We Finally See How Resident Evil 3's Nemesis Was Created

Though the Resident Evil series has taken plenty of twists and turns over the years, there are still a few constants within the franchise: you shouldn't pet the dogs, rocket launchers are awesome, and Nemesis will be scary forever. Capcom is clearly betting on that last one, since so much of the marketing for the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake has been based around the titanic bioweapon. 

This trend continues with a recent tweet from the official Resident Evil Twitter account, which shared some intriguing concept art from the upcoming game. Be warned: some of these images are pretty gnarly and not for those averse to violent content. Then again, you're probably here because you love the Resident Evil series, so you're probably used to a bit of the red stuff.

"Nemesis' name is derived from the Greek goddess of vengeance," reads the tweet. "Witness the 'birth of vengeance' in this fresh piece of #RE3 concept art!"

The following images seem to show just that: the creation of Nemesis itself. We see a group of scientists standing over a large body that appears to be going through some biological changes. The creature almost resembles the G-Virus infected form of William Birkin from Resident Evil 2, particularly in regards to the growths on his shoulder and its arm that has become a tentacle. 

Another image shows the same team lying in pieces, possibly following the escape of Nemesis from its original testing facility. A group of what appear to be businessmen survey the scene dispassionately. In a curious touch, it appears as though one of the scientists is still standing upright and banging on the glass. Are they still alive but gravely injured? Have they been contaminated with the virus? That would explain why no one is moving to help. 

Fans have also drawn parallels between these images and another game in the series. Specifically, the shot of the scientists being massacred on the other side of a glass barrier brings to mind a similarly haunting scene from Resident Evil: Code Veronica. 

In this famous sequence, our heroine Claire Redfield watches in horror as a panicked scientist bangs on the shatterproof glass. Claire tells the poor researcher that she can't get the door open just before a clawed hand squishes the man's head against the glass. It's a horrific scene, but incredibly memorable. It's likely no coincidence that the developers of Resident Evil 3 want to conjure up memories of one of the series' best gory scares.

Another piece of concept art shows what appears to be Nemesis' first steps outside of the facility. It appears to have fallen to its knees, although the artwork on this piece is somewhat more abstract than the others. The final image shows Resident Evil 3 protagonist Jill Valentine staring down the fully-formed nemesis as it lurches toward her from a wall of flames. 

These images certainly set a mood. Though Resident Evil 3 marked a bit of a shift in the series' tone from survival-horror to horror mixed with action (which has caused some worry regarding this remake), this concept art paints a very different picture. The action will still be there, albeit steeped in the kind of dread one would expect from the series' earlier entries. 

The emphasis on the concept of vengeance is interesting, as well. The Nemesis of the original game was an unstoppable killing machine that could not be reasoned with. In fact, it had been nicknamed "the Pursuer," due to its unwavering mission of chasing down its targets. The question here is: whose vengeance is being pursued here, Nemesis' or the Umbrella Corporation's? It's worth noting that the version of Nemesis seen in the feature film Resident Evil: Apocalypse regained a portion of its former human sanity and turned on its masters. While it's not incredibly likely that the RE3 remake will take any storytelling cues from the film series, it's interesting to remember that we've actually seen Nemesis motivated by vengeance in the past.

Nemesis' motivations aside, it's really cool to get a peek behind the curtain and Umbrella's monster-making process like this. If anything, it humanizes Nemesis in a weird way, much in the way that some members of the Baker Family in Resident Evil 7 were much more than just cackling villains. 

Showing off this concept art has also made fans even more anxious to see the final product. Some comments on the original tweet are all calling for the release of a new gameplay trailer or demo. Hopefully one of those is on the way, since we don't have long before Resident Evil 3 drops.