Resident Evil 3 (2020): The Review

Overview

Resident Evil 3 successfully reimagines the classic original by leaning harder into fast-paced action while still preserving the tension and dread that define the series at its best. Jill and Carlos carry the experience with a surprisingly compelling dynamic that grows naturally throughout the chaos unfolding in Raccoon City, giving the story an emotional core beneath all the destruction and panic. Meanwhile, Nemesis remains an unforgettable force of terror, relentlessly stalking players with a level of intensity that constantly keeps the pressure high. Even for longtime fans familiar with every street corner of Raccoon City, the game still manages to deliver enough fresh twists and reworked moments to make the nightmare feel exciting all over again.

Score: 8 out of 10

The Positives ✅

Panic feels different in Resident Evil 3. Where previous entries in the series often leaned into slow-burning dread and carefully managed tension, Resident Evil 3 feels aggressive from the very beginning. Raccoon City isn’t quietly collapsing anymore, it’s actively dying in real time. Streets burn endlessly, civilians scream through alleyways, explosions shake entire districts apart, and somewhere in the middle of all that chaos is Nemesis, a creature so singularly obsessed with killing Jill Valentine that he almost stops feeling like a monster and starts feeling like fate itself.

What makes Resident Evil 3 work so well at its best is that relentless pacing. The game constantly pushes forward with this suffocating urgency that mirrors Jill’s mental and physical exhaustion throughout the outbreak. There’s very little time to breathe because the city itself feels like it’s unraveling around you minute by minute. That momentum gives the experience a more action-heavy tone than Resident Evil 2, but it also creates a unique identity for the game instead of simply retreading the same horror formula again.

Jill Valentine herself is easily one of the strongest parts of the experience. This version of Jill feels hardened, sarcastic, exhausted, and deeply traumatized by everything she’s already survived before the game even begins. There’s a bitterness to her interactions with Umbrella and Nemesis that gives the story emotional weight beyond simple survival horror. She’s not some inexperienced civilian suddenly trapped in catastrophe; she’s someone already psychologically damaged by prior encounters with bio-weapons, now forced to relive that nightmare on an even larger scale.

The relationship between Jill and Carlos also ended up being surprisingly effective. Carlos could have easily become the stereotypical comic-relief mercenary archetype, but the game gives him enough sincerity and charm that his chemistry with Jill feels natural rather than forced. Their dynamic brings occasional warmth to a story otherwise consumed by paranoia, death, and destruction.

And honestly, Nemesis still rules. Even if his implementation differs significantly from the original game, there’s something inherently terrifying about his presence whenever the game fully unleashes him. Hearing that distorted roar echo through collapsing streets while he sprints toward you with absurd speed still creates genuine panic. Unlike Mr. X in Resident Evil 2, Nemesis feels less like a stalking predator and more like an unstoppable weapon specifically engineered to overwhelm you through sheer aggression.

Visually, the game is fantastic. The RE Engine continues to be one of Capcom’s greatest achievements because it balances photorealistic detail with atmospheric horror so effectively. Raccoon City looks disgusting in the best possible way, soaked in neon reflections, firelight, smoke, blood, and decay. There’s this constant sense that the city is physically rotting apart around you as civilization completely collapses beneath the outbreak.

Gameplay-wise, the dodge mechanic adds a much-needed layer of aggression and mobility that fits the game’s faster pace perfectly. Pulling off perfect dodges against enemies, especially Nemesis encounters, creates these brief moments where survival horror suddenly transforms into something almost action-game-like before immediately throwing you back into desperation again. Combat overall feels responsive, punchy, and satisfying throughout most of the campaign.

The hospital section especially deserves praise because it’s one of the few moments where the game fully slows down and embraces classic survival horror tension again. Suddenly resources feel scarce, enemies become overwhelming, and the atmosphere tightens considerably. It’s easily one of the strongest parts of the entire experience because it balances panic and vulnerability so effectively.

The Negatives ⚠️

The biggest issue with Resident Evil 3 is unavoidable: it constantly feels smaller than it should be.

