Box Art
Game: Resident Evil 3
First Released: September 22. 1999, PlayStation
Developers: Capcom
Platforms: Playstation. PC, Dreamcast, Gamecube, Playstation Network
Rated: M, for Animated Blood, Gore, and Violence
First Released: September 22. 1999, PlayStation
Developers: Capcom
Platforms: Playstation. PC, Dreamcast, Gamecube, Playstation Network
Rated: M, for Animated Blood, Gore, and Violence
How I Came To Play This Game
S.T.A.R.S. Office
I got Resident Evil 3 for the Gamecube along with Resident Evil Code Veronica X and Resident Evil 4 with my birthday money one year. I was really annoyed that it didn't have the manual. All of the other Resident Evil games I had came with manuals. I bought mine used, so I really didn't have choice. However, this game would introduce me to one of the biggest bullies in video game history.
Story
Final fight with Nemesis
In her attempt to escape a ruined and zombie-infested Raccoon City, Jill Valentine decides she must fight her way out of the city, which had been reduced to complete chaos. Almost being eaten in her initial escape attempt on September 27, she makes her way into a warehouse with Dario Rosso, where they wait it out for another day before she finally gives up on waiting for a rescue party. Dario refuses to leave and locks himself up in a crate. She stumbles onto fellow S.T.A.R.S. member Brad Vickers by chance, saving him from a zombie attack, although he is bitten. He warns her that they would not make it out, because "he's after S.T.A.R.S. members - there's no escape!" Jill heads to the police station, searching for any way out of the city. Brad runs to the station after her, warning her to run. He is then killed by the creature he mentioned previously - the Nemesis-T Type. She escapes two encounters with the monster in the station, and heads downtown to find the source of an emergency radio transmission. She comes across the source, a mercenary called Carlos Oliveira who worked for Umbrella's "Biohazard Countermeasure Service". Jill initially doesn't trust him, working for the company that caused the disaster in the first place. After helping her survive another encounter with the Nemesis, she begins to trust him. Carlos mentions that there was an escape route set in place as a contingency, in the event that their mission failed. A helicopter is to land near a clock tower once its bell is rung by evacuating mercenaries. To get to the clock tower, Carlos; Sergeant Nikolai Zinoviev and Captain Mikhail Victor (who is injured), plan on using a tram to reach the tower rather than the dangerous roads outside. The tram doesn't work, so Jill and Carlos have to find materials to get the tram working again. Nikolai is apparently lost during their search. Once the materials are collected, they proceed on the tram and are attacked by the Nemesis. Mikhail sacrifices himself for his squad mates, and detonates an incendiary grenade which knocks the Nemesis out of the tram. The tram loses balance and crashes, luckily into the outside wall of the clock tower. Jill and Carlos manage to ring the bell after solving puzzles to collect an ornate cog piece, as the clock mechanism is missing it. Unfortunately, the helicopter is shot down by the Nemesis and Jill and Carlos fight him. The Nemesis is defeated, collapsing in a fire after his rocket launcher self-destructs due to Carlos' gunfire but during the fight Jill is infected with the t-Virus. Carlos takes her to a chapel within the clock tower for safety. Later that week on October 1, Carlos heads to a nearby hospital to find a way to save her. Carlos encounters another UBCS member, who was shot by Nikolai, revealing him as a traitor. He then tries to open a safe booby trapped with explosives. After creating a t-Virus vaccine from Umbrella machinery and samples, Carlos heads back to Jill. Unaware of what Nikolai has been doing while he was preparing the sample, he is surprised to find that C4 plastic explosives have been planted around the hospital. He manages to escape the building before it is destroyed. When Carlos injects Jill with the vaccine, The t-Virus in Jill's body is put into a dormant state (and is not destroyed as she believes), and together they head to the nearby public park, hoping to find a new route of escape. Jill finds a small hut in Raccoon Park's cemetery with a secret room, which is being used as a base of operations for the supervisors. The body of the monitor is found nearby with a bullet in his head, indicating that Nikolai has beaten her here (though Jill is unaware of his treachery). Jill read a file, which explains to the 'supervisors' that Umbrella cannot lobby for more time any longer and that Raccoon City would be destroyed in a missile attack. Jill leaves, but as she does a message is sent through the radio system, telling the deceased operator that the mission has been terminated and that all survivors are to return to base. Nikolai then reveals himself to Jill and prepares to kill her, but a grave digger below ground makes Nikolai leave in a hurry. Jill manages to kill the giant worm, and discovers a route to a factory, which turns out to be a waste disposal factory for Umbrella. She and Carlos meet up