Revisiting the Resident Evil 3 Remake — Why are Fans Disappointed With the Game?

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was the sequel to Capcom's much-beloved Resident Evil 2. Released in 1999, the game continues the story of Special Tactics And Rescue Service Alpha Team member Jill Valentine after the events of the first Resident Evil game.

The game was loved by Resident Evil fans as it allowed them to explore and learn more about the doomed city. However, it took Capcom 21 years and the success of the remake version of Resident Evil 2 to also remake Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.

Unfortunately, while Capcom did give the game a shiny new look, many fans are disappointed by the game.

Why is that?

This revisit of the game will dive quite deep into some of its aspects, so I'll try not to spoil things too much. But just in case, a MINOR SPOILER ALERT IS IN EFFECT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

The Similarities

Resident Evil 3's (RE3) plot is more or less faithful to the original 1999 game. It follows Jill Valentine as she tries to expose the Umbrella Corporation for their hand in several strange and cannibalistic crimes going around Raccoon City - a city controlled, if not owned by Umbrella.

However, events that happened during and after the first Resident Evil game escalated to what we know as the Raccoon City Incident, wherein Raccoon City's citizens were infected with a strain of the T-Virus - a project of Umbrella. It is during this incident that we follow Jill's attempt to save as many innocent lives as she can while trying to escape the horrors that now infest the once thriving city.

The player is greeted with controls similar to Resident Evil 2 Remake's. However, defensive items were replaced with the game's dodging mechanic, which is also present in the 1999 game.

Instead of using a knife, hand grenade, or flashbang to avoid getting damaged by enemies, players can avoid enemy attacks and grabs by dodging them. A well-timed dodge presents the player with an opportunity to follow up with a well-earned counterattack aimed at the enemy's weak spot automatically.

RE3 is very much still a survival horror game. Oftentimes, the player will have to choose between spending precious ammunition to kill a monster or tempt fate and dodge enemy attempts of grabbing or attacking them.

Fans of the original 1999 game can expect to see a large helping of zombies and other familiar monsters, such as the Drain Deimos, NEMESIS, the Hunter Alphas, and Hunter Betas.

The remake also comes with new enemies for the player to overcome, like parasitized zombies capable of damaging Jill from long distances.

Additionally, the game's soundtrack also contains familiar tunes. Fans of the 1999 game will recognize a remixed version of "The City of Ruin" playing in the game's first area.

The Differences - The Source Of Disappointment

While RE3 Remake offers a graphics update and a fresh new experience during the Raccoon City Incident, in my opinion, the game feels like a watered-down version compared to the original.

The original took its sweet time fleshing out the experience of Jill being in the incident, with zombies and monstrosities at every turn of the corner and NEMESIS actually trying to find and chase you down to kill you wherever you go, very much like Mr. X in Resident Evil 2 Remake and the original 1999 game.

While it can be argued that NEMESIS will chase the player if they haven't incapacitated him in its scripted appearances in both the original game and the remake, it appears more frequently in the original game.

The NEMESIS can also chase players down in a lot more locations than the original. In the remake, the feeling of being hunted is only prevalent on a few occasions only. The player is mostly left alone by NEMESIS compared to the original.

The Drain Deimos was a terrifying monster to encounter in the original. Handling two of these at the same time could mean a visit to the "game over" screen.

In the remake, however, they are no more than an annoyance and will only appear in a small section of the game.

The absence of certain enemies such as spiders and the Grave Digger for unknown reasons is also a letdown for veteran players. The lack of a branching decision system, which allowed players to choose what Jill would do in certain situations, is also a source of disappointment.

Last and not least is the absence of most of the original game's locations. The Clock Tower, which can be entered and explored in the original game, can just be admired from the outside in the remake. Downtown Raccoon City, its alleyways, Arukas Gas Station, and Raccoon Park are cut from the remake to make the game playable within two hours to get the best ranking.

The original game, meanwhile, has to be finished in three hours or less without saving and healing much to get the highest possible rank, per the Resident Evil Fandom.

Verdict

Resident Evil 3 is more of a "re-imagining" than a faithful remake similar to the original Resident Evil Remake. On its own, it is a fun albeit short game that can be terrifying and intense, especially in the game's finale.

However, comparing it to the original 1999 game will show players just how much content Capcom removed to pump the game out quickly to capitalize on its predecessor's success.

As many Resident Evil fans say, Resident Evil 3 Remake feels more like a standalone DLC for Resident Evil 2 Remake.