Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

aka: Biohazard 3: Last Escape, Biohazard: Gaiden, RE3
Moby ID: 3321
PlayStation Specs
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Description official descriptions

Resident Evil 3 takes place during the events of Resident Evil 2. The midwestern town of Raccoon City is in ruins, having been overrun with the undead creating T-virus thanks to the wacky hijinks of William Birkin and Umbrella Inc. The player must guide Jill "master of unlocking" Valentine (one of the two main protagonists of the original Resident Evil) out of the city alive. Along the way, Jill will interact with and receive help from (or be hindered by) three Umbrella mercenaries who are also stranded in Raccoon City. Standing in the way of your group's last escape are a horde of flesh-eating zombified citizens, homicidal mutants, and a relentless killing machine known only as Nemesis who is determined to hunt down and kill the survivors of the original Resident Evil, including Jill.

A dramatic improvement over Tyrant/Mr. X/G from the previous games, Nemesis can run (faster than Jill, in fact), use firearms (a rocket launcher), dodge attacks, and even move through doors and from room to room in pursuit of Jill. On top of that he still possesses the nigh indestructibility we've come to know from Umbrella's ultimate bio-weapons.

Like its two predecessors Resident Evil 3 is a third-person action-adventure game with polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds with cinematic camera angles, a technique originally pioneered by Alone in the Dark. Although the game uses the same basic engine and gameplay as the previous games, the gameplay is improved by features such as auto-targeting, a 180 degree spin, and a new dodge move that allows Jill to avoid enemy attacks. Another addition is Jill's ability to create different kinds of ammunition by mixing together three different types of gunpowder found throughout the game. The game include a randomization feature, which changes the location of certain key items and ammo. Another noteworthy feature is that at certain points in the game, Jill is faced with two choices for a situation, each will affect later story, and even the game ending. The zombies have also been made more diverse.

The number of polygons in the character models has also been increased, along with the possible screen resolution and color depth for the PC version (up to 1600 X 1200 at 32 bits, from a maximum of 640 X 480 at 16 bits for Resident Evil 2). Another addition in the PC version is the ability to skip cutscenes as well as the door loading animation.

The PC and Dreamcast versions includes all eight of Jill's possible costumes, as well as the mercenary mini-game Operation Mad Jackal which allows you to play as one of the three Umbrella soldiers. On the Playstation version, these special features must be unlocked by beating the game with a high score.

Spellings

  • Обитель зла 3: Немезис - Russian spelling
  • バイオハザード 3 ラストエスケープ - Japanese spelling
  • 惡靈古堡3 - Chinese spelling (traditional)
  • 生化危机3 - Chinese spelling (simplified)

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Credits (PlayStation version)

137 People (120 developers, 17 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 80% (based on 63 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 183 ratings with 9 reviews)

Boring!

The Good
I refuse to write anything here, it would defy my existence as a human being.

The Bad
Um... where to start. There's so much bad about this game I could throw up. It's fascinating how Capcom can make a game series so much worse with each game. The voice acting is still horrible, and is actually worse than the prequel. The storyline... oh, I really don't want to even mention it. Read my review about the prequel, read what I said about the storyline there and multiply it by ten, then you got my opinion about the storyline in this game. The tradition of insanely simple puzzles is enforced very well, it's now more crappier than ever and has now descended to the level of being mere open-door-with-key-"puzzles". It can now truly be called a mere action game, you start with an M16 which was seen as a super powerful game in the prequel (where which you only had the weapon in the last moments in the ending) which is absurd thinking that a revolver in the first game was blessing to have. And the zombies are now everywhere, but they just go down like flies.

There's more bad things to mention, but I don't see the point, a bad game is a bad game, simple as that.

The Bottom Line
Okay, in the two last prequel's review I said the games could be enjoyable to a degree. That has completely ended now. This is no game which you could enjoy all in all. Yes, there is actually some very few good points, the music isn't bad, the new costumes you can get through a secret is cool, and the graphics isn't that bad. But that's it. There's absolutely no other nice thing about the game. It's crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, and utter craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap! The wierdos who loved RE1 and 2 to death and see Resident Evil as a religion will perhaps like this game. All other persons should scream at sight with this game, and eat all copies of the game so no one can behold how completely awful this game is. There's no word in the dictionary which can sufficiently describe how much I hate this game.

