Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Resident Evil 3.
Capcom's Resident Evil 3 remake is the second in its recent line of third-person reimaginings of classic Resident Evil games. The Resident Evil 2 remake was met with near-universal acclaim from fans and critics, but, given a number of significant changes to the original game, Resident Evil 3 has proven to be more controversial.
Critics' Resident Evil 2 reviews found Capcom's first modern Resident Evil remake to be a polished and faithful - yet inventive - take on the original. Capcom shifted the game's perspective from fixed camera angles to over-the-shoulder third-person, giving gameplay a more contemporary feel and increasing tension with an up-close view of the action.
Resident Evil 3's remake utilizes this same, new perspective, with an even greater emphasis on the action elements of gameplay. While critics' Resident Evil 3 reviews were generally favorable, fans were less enthused with this remake than the last, earning Resident Evil 3 a 6.4 user score on Metacritic. Much of this poor reception is due to certain changes Capcom made to the original, cataloged below.
The Resident Evil 3 Remake's Gameplay Changes
The most immediately noticeable changes to the Resident Evil 3 remake from the original are the gameplay tweaks, which affect the player right from the beginning. Below is a list of all the features added and removed in the remake.
New Features
- Over-the-shoulder, third-person camera
- Improved graphics, lighting, & character models
- More playtime as Carlos
- Jill's improved dodge ability, which grants slow-motion "bullet time" when timed correctly
- Weapon mod customization
- Toggle-able flashlight
- Option to restart from auto-save checkpoints after death
- New, second, beast-like Nemesis form
- Nemesis can slide and jump while in pursuit
- Nemesis has a flamethrower and can transform zombies with his tentacle
- Collectible "Charlie Doll" bobble heads
- Item shop with infinite-ammo weapons, skins, and other useful items (carry over between playthroughs)
- Assisted, Standard, Hardcore, Nightmare, and Inferno difficulty modes
- Resident Evil: Resistance multiplayer spin-off added
Removed Features
- No fixed camera
- Most puzzles have been cut from the original
- No Grave Digger (giant worm) boss fight
- No giant spiders (other enemies have been cut, as well)
- Nemesis is less dynamic than RE2 remake's Mr. X, showing up in the same locations each playthrough (as in the original RE3)
- Clocktower, Graveyard, Park, City Hall, and other locations have all been cut
- Nemesis' second form has been cut (third form altered to the beast-like one)
- Carlos goes to the Raccoon City police station instead of Jill, which means no Nemesis encounters there
- No "Live Selections" story choices
- No Freeze Rounds
- Reloading tool not required for crafting gunpowder ammo
- No Mercenaries mode
The Resident Evil 3 Remake's Story Changes
Several of the above gameplay changes have big impacts on Resident Evil 3's story. With Live Selections gone, the remake's tale is more linear than the original, with only one possible ending, as opposed to the original's multiple conclusions. The major story beats are mostly still in place, but they're rearranged on account of the missing areas and Carlos' increased prominence in the story, and certain characters meet different fates. With Barry's character missing from RE3, the ending is significantly altered, focusing more on Jill and Carlos alone.
All of these story and gameplay changes mean the Resident Evil 3 remake is a bit shorter than the original game. According to data submitted to HowLongToBeat, completing Resident Evil 3's main story takes about five and a half hours, compared to six and a half for the original. A playthrough of the remake's main story plus some extras, meanwhile, takes about six and a half hours, compared to eight hours for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
Resident Evil 3 released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 3, 2020.