Capcom's recent release of the Resident Evil 3 Demo illustrates the reality that the soon to be released remake of the beloved survival horror title is near perfect. Through its expert use of lighting, sound design, and the visual design of the zombies and enemies of the game, Resident Evil 3 provides the best example of a perfect survival horror game. Alongside the use of a seemingly indestructible force in the titular Nemesis character, player's anxiety will skyrocket as they are being chased by the hulking monstrosity. Similar to its predecessor, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 3 provides the blueprint for how future entries will be handled and created. While also illustrating the golden standard for how a perfect survival horror title should perform.
As mentioned, the primary antagonist of Resident Evil 3 is the returning monstrosity, Nemesis. A fan favorite, the hulking figure is known for only having one voice-line and being a terrifying force. Being able to take down the big man is no easy feat, and it has never been easy since his conception in the original game. Part of the reason why this best is so hard to put down is that there really is no way to kill the monster. You may be able to stun the creature for a short while but there is no true "killing" the villain, at least in the demo. This guide will provide players some essential tips and tricks to slowing down the hulking monster and how to do so with minimal damage.
Nemesis's Two Different Down States in Resident Evil 3
When fighting Nemesis players need to understand, that killing the monster is not an option. He can only be stunned allowing players to escape from his omnipresent pursuit.
Nemesis comes with two different downed states. The first is his standard knockdown animation, in which he will fall to the ground for a few seconds before getting back up. This animation is almost identical to Mr. X's animation in Resident Evil 2 Remake. However, this animation is entirely different from his second animation.
For sake of clarity, we will call his downed animation his "defeated" animation. Before falling to the ground Nemesis will strike a pose in which he will have his arms raised towards the sky for a few seconds before collapsing. His head will be significantly closer to the ground compared to his downed animation. This will be your primary method of knowing the difference between defeated Nemesis and downed Nemesis.
Defeating the creature may exhaust more ammo than downing him, but it allows for a longer window for escape than his downed animation.
How to Fight Nemesis in Resident Evil 3
Facing Nemesis is a terrifying feat. The creature not only towers over Jill but is as sturdy as he is terrifying. However, there are a few weak points to the creature that allows players to defeat the villain, if only for a few moments.
The first option for a player is to shoot at the creature's metal heart. There will be a circular area on the beasts cloak to the right of his sternum area, which is his primary weak spot. Shooting this heart enough times will force Nemesis into a defeated state allowing players to escape from his clutches.
Another way to down the large monster is to utilize the explosive red barrels found throughout the map. These barrels will immediately defeat Nemesis if they are shot when he is in their immediate vicinity. So utilizing these environmental hazards will assist players in handling the intimidating creature.
The final method of defeating Nemesis is to utilize the grenades found in the demo of the game. There are only two accessible for players, but they provide an excellent "get out of jail free card" when facing the giant. If a player hits Nemesis with one of these grenades then he will automatically be defeated allowing for players to quickly escape his clutches.
These methods are the only means of tackling the giant. However, players can simply shoot Nemesis in any body part, whether it be his head, chest, arms, or legs will down the monster. There is an abundance of downsides to this method, due to the small amount of time in which the creature actually stays downed and also the number of resources that are exhausted in shooting Nemesis. This makes using this method the less optimal of the mentioned options, but regardless, it is an option nonetheless.
Dodging Nemesis in Resident Evil 3
When journeying through the Zombie infested world of Racoon City, there is no escaping Nemesis. He is seemingly always two steps behind Jill and forces players to always act quickly and wisely in high-intensity situations. Thankfully, Capcom has provided players a method to evade the hulking figure and escape near-death situations.
Capcom has provided a roll option to evade zombies and Nemesis in Resident Evil 3. This rolling ability allows players to evade monsters and enemies without having to do the antiquated juking method of earlier Resident Evil games. This new skill is particularly useful when facing dangerous Nemesis, as it allows players to escape from seemingly inescapable scenarios.
With this roll, ability comes the newly created Perfect Dodge mechanic. This new system allows players to perform a perfect dodge and then unleash a counter-attack on the enemy that attacked them. A player will recognize this Perfect dodge through the slow-down visual cue that will happen after dodging a close call. After this roll, players will be able to unleash a volley of more powerful gunshots at either the attacking zombie or Nemesis.
This provides Jill both some powerful offensive and defensive utility when facing Nemesis's slow attacks. As they are relatively easy to dodge and can be used to unleash a volley of powerful gunshots at the monster, downing him for a short while. So be sure to become comfortable with this mechanic and use it for both, offensive abilities or defensive abilities.
Resident Evil 3 is available on April 3rd for PS4, Xbox One and PC.