Resident Evil 3 was originally intended as a side story intended to appease people who wanted to explore Raccoon City more in RE2, but it turned out to be a beautiful addition to the series instead. It was also used as a testbed for some new features like dodging, decision sequences, the ability to climb stairs without having to press the action key (finally). The game follows a sequence similar to the previous two, with the first half made up of finding 4 key items that allow you to advance to the next area and the second half features more boss battles, more difficult BOWs, and finally a lab area with a self-destruct sequence. The game has the peculiarity of being constantly hunted by the last Umbrella tyrant, Nemesis. This greatly increases the fear factor, as there will be times when it will appear out of nowhere, literally. There are also times when he can be struck by terrible indecision when deciding whether to dodge left or right, or whether to spend ammo on him. The characters in the game are some of the best and most popular. Some are much more realistic without any of the stereotypical traits of “taking over the world.”

GFX

Some of the best you’ll find on a Playstation, except for Parasite Eve 2. The flame and water effects are very well done, and the pre-rendered backgrounds have greater color and range than those of RE2. The settings vary from the Raccoon hospital to the local park. Areas allow for a certain amount of interaction, such as firing lamps and gas valves. Capcom has also improved its character manipulation, so the game’s scenes allow for more movement, including some very well-done shootouts. The FMVs are some of the best you’ll see and they manage to capture the atmosphere.

Dream

RE3 features a wide range of weapon effects that have been dramatically improved over RE2 and even CLC. The voice acting is above average, with the best work coming from UBCS and Nemesis. It’s nice to hear a wide range of accents, but Jill’s lines sometimes seem to get a little flat when compared to characters like Dario Russo. RE3’s music features the best save room, boss battle, and intro tracks that border on inspiring.

History

Capcom was right to keep RE3’s story relatively low-key, as RE2 had taken care of the explanation for the Raccoon City incident. The UBCS makes a welcome change from mad scientists and power-crazed civilians. Umbrella’s activities take on more depth in areas like Dead Factory. They complement the overall story rather than erode it like Outbreak did. The epilogue files provide a lot of material on all the other surviving characters.

conclusion

RE3 is my second favorite RE game mainly due to its playability. There are many decision paths you can make that will alter your route and even the endgame. The BOWs that appear in one area are never the same the second time. RE3 also features the best of the minigames, Mercenaries, allowing you to unlock weapons for the main game. The game has a good pace and prevents you from getting bored.