feel much smoother, giving you far more options when fighting.

The game doesn't make the mistake of letting you feel overpowered for too long, and this is executed perfectly. You can dominate ordinary zombies and dogs... but then something arrives to put an end to your Rambo fantasy.

One of the greatest monsters in gaming history, Nemesis, makes his presence known very quickly. He kills one of your old partners just to demonstrate his power, and it's terrifying.

Unlike Resident Evil 1 and 2, the game also introduces a system where you occasionally have to make choices that affect how certain events play out, but more on that later.

You engage Nemesis in a fight, and the first time, he probably gives your amateur ass the beating of a lifetime. You can also choose to run away, and as a kid I almost always escaped from him at the police station.

"That was easy!"

But then...

BANG!

He's pounding on the door.

What the hell?! Is he coming through?

No. You're safe... for now.

Jeez, my Rambo mode is over almost instantly, and I quickly learn my place in the game.

The police station is full of zombies, and you can blast your way through them. This section reuses the backgrounds and music from Resident Evil 2, but the visit is so short that it works perfectly. You don't need to explore the entire police station again. Instead, it's a brief but memorable stop that also lets you see what the station looked like before the events of Resident Evil 2.

You even find Marvin from RE 2 lying on the floor. It's a bit strange because all you get is a short text saying that Marvin has been fatally wounded by zombies.

This is also where we can talk about the timeline. Resident Evil 3 doesn't take place entirely after Resident Evil 2. The first half of the game actually happens before Resident Evil 2, while the second half takes place after it. I guess this was Capcom's way of justifying the numbered title.

Honestly, it's not really a problem. Resident Evil stories have always been a little goofy, and that's perfectly fine. As long as the core formula is there, Resident Evil is at its best: fight monsters, uncover Umbrella's secrets, solve puzzles, manage inventory, meet memorable characters, and escape alive.

Nemesis is here.

He crashes through the corridor windows, and believe me, he's carrying a freaking rocket launcher. He's trying to blow you off the face of the Earth.

You can either run or stand your ground and fight.

If you run, he'll chase you through several rooms, introducing one of the game's most terrifying new mechanics. Suddenly, nowhere feels safe anymore.

If you choose to fight, you can actually shoot his rockets out of the air as he fires them, which is a really cool mechanic. The environments also become much more interactive than in the previous games, allowing you to blow up explosive barrels and use the surroundings to your advantage. Every time you defeat Nemesis, he drops an item for you to use.

I promised I'd come back to the new choice-based system.

Resident Evil 3 introduces a system that lets you make choices at certain moments throughout the game. At the same time, it feels a bit like a precursor to quick-time events. Your decisions affect how some scenes play out and add a lot of replay value.

Resident Evil 1 and 2 each offered two full character campaigns, but Resident Evil 3 has only one. That's most likely why the choice system was introduced. Later in the game, you get to play as Carlos, but it's only a short section rather than a fully fleshed-out campaign.

As the game continues, you explore the streets of Raccoon City and meet both friends and foes. Exploring the city is a lot of fun, and there are plenty of different locations to visit.

Nemesis keeps hunting you throughout the game, and his encounters often feel unpredictable. I've been replaying the game recently, and they still give me chills. Nemesis appears in so many different places that I still can't remember them all.

And that's exactly what makes him so great.

The game is shorter than its predecessors, but it makes every moment count. It marked the end of the era of pre-rendered backgrounds and tank controls (if you don't count the Resident Evil 1 remake), and what a way to go out.

If I had to criticize something, I'd say this game marked the beginning of Resident Evil's shift toward a more action-focused direction. The series slowly started moving away from pure survival horror. Still, I don't think that's really the fault of Resident Evil 3 itself, I enjoyed the more action-oriented Resident Evil games as well.

Overall, Resident Evil 3 Nemesis is a masterpiece, but I'd probably rank it behind Resident Evil 1 and 2. That's not a criticism by any means, it still surpasses so many other games. It's just keeping company with two of the greatest survival horror games ever made.