DoubleLeggy

These are my thoughts after playing RE3 Remake (hardcore & nightmare)
This article is not professional as it contains my own personal bias, and contains spoilers.
Respect my opinions and that of other commenters, and I'll respect yours.

Graphics:
Generally speaking, it's a beautiful game. Raccoon City looks amazing, as do all the character models. However, despite fully expecting to see a few reused assets, all of the zombie models are entirely repurposed from RE2make. Not a single new skin has been created, and it wasn't uncommon for me to find myself against a horde with three or more copies of the same exact zombie model. Things like that really dampen the immersion, and makes the game feel rather cheap.

Also, despite having a decent gaming PC, the draw distance on enemies was terrible for some reason. In RE2make, I can only recall one part where a zombie entered a low framerate mode, and that was in the extremely long hallways on the 3rd floor. In RE3make, enemies within a short walking distance will drop frames and practically look like a slideshow.


Soundtrack:
This is something I feel was done far better than RE2make. Many of the iconic songs were fully realized, recognizable, and not at all out of place when used. Even the new tracks were catchy and downright cool. The soundtrack knows when to swell, and when to be ambient, no complaints here whatsoever.

The sound effects were fine for the most part, except for one particular section with Carlos... you probably know the one. The game really showed its cheapness here, using literal "splort" stock sound effects and disposing of zombie corpses in an extremely video-gamey manner.


Inventory/Saving:
Ink Ribbons have been removed from the game entirely, even on higher difficulties. That, plus the frequency of save rooms, makes RE3make almost trivial in difficulty. Ammo and healing are abundant, especially if you master the dodge technique. By the end of the game, I had a surplus of unused gunpowders on top of already existing ammo stacks, as well as herbs. I speak as a seasoned fan of the series though, so it may be different for newcomers.

I will say the inventory system itself was somewhat improved, though. Now when you pick up an item, it is added to your inventory automatically. That being said, it'd be nice if there were an option to choose between this and RE2make's style of inventory, since not everyone may have the same preference. I could see people getting annoyed if they accidentally picked something up they didn't want, especially since the pick-up indicator can often be finicky among multiple items.


Controls:
I played using a mouse and keyboard.

Dealing with doors yielded the same issues as seen in RE2make, where it's very easy to get "caught" on the doorframe, especially when running. Even trying to get around an obstacle or dead end will sometimes result in Jill darting back and forth, as you struggle to regain control of the situation.

As mentioned before, a dodge mechanic has been added into the game, reimagined from the original RE3. If you execute a perfect dodge, you are given an opportunity to perform a counter attack immediately after. When aiming, it will automatically target the enemy's weak point, and you enter what is essentially bullet-time for a few seconds.

Because of the existence of the dodge, other mechanics of the game differ greatly from RE2make, unfortunately for the worse. Sidearms no longer function as such - the knife and grenades are now a part of the main weapon roster, leaving you with only the dodge to defend yourself. If you get grabbed, you get a small QTE which only functions as a means to take less damage, but you will still be hurt regardless.

Functionally, I understand that Jill would probably be OP as hell if she could both dodge and use a sidearm defense maneuver. But following up on RE2make, it definitely feels a bit jarring and unfair that you're unable to fend off an attack, especially with how strong Jill is to begin with. It probably would have been better if the dodge was used as a more simplistic defense move, rather than an action-oriented counter.


Enemies:
As mentioned in the graphics section, the zombies are disappointingly copy-pasted from RE2make. Not only that, but the ability to dismember them has practically been removed. You can still shoot their limbs to stumble or slow them down, but they can only be shot off with random critical hits. My guess is that this is yet another mechanic that's been altered, thanks to the existence of the overpowered dodge.

Like with RE2make, a handful of enemies are absent from the final roster. Some are missing entirely, but others seem to have been fused together and reimagined as entirely new entities. Personally, I think the original designs were better over all, and wish we could've seen them more faithfully remade. Something about the new designs just seemed weird, in some cases almost comical... like the Chicken Gammas.

One last unfortunate thing about the enemies is just how many of them have instakill moves. Yet again, I believe this was added to "balance" out the dodge and give it more precedence. Something I have continuously praised RE2make for was having barely any bullshit instakill moments, so it's a real shame to see RE3make go down this route instead.