PlayStation · by Kate Jones (416) · 2001

More action, less brains.

The Good
Remember those sequences of sheer chaos that made Resident Evil 2 such a hit? Particularly those that took place in the streets of Racoon city and which gave the game an incredible adrenaline surge when combined with the creepy classic survival/horror gameplay? And remember that particularly interesting "Terminator" touch that took place in the second part of the game and which involved a seemingly undestructible foe that hunted you through the last stretch of the game and gave the game a new life for many reasons? (giving a proper nemesis to the game and making the constant threat an even bigger source of tension and suspense). Well, considering that every RE2 player and his sister loved those elements it stands to reason to think that a sequel that foccused on those elements should be a straight winner right? uh... well, we'll talk about that later but for now just know that RE3 placed all it's chips on that and you have more chaos and more of the "nemesis" zombie-blasting action.

The storyline is much simpler this time around with you being placed in the shoes of Jill Valentine (making her return from RE1). Trading in her sassy assault suit from the original and dressed in nothing but a black skirt and a strapless top Jill decides to make a new start as a swimsuit supermodel. Well, not really but she sure could! Stranded in the zombie-infested Racoon city Jill sets herself on a quest to escape the nightmarish town, and if she's gonna do that she's gonna look like a winner all the way baby! Nothing says combat-ready like a good set of designer clothes and a sassy haircut (and hey, if Aya Brea could get away with that on Parasite Eve why can't Jill do the same, huh?). So far par for the course, using the traditional RE interface Jill moves around pre-rendered backgrounds shooting zombies and collecting items that aid her in progressing through the city.

The technical aspect of the game is flawless as expected, with gorgeous graphics (actually the same as on RE2), moody and effective sound effects and even more impressive fmv cutscenes (look out for the improved facial expressions).

While the gameplay mechanics remain the same Capcom saw fit to include a number of peripheric features to somehow mask the fact that this is just RE2.5. And while most are just annoying SNK-like features, some are actually a godsend and help the combat-oriented gameplay, case in point: remember how you frantically mashed every button when zombies got to you in a desperate attempt to escape? (using the same logic as when you punch your keyboard to "help" your computer run faster) Well now there's a use for that as it effectively influences how fast Jill pushes away from the zombies and makes the difference between getting your arm chewed off or just getting a scratch. Similarly, you can now dodge incoming attacks by (sort of) strafing a little, and the addition of a quick turn, the ability to climb over boxes/ledges and other additions like helpful Doom-like explosive barrels/panels/etc. make combat easier when faced with multiple enemies.

As a nice added touch you also have the choice to take different paths when faced with a particular situation, which come in the form of very consoley "choose your own adventure" pop-up options that appear at key moments.Sure, they are stupid and blatantly obvious way of branching the storyline and the gameplay, but still earn points for doing exactly that, as you can take different paths to solve specific situations and get different information depending on what choice you make.

The Bad
This particular sequel proved that Capcom was thankfully still Capcom and that while they may revolutionize a given genre time and time again, they are still the laziest coding house to come out of Japan, whose mantra is "No game with less than 10 sequels/spin-offs". As things would have it, this is the moment where the well started to run dry for the RE series, the innovative touches that made the original and it's sequel such classics are cloned with just some peripheric features that attempt to cover the fact that Capcom couldn't come up with anything truly innovative for their new darling series.

As mentioned the game puts the emphasis on chaotic mob sequences and the ever-present nemesis threat, but when placed in the spotlight it becomes obvious that they can't hold the game on it's own. The chaotic element puts the game in an eternal overdrive as it never lets down, and that's one of it's biggest problems. You know when you hear an annoying sound continuously and eventually you just get used to it and ignore it's presence? That's what happens here. There's simply no dynamic in the game, by that meaning that you have to have something slow next to the fast in order for it to be fast, get it? The zombie mobs and exploding situations are all too common in here, dulling the whole experience as there are less and less moody situations and dramatic pauses. Same thing goes for the Nemesis creature, by the 10th time he crashes through a wall or jumps in front of you out of nowhere you are used to it and the whole thing ends feeling tired and old. I mean, "auuhg Nemesis?? Again?? Yeah, let me shot you down, 'kay you are dead, except you aren't really and you'll come crashing through a door or something in the next 10 minutes or so..."Groan...

