Resident Evil 3, on a conceptual concept, feels like a logical follow-up to Resident Evil 2, but at the same time it doesn't really work.

Resident Evil 2 was already more action focused than Resident Evil one; you had more enemies, more variety in them too, and way more resources, but it was still possible to screw up and have to temporarily have to manage those a bit more closely if you didn't pay attention. RE3 goes in the same direction of making the game more action focused: there are way more zombies than before, but you also get a lot of resources. Too much of them, even.

For almost the entire run of the game, you're given so many ammos or health items, the entire resource management aspect of the game feels like it's gone. Sure, if you decide to fight the Nemesis you can get low on those resources, but usually that's a temporary setback that doesn't last more than 15 minutes. Instead of being focused on resources management, the game is more focused on the action part.

I don't think the combat in this game really is that fun. the new dodge mechanic is terrible, sometimes it procs, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it does but since you don't really chose how you're dodging you can just dodge in a wall and end up getting damaged anyway... In the previous games, combat was interesting because you had to wonder if using your precious ammos instead of running was worth it, but now not only you have way too many ammo but also there's often too many zombies to be able to ignore them all anyways!

Nemesis is an interesting concept; you can fight him to get some loot and get rid of him for a while, or try to just dodge him. I fought him every time, which is imo pretty hard to do but ends up making the game easier because of what he loots. However, this really showcases that the combat isn't my cup of tea. I don't have anything against the controls of this games (i'm terrible at it tho), but i don't think they really work well in fights like nemesis.

Nemesis isn't the only interesting on paper, kinda not that great in practice thing this game has to offer tho! Most rooms have randomized enemies and items placement, which sounds neat but actually kinda isn't. Sometimes you'll run into a room with nothing in it, die later on, and the next time the room will have 3 green herbs. Or sometimes instead of fighting 2 hunters you'll fight 5 zombies. Depending on your luck you'll just get a harder or easier time, i think having rooms spawn depending on your performances would be much better.

Overall, RE3 is still an alright game, it's just the worst of the og trilogy for me. The first area is really cool and it has some cool ideas like the parts where you have to make a choice in cutscenes, but the action focus just doesn't work for me

Reviewed on Nov 18, 2023


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