As to not be entirely negative, it was nice to see how certain enemies have specific tactics take take them out, that don't all entirely rely on dodging and countering. It may be few and far between, but it was a nice inclusion all the same.


Nemesis:
As much as it sucks to say, I think the presence of Nemesis was the weakest part of the game. Not because of his design, though. Yes, it is a little silly how cartoony his face looks on close-ups, but he is still pretty imposing in his first form as a whole. Being chased by him on the city streets which are also flooded with zombies is pretty intense... but that only happens about twice in the entire game, and not for very long.

This isn't the Mister X 2.0 we were all hoping for, unfortunately. Other than the brief encounters near the start of the game, all of the other appearances of Nemesis are entirely scripted and linear. The tension presented in classic RE3 is completely gone. No more do you wander the streets, feeling terrified as you anticipate when Nemesis will appear. Aside from the very first encounter, he is strictly reintroduced via non-playable cutscenes, which completely removes what originally made him such a scary presence, and what made Mister X such a big threat in RE2make.

Another issue is that we don't even get that much time with humanoid Nemesis. Once that first part of the game is done, he immediately shifts into what is essentially his "final form" from classic RE3. It's basically a less grotesque and quicker version of it. Looks cool and all, but it entirely skips his second form and makes him far less intimidating and compelling as a memorable antagonist.

The final form he takes in this version also seems very generic at this point - a big blob akin to William Birkin, but with the RE5 style strategy in shooting the glowing pustules. Same old, same old.


Extra Content:
Something I have a lot of praise for is that they brought back the "shop" from classic RE3's Mercenary mode. You're able to earn points by playing through the game and completing challenges, which then allows you to buy special items, weapons, and even an alternate costume. Imagine that, not having to buy a vanity item with real life money in a single-player game! Take notes, RE2make.

You may have already heard the many complaints that RE3make is "way too short" but honestly, I have doubts about the folks who've made these claims. So far, I've only seen these comments coming from folks who apparently didn't explore the game very much, as they complained about missing certain weapons, and in some cases even admitted to "rushing" their playthrough. Like, if you're just gonna aim for a speedrun record right off the bat, then no shit the game's gonna seem short?

That being said, there is a disappointing amount of content missing from RE3make. Entire areas have been removed, such as the clocktower, park, and to an extent, the dead factory. Many iconic scenes are also either missing, or have been overlooked to a point where they feel more like a tiny easter egg than anything. Despite not personally having a problem with the game's length, I still would've liked to see these areas implemented.

Hopefully there'll be future DLC added as RE2make did, because who gives a fuck about Project Resistance?


Survival Horror:
Like with classic RE3, this remake leans more towards action than its predecessors. While I wouldn't say it's nearly as bad as RE4/5/6, it definitely teeters uncomfortably close towards full-on action over horror. There is rarely a quiet moment, as almost every area, no matter how small, is chock full of enemies. I think the creepiest section of RE3make was probably the start of the hospital, in the long stretches of hallway that actually weren't full of zombies. It was silent and unnerving, probably the quietest part of the game.

I was very glad to see that they removed the annoying-ass character commentary from gameplay. In RE2make, hearing Leon say the same exact "Son of a bitch" line time and time again got irritating so fast and quickly killed any serious immersion. So I more than welcome Jill and Carlos shutting the fuck up.

I'd say that while it has its creepy moments and grotesque monster designs, this is a game more about fight or flight and being on the edge of your seat, rather than the slow-paced survival horror RE2make had. That isn't inherently a bad thing, and I did honestly have a lot of fun on my first playthrough, but I just wish there were a few more quiet moments; a little more time to build tension and fear of the unknown.


Story & Characters:
Despite the missing set pieces and iconic moments from classic RE3, I think generally speaking, they actually did improve both the story and characters for the better. As much as I love classic RE3, the story has always been incredibly simple: Jill must escape the city. Giving Carlos and his team other assignments throughout the story, and adding the plotline of finding a vaccine in order to save the city were very compelling and provided ample weight to the plot.

