Resident Evil 3 is officially getting a remake, giving the game a second chance to terrify a generation and, more importantly, better execute on its ideas and set pieces. That’s why we’re here with a list of five iconic Resident Evil 3 moments the remake can make even better.
Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for the plot of Resident Evil 3. Do not read if you haven’t played the game and want to go in fresh next year.
Raccoon City Being Overtaken by Zombies
While Resident Evil 2 has plenty of Merits as the best of the original Resident Evil trilogy, one aspect it never quite captured was the enormity of the zombie outbreak within Raccoon City.
Resident Evil 3, on the other hand, tackled the challenge full-force. The game opens with a cinematic of chaos erupting throughout the city, with civilians, police and Umbrella mercenaries alike fleeing or fighting tooth and nail –to no avail– against the encroaching wave of infected.
It was a sight to behold when it first released. Nowadays, though, its scale feels lacking in comparison to other games’ in genre’s portrayal of what a zombie takeover might look like.
Fortunately, the remake is perfectly positioned to refine and expand upon this moment. Its improved graphics and technology can allow for a more detailed and expansive cutscene, truly capturing just how vast the carnage was when the infected took over Raccoon City in earnest.
Nemesis’ First Appearance
Few moments in Resident Evil 3 are as iconic as Nemesis’ first appearance.
Its effortless murder of Brad Vickers, and its subsequent ruthless pursuit of Jill Valentine, both establish it as a force to be reckoned with as well as an enemy that players would be crazy to try and take on.
What’s even more impressive, though, is that this was pulled off with the limited hardware capabilities of the PlayStation 1, so imagine what could be achieved with modern consoles.
In addition to looking and moving better thanks to modern hardware, Nemesis could be introduced in a more fluid way just as Mr. X was in the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Instead of appearing via cutscene, he could smash into the game as players are making their way through an area, killing Brad and coming after Jill in real-time.
Its pursuit of Jill could certainly be made to feel more visceral, with it nearly catching up to her or tearing apart obstacles to more easily reach her. Doing so would be sure to crank up players’ adrenaline, and establish it as the de facto monster in resident Evil’s Rogue’s gallery for another generation of gamers.
The Helicopter Rescue Fake-Out
Admittedly, the rescue helicopter fake-out is a moment that will be one of the hardest to recreate in the Resident Evil 3 Remake.
In the original game, it was a perfectly-timed gut punch. After successfully evading Nemesis and every other threat the city threw at them, players made it to a rendezvous point for a helicopter out of the city. Just as they glimpse their ticket to safety though, it’s shot out of the sky by Nemesis, and players are left to scramble to find a new way out of their impending doom.
It was a great rug-pull, but also one which people will be expecting now that the game has been around for so long.
Fortunately, the remake has the advantage of being able to build upon what was already there.
While it’ll still need to include the moment, it can lure players into a false sense of security by expanding on the gameplay around it. Players can make their way up the clock tower where it arrives, or battle against Nemesis in a desperate bid to keep it from being shot out of the air.
It still won’t restore the element of surprise, but it will add a new element to the moment that could rekindle fans’ enjoyment of it.
Carlos’ Gameplay Segment
Following the destruction of the rescue chopper, Jill discovers that she has been infected with the virus responsible for the outbreak. Devoid of hope and fading fast, it appears as though her journey may be over.
Enter Carlos, an Umbrella mercenary who has been working with Jill throughout most of the game. Desperate to help her and find a way out of the city, he decides to look for a cure to the virus for Jill. This leads to a segment of Resident Evil 3 where players take control of Carlos, blasting their way through Zombies while also uncovering new story elements.
It was a nice change of pace from the first half of the game, but at the same time, it could have gone further in showing Carlos’ segment off as a break from what players had experienced before.
As such, the Remake can and should do more to make Carlos’ gameplay segment feel unique from Jill’s. This could mean leaning into the more action-heavy gameplay from Resident Evil 4, fleshing out what he does and who he encounters, or even having him go to new areas entirely in his search for a cure.
Just about any addition made would go a long way toward making the segment of the game even better, and help refine the experience into something even better than what it already was.
The Final Act
It may seem like cheating to include the entire final act of Resident Evil 3 as an iconic moment, but given what occurs, it’s hard to call it anything else.
In a desperate bid for asylum from Raccoon City, Jill and Carlos race to reach a second escape helicopter. All the while though, they’re being pursued by Nemesis, resulting in a series of battles between Jill and the ever-mutating creature before they’re finally able to put it down for good.
It was a blur of terror, adrenaline and, by the end, cathartic payoff, broken up with the usual end-game puzzles every Resident Evil game offers.
Much like the rest of the game though, it could stand to receive some fine-tuning for the remake.
Adjusting how the final fights with Nemesis work and better utilizing Carlos to be involved in them alongside Jill would go a long way in making it feel more cohesive to the story, especially given that the final act follows his gameplay segment.
Likewise, making sure the puzzles don’t interfere with the heightened fear and excitement of the act would go a long way toward making sure it keeps players on the edge of their seats until the credits roll.
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