What The Critics Are Saying About Resident Evil 3

When Resident Evil 2 Remake arrived in January 2019, a lot of people were taken aback by how good it was. Capcom didn't just port RE2 to the current generation — it completely rebuilt the game from the ground up using Resident Evil 7's impressive RE Engine. The graphics were prettier. Mr. X was scarier. There was plenty to do even after running through the campaign.

Once gamers got a taste of the new RE2, the demand for a remake of that title's follow-up materialized almost instantly. A year and a few months later, we're about to get our hands on Resident Evil 3 Remake.

As it happens, many reviewers have already put RE3 through its paces. It might not surprise you to learn they've had a lot of good things to say so far.

Polygon called the title "a great example of what a video game remake should be." Kotaku said that the RE3 remake "takes last year's Resident Evil 2 remake and hones it into something meaner." IGN praised the game for "recapturing the horror and tension of the late '90s original" while updating the graphics and systems for the present day.

If you were a fan of the original Resident Evil 3, it seems you'll find a lot to like in the way the remake brings that experience forward. The world has been completely remodeled. The story unfurls in a slightly different way. The Verge calls the remake "a visually stunning game." If you like beautiful graphics and a healthy dose of cutscenes, you'll probably have a lot of fun with Resident Evil 3 Remake.

That's not to say everything about the game is sunshine and rainbows. For instance, Nemesis — a huge part of the original, and a video game boss for the ages — is a topic of contention. Some outlets feel the current Nemesis is lacking when compared to Resident Evil 2's Mr. X. Others feel the new Nemesis is a step up from his old-school iteration.

Polygon said Nemesis was less a "terrifying stalker" and more "an overpowered nuisance." Kotaku, on the other hand, called Nemesis "a more dogged foe than Mr. X," citing the fact he is "more intelligent and can use weapons." Regardless of where you come down on Nemesis in the end, you can expect he'll be chasing you all around Racoon City without providing you a lot of time to collect your thoughts. It seems he can even enter rooms you might consider safe. Capcom said that wouldn't be the case. It appears Capcom lied.

Another knock against the game — it's not all that long, and it doesn't break new ground in any meaningful way. Resident Evil 3 Remake uses the same RE Engine that powered last year's release of Resident Evil 2. That game, as you might recall, got rave reviews from both fans and critics alike. The Racoon City Police Department felt like a puzzle box waiting to be opened and explored. There was a fair amount of replayability. That doesn't feel as true about the new Resident Evil 3.

According to Kotaku, RE3 Remake only takes around "4-6 hours" to complete. Polygon pegged the remake at "around six hours," calling it a "comparatively short experience" when placed next to the updated Resident Evil 2. The Verge clocked roughly five hours for the game's main campaign. The folks at PC Gamer said there are "barely any puzzles and you're barely given the chance to wander off the beaten path," shortening the experience. IGN noted the absence of a "New Game Plus" mode, which has long been a staple of the franchise.

So what should you expect if you buy Resident Evil 3 Remake this Friday? Ultimately, you'll have to come to grips with RE3 being a less ambitious project than the RE2 remake that dropped in 2019. Capcom seems to hope you'll shoot through the campaign and then spend the rest of your days playing Resistance. It remains to be seen how that mode will be received.

If you did everything there was to do in the remake of Resident Evil 2, though, Resident Evil 3 will at least provide some more of that modernized Resident Evil action. The game is fairly linear. The story is rather short. But if you miss being chased by a large death-dealing monster, Resident Evil 3 will reacquaint you with that experience.

Resident Evil 3 Remake launches on Friday, April 3. We'll be sure to let you know if any Nemesis memes start making the rounds. We're sure mods will make their way online sometime very soon.