Resident Evil 3

Resident Evil 3 is a remake of the late-nineties classic and tells the story of Jill Valentine, who tries to escape Raccoon City just as the infection has completely overrun the city. Alongside her, mercenary Carlos Oliveira gets drawn into events, and in some sections the player takes control of him as well. The main antagonist is Nemesis, an extraordinarily resilient being sent to eliminate the surviving members of the S.T.A.R.S. unit, who pursues the heroine throughout the entire game and cannot be permanently stopped.

The gameplay follows the previous remake, meaning an over-the-shoulder camera, limited ammunition, oppressive interiors, and the need to weigh every shot. A new addition is a dodge maneuver that, when timed precisely, briefly slows time and rewards bold players, making the combat feel noticeably more action-oriented than before. The city feels more open than the police station of the previous installment, though the path through it is guided more firmly and the game pushes for pace. The package also included a standalone asymmetric multiplayer mode in which four survivors try to escape an area controlled by a fifth player.

Technically, on PlayStation 4 it was a very accomplished title. Lighting on rain-soaked streets, detailed character models, and convincing material work were among the generation's best, the game ran smoothly, and loading times were short. Sound is restrained, which makes Nemesis's thundering arrival stand out all the more. Contemporary reception was largely positive, though critics repeatedly noted the short playtime and the fact that, compared to the original, some locations and situations are missing. Today it is a fast-paced and very good-looking horror game that works best as an intense experience over two evenings and as a companion piece to the remake of the second installment. Nemesis himself is a chapter apart, changing form several times over the course of the game, and while most encounters follow a fixed script, each is staged differently. For players who never played the original late-nineties version, it offers an accessible and striking entry point into the series.