For the most part, I really love what they did with Jill, from looks to personality. Seeing her dealing with her trauma and paranoia from the mansion incident was done in a way that was believable, but not over the top. Her toughness and snarkiness around Carlos and the UBCS was also fitting. My only complaint would probably be her back and forth attitude against Nemesis. One moment she's terrified, the next she's sassy, and then back again. The sassy attitude kinda takes away from how threatening Nemesis is supposed to be, and often sounds like generic action movie banter.

Also, whoever relocated the iconic "I'll give you STARS" line needs to be fired. Like, right now.

I feel Carlos was very likable over all. Much like his original incarnation, he's flirty, goofy, good at heart, and looks a whole lot better. I'm glad that his role was expanded on and given more precedence, as well as the whole UCBS team. Though I am a little torn about Nikolai - I thought the whole subplot of Jill needing to learn to "pull the trigger" was a bit out of left field, and I was disappointed they went with yet another non-canonical ending where he ends up (presumably) dead. There's no way he got out of the city in 10 minutes though, let's be real.

I'm also very torn about our boy Brad. He somehow managed to have even less screentime than in classic RE3, and was killed rather quickly and unceremoniously. The iconic scene of him and Nemesis is gone, replaced by a rather typical, heroic, killed-by-zombies sacrifice. But I did admittedly enjoy that he was given a spark of redemption, and that he and Jill were actually on good terms - if not very close friends. It's just a shame we were only given such a tiny glimpse of that, rather than expanding on it more.


Conclusion:
Over all, I'd say that RE3make is not quite as good as RE2make was in terms of gameplay and survival horror aspects. While the dodge is very fun to play around with, it unfortunately skews the game balance and replaces the mechanics that were previously lauded. It's a little too fast paced, and would've benefited from taking the time to slow down and breathe.

They're about the same in terms of missing content - both left a lot to be desired when it comes to set pieces, iconic moments, and mechanics that made the original games so unique and memorable. Though it is a huge plus on just how much RE3make did improve the story, characters, and their interactions. For whatever reason, this was done so much more competently than in RE2make.

In the end, I think that instead of splitting the development between two games in a short amount of time, they'd should've focused all their attention on one game and - perspective aside - made the complete, faithful remake that we wanted. It's unfortunate, but it essentially feels like we got two flawed remakes in quick succession, rather than something with full dedication and love behind it.

It was a fun experience, and certainly not a bad game, but my perfect remake will always be the REmaster.


Leggy

- Spoiler Warning -

These are my thoughts after seeing footage from the RE3 Remake.
Respect my opinions and I'll respect yours.

Disclaimer:

As pleasantly surprised as I was with RE2make, I must stand by my opinion that the classic Resident Evil games will always be my favorites. As much as I wish we could've gotten one last classic styled game, it's clear that Capcom has no interest in ever returning to it, and probably never will, despite how vocal the fans were before RE2make was announced. I also still believe that those who feel scorned from these changes are completely valid in their feelings.

I mention this because I want to be honest about my personal preferences and bias. There's also the fact that there are a handful of fellow ”Classic Resident Evil Fans” who believe I've ”betrayed” the franchise by enjoying RE2make for what it was. Now with that out of the way, here are my first impressions of RE3make!


What I'm Excited For:

∙ Raccoon City looks fantastic – It's colorful and beautiful, unlike most realistic brown/gray games.
∙ The character redesigns also look wonderful for the most part, other than fairly minor nitpicking.
∙ It seems like the story will be expanded on, which I think RE3 needed far more than RE2 ever did.
∙ In turn, hopefully the array of side characters will now also have bigger, and more interesting roles.
∙ Since the gameplay in RE2make was surprisingly fun and challenging, RE3make will likely follow suit!
∙ Even though I'm generally against hype culture, it's tough not to be excited for how Nemesis will be...
∙ Fat Brad.

What I'm Worried About:

∙ With the release date being so soon, I'm concerned about it being rushed, corners being cut, etc.
∙ When it came to story/characters, RE2make was severely lacking. I don't want the same for RE3make.
∙ Will there be choices? Will there be branching paths? These made RE3 incredibly unique and replayable.
∙ Pretty worried about the scene that looked very similar to Resident Evil Apocalypse. Fuck those movies.
∙ Locking costumes behind a paywall - Locking vanity items in a single-player game at all is ridiculous.
∙ I don't have a single fuck to give about Project Resistance.


