Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

A single word can raise goosebumps even on seasoned players: STARS. That is what the giant bioweapon Nemesis roars at you before it starts chasing you through the streets of a dying Raccoon City. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis pushed the series toward a more action-oriented approach and introduced one of the most unforgettable pursuers in the history of the genre.

The plot largely unfolds in parallel with the events of the second game and returns Jill Valentine, one of the survivors from the original Spencer mansion, to the lead role. This time she tries to escape a city consumed by the infection while Nemesis is on her heels — an intelligent, relentless, and brutally powerful adversary who can appear practically anywhere and thereby keeps the game in constant tension.

The biggest mechanical innovation is precisely that pursuit system, complemented by quick choices (dodges and instant decisions in critical moments) that give the player a sense of control even in moments of panic. The ability to turn faster, dodge attacks, and mix gunpowder into your own ammunition was added. The environment of city streets, full of improvised barricades and burning cars, feels claustrophobic and open at the same time.

The game was developed by Capcom and released at the close of the nineties as the third pillar of the classic trilogy on the PlayStation. Compared to the second game it places greater emphasis on pace and action, thereby foreshadowing the direction the series would eventually take. At the same time it kept the characteristic predatory ammunition economy and puzzles linking the individual locations.

Nemesis became an iconic figure, and the game still ranks as one of the high points of the era. In 2020 its modern remake was released, reworking Jill's adventure into contemporary graphics and reminding everyone why that relentless, rocket-launcher-wielding colossus belongs among the most feared adversaries games have ever spawned.

Why play it: For Nemesis — a pursuer who turns fleeing a dead city into a nerve-shredding race for survival.