To attempt to cover all the "has been" ideas under a new hood the brains at Capcom decided to throw in a series of "brand new" features that for the most part function in the same way as the SNK features fighting aficionados are used to see included in their sequels rather than new gameplay ideas or mechanics. For starters you have an ammo-making utility that is just a stupid new way for you to collect powder instead of ammo, ditto the new "super-weapon" assembly system which just means you have to pixel-hunt the parts that make each special weapon, etc. etc.

The storyline has obviously suffered due to the new approach to the series: all combat and no suspense make RE3 a very dull boy as you'll see when comparing this one to it's predecessors. To sum it all up, you have to escape the city, there are a couple of Umbrella covert ops. guys that ally themselves with you as they face the same situation, and then there's the armored Tyrant aka Nemesis that somehow seems to be targetting S.T.A.R.S members for a particular reason as the only source of real intrigue, oh yeah and mid-game you'll get infected with a nasty virus that needs taking care of if you want to get out of here alive, but that's it. The charming corporate conspiracies and the personal squabbles have been subdued in favor of self-referential information (see what happened to the chopper pilot from RE1...yippe...) and zombie bashing-action, sub-plots are kept to a minimum and generally it all just revolves around you shooting shit that gets in the way of your freedom.

The Bottom Line
For the most part Resident Evil 3 proves that the series became a hit for their innovative blend of intriguing B-movie plots, dramatic suspense, action and stylish elements, and that cutting it all down to action and style just doesn't work the same way.

Nemesis has the babe, the guns and the gore but not everything else that made the magic work. The game is still entertaining and extremely well produced regardless of what some of the other more "extremist" reviewers may say, hardly the "craaaaap, craaaaap, Craaaapp" you may read around here, with enough optional elements (such as different game modes/bonuses/etc.) to make it a real value, and with plenty of good action that relies mostly on interesting scripted set-pieces and sheer chaos. Sure, any game that relies on that is easy prey for the usual arrogant bastards that make it their business to point out just how above those things they are and how utterly damaging they are to the high art that is videogaming and if you are going to listen to that vaya con dios. But yeah, it's equally far from the level of the previous games. Get Resident Evil 1 or 2 for the true thing, this one definetively doesn't make the series justice and will be enjoyed mostly by fans only.

PlayStation · by Zovni (10504) · 2003

Average sequel

The Good
This sequel has some replayability features I liked. The structure is less linear than its predecessors, so you have a wider range of tasks to complete and paths to go through. Also, you get the chance to make choices when you face dangerous situations, and the choices you make will affect the direction of the game. The ammo and goodies you encounter and the type of enemies you face will vary, their distribution in this game is random (but tending to be balanced). Jill's ability to create different kinds of ammunition by mixing different types of gunpowder also adds some versatility.

The graphics are on and off, but overall they are an improvement from the previous games. The scenarios tend to be atmospheric and well drawn, but in some places you see backgrounds that are blurry and artifacts with a pixelated look. Good thing is that the screen resolutions have increased.

The cinematic cutscenes are quite good, energetic and very well done; I was impressed (talk about those facial expressions!).

The sound effects are decent and the voice acting is competent. But the music score, although effective, is less impressive than in the first two games.

Gameplay wise, here we have some improvements too. While the gameplay system and the menu interface from the previous games remains the same, now your character can dodge or escape enemies and turn 180 degrees with these new combo moves. If a zombie grabs you the desperate keyboard tapping becomes actually useful!

The puzzles have a different tendency here. They are not so intrincated but are still challenging. They require you to think a little and not to spend too much time looking for keys and strange artifacts to open doors. This game is a little more action oriented. I approved that.