Not necessarily in production quality, because the game itself is polished and visually impressive, but in overall ambition and scope compared to both the original game and Resident Evil 2 Remake. Large portions of the experience feel condensed, streamlined, or outright removed in ways that make the campaign feel surprisingly brief once the credits finally roll.

This is especially noticeable regarding Nemesis himself. Early encounters create the illusion that he’ll function as a persistent unscripted threat similar to Mr. X, but much of his presence ultimately becomes heavily scripted set pieces and boss fights instead. Those moments are still exciting, but they lose some of the unpredictable terror that made the original Nemesis so memorable. There’s a lingering feeling that the game never fully capitalizes on the potential of having this unstoppable creature constantly hunting Jill throughout a larger interconnected city.

The linearity also stands out significantly compared to Resident Evil 2. While there are still exploration elements and optional paths, Resident Evil 3 generally pushes players forward far more aggressively. The result is a game that often feels more like a sequence of cinematic escape scenarios than a carefully interconnected survival-horror environment.

And honestly, some cuts from the original game are genuinely disappointing. Entire locations, mechanics, enemy encounters, and narrative beats either feel shortened or absent altogether, which becomes especially frustrating for longtime fans who expected a more expansive reimagining of the original. The game itself remains enjoyable, but it carries this constant sense of unrealized potential because you can almost see the larger version hiding underneath it.

The pacing, while exciting, also occasionally undermines the horror. Because the game moves so quickly and gives players comparatively generous resources, there are stretches where survival tension gives way to straightforward action spectacle. That tonal shift works sometimes, particularly during explosive set pieces, but other moments lose the vulnerability that traditionally makes Resident Evil horror so effective.

Replay value also suffers slightly because of the game’s shorter runtime and more streamlined structure. While higher difficulties and rankings still encourage replays, the overall campaign simply doesn’t have the same layered complexity or variety as Resident Evil 2 Remake.

The Experience 🎮

Playing Resident Evil 3 feels like surviving the last hours of a city already beyond saving.

That’s what stayed with me most. Unlike many zombie stories focused on isolated outbreaks or mysterious investigations, Resident Evil 3 takes place at the exact moment containment completely fails. Raccoon City is not being threatened anymore, it’s already dead. The game constantly reinforces that hopelessness through burning streets, overwhelmed survivors, collapsing infrastructure, and the sheer chaos unfolding everywhere Jill goes.

There’s a fascinating energy to the entire experience because of how aggressively it moves. Resident Evil 2 often felt methodical and claustrophobic. Resident Evil 3 feels desperate. Jill spends most of the game running toward temporary survival rather than actual safety, and that constant forward momentum gives the campaign a uniquely exhausting intensity.

At the same time, the game occasionally made me wish it would slow down more often. Some of the strongest moments happen when the pace briefly relaxes and allows the atmosphere to breathe. The hospital sequence, certain exploration-heavy sections, and quieter conversations between characters reminded me how effective the horror becomes whenever the game allows tension to simmer naturally instead of constantly escalating toward the next explosion or chase sequence.

Nemesis himself creates this strange balance between terror and spectacle. Early encounters genuinely made me panic because of how aggressive and unpredictable he initially feels. Later on, though, he gradually transforms into more of a cinematic boss monster than an active stalking presence. The encounters remain entertaining, but the fear evolves into adrenaline rather than dread.

And honestly, that transition kind of summarizes the game as a whole. Resident Evil 3 is less interested in slow survival horror and more interested in making you feel trapped inside a collapsing action-horror blockbuster. Sometimes that absolutely works. Other times it leaves you missing the slower, more methodical tension the series often excels at.

By the end, Resident Evil 3 didn’t feel like a bad remake to me. It felt like an incomplete one. There’s still a genuinely great survival-horror action game here with strong characters, incredible atmosphere, satisfying gameplay, and some fantastic moments of panic and destruction. But there’s also this constant feeling that it could have been so much more with a little extra scope, ambition, and breathing room.

Even so, escaping Raccoon City alongside Jill Valentine was still one hell of a ride.