There really isn't much else to say, as it's still so early – all the more shocking that it's due for April 2020. I guess I could basically sum this up by saying that this time, I'm much more optimistic going in. I just hope that this isn't a rushed job and is given the same, if not more, thought and care that the RE2make got. Resident Evil 3 is a very unique and widely-loved installment to the series, and I'd love to see it improved upon in this new, but enjoyable gameplay style.

What do you guys think? Whether disappointed or hyped, your opinion is valid.

Leggy

Leggy

These are my thoughts after playing RE2 Remake (all scenarios, standard)
This article is not professional as it contains my own personal bias, and is spoiler-lite.

Respect my opinions and that of other commenters, and I'll respect yours.

Graphics:
Obviously, the graphics are spectacular. Not only that, the models and animations are all-new for the most part. There was only minimal content from RE7 included in the final game, and while there are the occasional copy + paste assets throughout exploring, it wasn't done as glaringly so as it was in RE7. This made the experience all the more immersive.


Soundtrack:
This is one of my few complaints. While I understand that silence is sometimes necessary, especially for horror, I do feel there was a severe lack in music in general. The few tracks that do play barely resemble the original OST, save for an occasional set of notes. Basically, if you want a real soundtrack, you'll have to buy the deluxe edition.

That being said, the overall sound design is done extremely well. I'd recommend playing this with either surround sound or headphones, as being able to hear enemy locations becomes very important, very quickly.


Inventory:
The item boxes and inventory feel fairly placed and expanded upon throughout progressing. Ammo is indeed limited this time around, and you really need to think about how and when to use it. It progresses pretty similarly to the classic Resident Evil titles, in that if you play carefully, you should have what you need by the end of the game. And enemies don't drop glowing ammo, thank fuck.

The inventory itself can be a little janky at times, though. Sometimes the simple act of picking something up would place it in a slot I didn't intend, or I'd accidentally not pick up an item due to somewhat counter-intuitive controls. Not game-breaking or anything, just a bit of an annoyance.


Controls:
I first tried using a PC Xbox controller, but ultimately found it unplayable due to the completely flipped controls. If you're accustomed to the Americanized control scheme of the PS1/PS2 games, you're not gonna have a good time. The camera is also noticeably sluggish when controlled via joystick, even on high sensitivity settings.

Because of this, I opted for keyboard and mouse. It was my first time playing an OTS Resident Evil game this way, so it took some getting used to, but ultimately was far superior to the butchered controller option. However, there was still some jankiness despite this, especially when it came to dealing with doors. It's very easy to get ”caught” on the wall when trying to pass through, particularly when running. For whatever reason, the character will sometimes just dart back and fourth to either side of the door, before finally deciding to go through. As you can imagine, this tends to be a real problem when trying to escape a threat.

This issue can also sometimes happen when trying to strafe while running. It feels as though if the camera is even just slightly off, the character will take off in a completely random direction as opposed to where you wanted them to go. There also may be situations where you are literally cornered, and the camera does you no favors, such is the nature of this style of gameplay. Again, it's not game-breaking, but can be an annoyance at best, and deadly at worst.


Enemies:
The design of every creature in the game is fantastic. Zombies have a respectable amount of variety, and the detail they show when being shot and dismembered is crazy. Lickers and dogs look better than they have in years, a perfect balance of sleek and strong, and they pose a real threat. Even Mr. X, as much as people make fun of his hat, is actually very imposing, but the less said about him, the better.

Some monsters have been altered, for better or worse. One of the mini-bosses now has a role as a recurring enemy, and a certain creature from the labs has an all-new look. Personally, I like the change from mini-boss to recurring enemy, but sorely wanted to see the lab creature a bit more true-to-form. There are also quite a few enemies that were unfortunately cut from the game entirely, and they were certainly missed.


Extra Content:
In a nice surprise, RE2make actually does have an A & B scenario for each character. This is mostly evident in the RPD, where progression is significantly different between each scenario. This, however, tapers off quickly once you first leave the RPD, and concludes very much the same way as the respective character's previous scenario. It almost feels as though production got rushed towards the end, because each A & B story has some glaring plotholes and inconsistencies between them.