And "Nemesis", well, he is the big bad guy. An improved version of the Tyrant monster, this big boy is faster, nastier and with enough intelligence to mouth the word "Stars"… and to chase the hell out of you. "Nemesis" will appear during the game in several situations, and while he is normally easy to avoid, it's advisable that you learn to kick his ass, because when he dies he leaves some nice goodies for you to pick up (which is quite an incentive).

The Bad
Thing is, after the first installment the suspense and the style has gone trite. The plot is not very involving. The script is lazy. The characters have no interesting personalities, they lack development (and not to mention, good one liners). The voice acting is acceptable, but in no means superb (not much to do with such shallow characters anyway).

It lacks originality. I mean, nothing that much new under the sun here. We have a familiar game engine and the same camera annoyances that pissed me off in the previous games. The enemies, aside from the main bosses, are not very innovative nor too much of a challenge. The zombies are weak and their AI is uneven, they are not as threating as they used to be. The weapons are almost the same, not much of a new toy to kick some zombie ass here.

And what happened with the lickers? Those were bad asses.

You will find some annoyances. This game sometimes feels rushed and messy. In the PC version, while playing a game, if you want to quit and load a saved game, you have to let your character die or quit the game entirely (the F9 key now quits the game instantly!) and then run it again just to access the main menu. And the 15 second prologue that opens every time you load a game is unnecessary and is non-skipable. The controls for the new moves are uneven; for example, the dodging is confusing and sometimes difficult to perform correctly, which makes the game harder than it deserves. The little bugs here and there can actually freeze the game in certain parts.

The Bottom Line
Worth trying if you liked the previous games.

Windows · by Czar Husk Qi (27) · 2009

[ View all 9 player reviews ]

Trivia

Book

A book adaptation of this game was published under the same name in 2000, the fifth in Pocket Books' Resident Evil series, written by S.D. Perry. The novel featured a preface by Perry stating that it was not canon with her other novels, as changes she had made in the previous novels would have prevented Resident Evil 3 from taking place.

Development

Resident Evil 3 began as BIOHAZARD Gaiden, a side story based around escaping Raccoon City. When the PS2 was announced Hideki Kamiya's BIOHAZARD 3 was changed to a PS2 title and renamed to BIOHAZARD 4 (This would later become Devil May Cry), while BIOHAZARD Gaiden was renamed to BIOHAZARD 3 and given a more important place in the overall Resident Evil story. Jill and the Nemesis were added to the game after this point.

German index

On May 31, 2000, the English version of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was put on the infamous German index by the BPjS. For more information about what this means and to see a list of games sharing the same fate, take a look here: BPjS/BPjM indexed games.

German version

In the German version, there are a number of changes (the cutscenes are not affected): * Zombie blood was coloured green * Killed enemies disappear almost instantly * Limbs can't be cut off and heads don't explode * In the Mercenary mode, unlocked after beating the game, no time bonus is rewarded for kills (except for animals). This makes it impossible to get a good ranking and unlock bonus content

A detailed list of changes can be found on schnittberichte.com (German).

Movie

Carlos Oliveira, Nicholai Ginovef, Jill Valentine, and the Nemesis can be seen in the film Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Carlos, Jill, and The Nemesis are mostly the same as their game counterparts, but Nicholai was rewritten from a scheming combat veteran into a greenhorn with a hear of gold.

Sales

According to publisher Capcom, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide since its initial release (as of June 30, 2016).

Title

Producer Shinji Mikami was originally against calling this game Biohazard 3. He felt that Biohazard Code: Veronica, which advanced the story more than this game did, was the "true Biohazard 3" and that Biohazard 3 should've been called Biohazard 1.9.

-Source IMDB.com

Information also contributed by Emepol, NightKid32, Pseudo_Intellectual and Xoleras

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Kasey Chang.

PS Vita added by GTramp. PlayStation 3 added by Shaun Dunham. GameCube added by Kartanym. PSP added by Sciere. Dreamcast, PlayStation added by Matthew Bailey.

Additional contributors: Alan Chan, Matthew Bailey, Unicorn Lynx, John Chaser, tarmo888, Foxhack, Xoleras, DreinIX, —-, Paulus18950, CalaisianMindthief, Patrick Bregger, Lain Crowley, Victor Vance.

Game added February 13, 2001. Last modified March 20, 2024.