"S.T.A.R.S...." (Resident Evil 3 (PS))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Resident Evil 3 (PS)
Date:	23/06/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic recurrent enemy, terrifying...

Disadvantages: A bit samey at points...

Whilst the first two Resident Evil games were stories with only tenuous links to each other, the third game - Nemesis - places us firmly in the boots of fan favourite Jill Valentine from the first game. This time kitted out in attire better equipped for a night on the town (and therefore surely the worst clothing EVER to wear during a zombie attack), she must once again trawl through Raccoon City's streets in hope of a last escape. What's worse, the government are sweeping in to level the city with a nuclear blast.

In actual fact, Resident Evil 3 snakes in and out of the same time-frame as Resident Evil 2, and such is perhaps the game's biggest weakness: many of the locales have been seen before, and as such it lacks the freshness of the previous titles. Of course, Capcom came up with a way to combat this, by introducing an enemy so awesome and so relentless that some recurrent architecture will be the least of your concern. That ace in the hole is Nemesis - a huge Terminator-like monster that is about 9 feet tall, wears a huge jacket, and comes with a rocket launcher in tow. He repeatedly utters the phrase "S.T.A.R.S.", and even more frequently, will attempt to blow you to bits. Moreover, entering a room to escape him will not work like it used to - Nemesis will stalk you wherever you go.

Nemesis is also the segue into the game's most unique element - its branching narrative and choices system. In crucial moments, such as when Nemesis attacks, the screen flashes inverted and provides you with a series of choices, such as "flee" or "run" when Nemesis first strikes. You must decide quickly, because if you don't, the game will decide for you, and it often selects the least favourable choice. Given Nemesis' brute strength and speed, as well as the sheer number of bullets it takes to knock him down, it is almost always more advisable to simply run (and even then things are pretty hairy). Also, there are plenty of little tweaks like an option for Jill to perform a 180 degree turn, which makes a fast escape so much easier (particularly when Nemesis can run so fast!).

As per the previous titles in the series, Nemesis is a visual and aural delight - although we've seen a lot of the Raccoon City streets before, the two years since RE2 has made some difference. The renderings are far more crisp, and the character designs and textures more outstanding. As usual, the soundtrack is intense (particularly when Nemesis attacks), although there isn't as much cheesy dialogue and shoddy delivery as the previous two games.

It is sure to say that Nemesis is a different bag of tricks to its predecessors, but it does return the scare factor that some argue the second game was missing. Nemesis has an utterly petrifying presence, and his ever so sudden appearances are sure to leave your pulse racing. The game also introduces several new likeable characters, such as Carlos, and fleshes them out with appropriate characterisation. Much like the previous game, it is more a melding of action and puzzle elements than the first game, and the wonderful finale, in which Jill endeavours to make a final desperate last stand to escape Raccoon City, is like something from the highest octane of action films. A worthy sequel for sure, because even if it doesn't innovate as much as the previous two games, the branching narrative and the Mercenaries mini-game (unlocked when you beat the game) will likely keep you coming back for more.

Summary: A worthy sequel with plenty of action and puzzles