Though it was a disappointment to see the bulk of costumes and OST locked behind a paywall, I'm happily surprised to see that the current and future extra modes will all be available for free. This includes 4^th Survivor, Tofu, a costume set, and a brand-new game mode that will feature three new character stories. All things considered, this is a huge step forward for Capcom's business practices.


Survival Horror:
This was the thing I was most concerned about, the thing that would make or break the game, the thing that every other OTS Resident Evil game failed at before. But I'm very happy to say, they finally managed to pull it off. Between the limited ammo, formidable enemies, and overall atmosphere, this game stayed consistently tense and creepy. While there are a few segments towards the end that get more cinematically action-oriented, it's at least done so appropriately, and isn't much different from the original RE2. The only big exception I can think of was Ada's playable segment, though I wouldn't call it actiony... "ridiculous" comes to mind. Not a fan.

Some of my other concerns were somewhat subdued as well, with a few exceptions. While certain parts of the game are a bit too dark, it doesn't really overstay its welcome. That being said, it was pretty annoying that the flashlight couldn't be manually activated – In some dark areas, the character refused to take out the flashlight, and other decently lit areas, they'd use the flashlight. The character chatter is unfortunately a permanent staple as well, which personally, I find repetitive and immersion-breaking.

The item indicators seem to be very toned down from what was shown in the original gameplay trailers. They aren't highlighted from across the room, on the contrary, you need to be relatively close to something in order for the pop-up to appear. The objectives are also very subtle and don't point you in the exact direction you need to go. It's more to just give a general idea of what's going on than anything else. The map is very helpful in that regard, taking the Silent Hill approach in labeling locked doors and key locations as you find them.

This is, without a doubt, the best-case scenario for an OTS Resident Evil game. It blows the rest out of the water.


Story & Characters:
Ironically enough, as steady and atmospheric as the actual gameplay is, cutscenes feel like they move at a breakneck pace, leaving you whiplashed once all is said and done. It feels as though the main cast barely communicates with one another, side characters appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, and there is barely any overlap between Leon and Claire's scenarios. If anything, the most impressionable relationship to me, was between Marvin and LeonA/ClaireA.

As for the characters themselves and how they behave, I won't get into much detail since this review is intended to be spoiler-lite. But I will say that Leon probably stayed the most true to form, whereas Claire's attitude seemed like such a huge deviation from the norm. Something about her just rubbed me the wrong way, as if she was written for a fan-fiction rather than a faithful RE2 retelling.

It's a good thing that the gameplay and atmosphere were done so well, because the story itself leaves a lot to be desired. The endings alone feel as though if you blink, you'd miss them. And the endings themselves, specifically the true endings, felt weirdly inappropriate, given the lack of character interaction. I wouldn't say that the story of RE2 was really ”changed” all that much, but it certainly didn't feel nearly as engaging or genuine, and was honestly a really big letdown as a whole.


Conclusion:
I'm glad that Capcom finally proved me wrong. They managed to make an OTS Resident Evil that's actually challenging, steadily paced, and a true survival horror experience overall. As the review suggests, it's certainly not perfect, but I'd say the good far outweighs the bad when it comes to pure gameplay.

That all being said, my personal preference still falls on the classic style of gameplay and storytelling. And I still firmly believe that any disappointment in the misleading ”We Do It” campaign is more than valid – Resident Evil HD Remaster, in my eyes, is still the gold standard of a faithful remake. But I will say that even if you're a staunch fan of the classics as I am, RE2make undoubtedly had a lot of love and attention to detail put into it, and is definitely worth giving a shot.

It truly is a tragedy that we'll probably never get a classic style Resident Evil game again. But since this is the timeline we live in, where every game from now will most likely be OTS, RE2make really is the best they've done so far. It may not be the same as REmaster, but it's not the same as RE4, either. No other OTS/FPS Resident Evil title even holds a candle to it, honestly. This is something new, something in-between, and all things considered... admittedly, it's something good.
- Legg

- Leggy

Leggy