and find out that there is a helipad with a chopper on it. Unknowingly stumbling into the waste-processing room, Jill is locked in with the Nemesis and must defeat him and recover a keycard to escape. Leaving just in time, the Nemesis' body is released into a pit containing a corrosive acid. Depending on choices made by the player before reaching the facility, the chopper can either be piloted by Carlos and Jill escaped with him, or Nikolai beats them to it. If Nikolai steals it, he and Jill exchanged words, with Nikolai taunting them that they won't be leaving and they would die when a thermo baric missile is launched, due to be launched in a couple of minutes. The player also has the choice of destroying the chopper, or attempting to negotiate with Nikolai. Either way, they would not be leaving with that helicopter. As Jill heads to the helipad, the radar receiver she picks up alerts her to the approaching missile, and at this point the player has 15 minutes to find a way to escape. Jill heads to the helipad, but encounters the Nemesis one final time, heavily mutated after previous defeats, and she defeats it using a large rail gun and a magnum. Jill and Carlos both reach the helipad, at a loss of what to do as the sun rises over the city. Another helicopter lands and rescues them - the pilot being Barry Burton (Jill's colleague from Resident Evil). The city's final fate is resolved in the game's finale. The U.S. government; after hearing of unsuccessful efforts to avert the t-Virus infestation, completely destroys Raccoon City with a thermo baric missile strike.
Pros And Cons
Story
Zombies beat Police
I like the story because it is about what happens outside on the streets of Raccoon City. In Resident Evil 2, you were confined to the police department and couldn't leave save for a few areas directly outside the place. I also like how it returns to one of the original characters from the first one. The opening cutscene is one of the best on the Playstation.
Characters
Main Characters
The main characters are Jill and Carlos. You play as Jill most of the time and Carlos for a short time. Also, some Umbrella mercenaries make up some of them like Mikhail and Nicholai. Nicholai makes the perfect bad guy as well as Carlos is a nice partner.
Gameplay
Zombies eat person
The gameplay is almost exactly the same as in Resident Evil 2, but they added many new things that would become the standards of all games of the series to come. If you press back and the run button, you will do a 180 degree turn. This makes it easier to turn around and go the other way to dodge enemies. Also, you don't have to press a button to walk up stairs anymore. You can just run right into the stairs and walk on them like their normal ground. Exclusive to this game, their are several dodge moves you can do to avoid being hit by the enemies. I still don't know exactly how to do them. I've read using L2 and R2, but I have the Gamecube version. It just seems to happen at random when I push the shoulder buttons. One neat feature that adds realistic feel is how there are several waves of enemies in each area. You can see a bunch of zombies break out a door, then kill them all. Then later when you come back, zombies will jump in through some windows. Zombies were also given the ability to sprint for short distances, which I feel is a stupid idea. If a zombie ran, wouldn't the force of running make it shake apart? Explosive barrels are placed around at certain points. You can shoot them to make them explode to kill all enemies around them. Also, there is a new enemy called the Nemesis who's only job is to kill you. This guy is still hard to beat today. He can run after you, grab and throw you, punch you, and instantly kill you if your health is low. He can also follow you through rooms to a certain degree. There is a limit to how far he can go. He has to be one of the hardest bosses in video game history.
Graphics
Dario argues with Jill
The pre-determined backgrounds have the same detail as in Resident Evil 2. The 3D models have improved even more though. There were some interesting new enemies that you found in the game. Also, the blood and gun sound effects were more realistic. I also think the movements of the characters in conjunction with what they're saying is more believable.
Releases
PSX Box Art
It was first released for the Playstation in 1999. It was then ported to the Dreamcast in 2000. This one had enhanced 3D models, extra outfits, and the Mercenaries mini-game was available from the start. Also, the pre-determined backgrounds were better. Like it's predecessor, the Visual Memory Unit was used to display the character's condition. A version for Windows PC was released in 2001 with all the same features as the Dreamcast version. However, the graphics were notably less quality than before. Also, the players had the ability to post their Mercenaries scores online. The original version was ported to the Gamecube in 2003 with better 3D models and an increased frame rate. Then it was released for the Playstation Network in 2009.
My Rating
I give this game a 10/10. I will always remember the Nemesis from this game and how I eventually came to defeat him.