Resident Evil 3 Review Round-Up–What's The Verdict?

After the success of last year’s Resident Evil 2 remake, fans have waited with bated breath for Capcom to give Resident Evil 3: Nemesis the same treatment. Now that the reviews are finally out, it seems that critics are mostly enjoying Jill Valentine’s jaunt in Racoon City, albeit with less enthusiasm than its universally-acclaimed predecessor.

In our review, critic Alessandro Fillari praised the remake for its tense opening hours, but found that it lost momentum as the game carried on. “However, as the game goes on, it becomes clear that Resident Evil 3 struggles to maintain its poise when the scope begins to narrow, and how blatantly the game relies on recycling many of RE2’s tricks and tropes, which now feel less interesting,” he wrote. “This has to do with the game’s focus on momentum. Just when you’re getting accustomed to a location, particularly the extensive and varied Downtown area, a story beat will occur that brings you to the next area, preventing your return. The series’ penchant for puzzles are also infrequent in RE3 remake, putting more focus on exploration and combat which can eventually become exhausting.”

We’ve collected some more reviews below. Though they vary in tenor and praise, most seem to agree that Resident Evil 3 is a bit disappointing compared to its predecessor. While they praise its improved action-game DNA, critics describe its reinterpretation of Nemesis as a bit disappointing. They also note the game’s short length, as well as the fact that the remake excises certain environments from the original game, such as the park locale. For more reviews, check out our sister site Metacritic to see what other writers thought.

GameSpot – 6/10 (review-in-progress)

“As a remake, Resident Evil 3 not only falls short of honoring its source, but it also doesn’t quite stick the landing as a standalone horror experience. Even without taking into account the original game, or its predecessor, RE3 struggles to keep up with its pace amid a clashing of elements from survival horror and standard action. While it has a strong start and gives its principal villain some great moments, this truncated retelling of the concluding game from the original Resident Evil trilogy doesn’t do it proper justice.” – Alessandro Fillari [Full Review]

IGN – 9/10 (single-player only)

“It’s a shame, then, that [Nemesis] doesn’t show up more often. Mr. X in Resident Evil 2 is so frightening because his presence felt unexpected, which led to a feeling that you were never safe even if you were in areas you thought you could be. Nemesis apes this pattern in Resident Evil 3’s first couple of hours–there’s a brilliantly climactic showdown with him that involves you desperately trying to escape through a vent as he pursues you–but he soon gets relegated to big, pre-programmed boss fights. Once that happens, that sense of the looming pursuer operating under his own AI is lost.” – Lucy O’Brien [Full Review]

USG – 3.5/5

“Despite my disappointment at the more linear aim of Resident Evil 3, it’s uplifted by Jill and Carlos. Like Leon and Claire before them, they’re two characters I just like. Their corny dialogue is endearing, much as it was with Claire and Leon in Resident Evil 2. The circumstances and plot conveniences are often laugh-out-loud dumb, but it’s part of the fun. The action, when it’s not a pain in crowded narrow spaces, is tense in a good way. Zombies may go down easier, but they still have bite. Perhaps that’s what Resident Evil 3 needed all along to rewrite and justify its own deserved place in Resident Evil history: extra B-movie flair from action to tone.” – Caty McCarthy [Full Review]

Kotaku – [no score]

“Resident Evil 3 is loud. It is a snarling dog too close to your face, spittle flying everywhere. For some players, the intensity will be a turn off. The original version is the link between the earlier games’ simmering spookiness and Resident Evil 4’s bold action. It marked the first step in a tonal shift that arguably went too far: As the series progressed, the action grew too excessive. The remake threads a spectacular needle. The explosive boss fights and ever-present cat and mouse chases never feel out of place. Windows shatters as the zombie horde bursts in, giant lizards swallow you whole, and the Nemesis slams down behind you at the worst moment. The terror doesn’t fade simply because you have an assault rifle or grenade launcher. Resident Evil 3 solidifies a new model for the remakes. For good and ill, it takes last year’s Resident Evil 2 remake and hones it into something meaner and more intense. Embracing that chaos leads to an intense and confidently executed Resident Evil experience.” – Heather Alexandra [Full Review]

Eurogamer – [no score]

“I feel like I’m coming down a little too hard on the Resident Evil 3 remake. After all, my expectations were set with the incredible Resident Evil 2 remake in mind. Jill is a triumphant character, and there are moments of genuine brilliance here. The hospital level, whose tone rekindles memories of Resident Evil 2’s police department, is fantastically unnerving. But for every super cool area in the Resident Evil 3 remake, there are two areas that fail to inspire. Downtown Raccoon City is, unfortunately, not the expansive, multi-layered stalk-fest I’d hoped it would be. There are no alternate endings to chase, no story-altering choices to make, no new game plus mode. The source material is – and I think this is the perceived wisdom–simply not as good as the original Resident Evil 2. But I can’t shake the feeling the Resident Evil 3 remake was rushed–as its original was. Now that’s an unfortunate parallel.” – Wesley Yin-Poole [Full Review]