The outstanding remake of "Resident Evil 2", which was released for PC and consoles in early 2019, recently delighted not only horror fans. The all-new zombie adventure is generally considered one of the best titles of the past year. On Friday, the long-established Japanese video game developer and publisher Capcom is now releasing a freshly revamped version of "Resident Evil 3" (PC, PS4, Xbox One). But does the full version keep what the trailer and demo promised?
It's all about this
The fictional industrial city of Raccoon City is located in the Midwest of the United States. The members of the S.T.A.R.S. – a local police force – investigate several missing persons cases and find that the pharmaceutical company Umbrella has something to do with it. The reports of a new virus, which turns citizens into willless, zombie-like killing machines, are soon increasing. Jill Valentine is determined to survive the outbreak by all means and to flee the contaminated city – but there are other dangers. A relentless pursuer, Nemesis, is on her trail.
That's what the critics say
Most specialist publications agree that "Resident Evil 3" is a good to excellent game. According to the US portal "Shacknews", the survival horror is a "masterpiece and the new banner bearer" for the long-standing series. Every centimeter is polished up, "from the gameplay to the replayability to the revised story and the new surroundings".
"4players.de" also praises, among other things, "some atmospheric moments that particularly benefit from the great lighting and the successful sound design." Instead of the horror, "action and escape sequences came into focus". Nevertheless, Capcom delivers "good, if sometimes very action-packed, survival horror, which has been expanded with a satisfying and entirely innovative multiplayer mode with balance problems".
We are talking about "Resident Evil Resistance", a one-on-four multiplayer mode in which a player competes online as a "mastermind" against four survivors and tries to prevent them from escaping from an environment full of traps. "Digital Spy" sees the mode only as a "fun distraction". Despite the short duration of the main game – many media speak of about six to nine hours – the gameplay is "solid, fun and exciting", which is why the title "definitely should be played sometime".
"Gamesradar" also criticized fewer puzzles and a smaller volume than the direct predecessor, but also praised the characters and the script for the story, which "lovingly embraces a kitschy action film feeling and wonderfully goes with the zombie setting" .
And even if "VG247" rates the game with three out of five possible stars even more critically than many other media, "Resident Evil 3" is worthy of being played. The game is "beautiful to look at, the jump scares will catch you and it's like putting on some cozy slippers. But even if your feet are cozy, it never feels like a home."