Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

"Resident Evil 3" redirects here. For the third Resident Evil movie, see Resident Evil: Extinction.

{{Infobox VG |title = Resident Evil 3: Nemesis |image = |caption= PAL region PS cover art |developer = Capcom Production Studio 4 |publisher = Capcom, Eidos Interactive |designer = Kazuhiro Aoyama (director), Shinji Mikami (producer) |composer = Saori Maeda, Masami Ueda |series = Resident Evil |engine = |released = Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as Biohazard 3: Last Escape (バイオハザード3　ラストエスケープ, Baiohazādo Surī: Rasuto Esukēpu) is a survival horror video game and the third installment in the Resident Evil series developed and published by Capcom. The game was released for the Sony PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Sega Dreamcast, PC and Nintendo GameCube. Resident Evil 3 was the last core title in the series to be released for the Playstation. The game is also available for download on the Japanese Playstation Store for use with both the Playstation 3 and the PlayStation Portable.

The first half of the game occurs 24 hours prior to Resident Evil 2 and the second half takes place two days after. The storyline expands upon the settings and events of the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, and concludes with the fate of the city and its infected population.

The game's storyline was later used as the basis for the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Plot

The player takes control of former STARS member Jill Valentine in her attempt to escape a ruined and zombie-infested Raccoon City. During her escape, she encounters three surviving members of the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service (UBCS): Carlos Oliveira, Mikhail Victor and Nicholai Ginovaef. Mikhail sacrifices himself to save Jill from the Nemesis, a bio-organic weapon, and Jill escapes with Carlos.

The city's fate is resolved in the game's finale. The U.S. government, after hearing of unsuccessful efforts to avert the T-Virus infestation, orders the destruction of Raccoon City with a nuclear missile. At this point in the game, the player has exactly fifteen minutes to escape the city before the missile strikes. While attempting to escape, Jill has to face the Nemesis one final time and defeats it using a rail gun. Jill then escapes Raccoon City.

Gameplay

A new feature is the Nemesis, an experimental Tyrant programmed by Umbrella to hunt down and kill the remaining STARS members. Nemesis is very different from most enemies. He can run, use weapons, and has a dodge move, and is the first monster capable of pursuing the player from one area to the next. Nemesis is encountered throughout the game, in set-pieces, boss fights, and the occasional random encounter as the player explores the city. Even if defeated in combat, Nemesis will eventually get back up and continue pursuit.

In a departure from the game's predecessors, the player cannot choose between two playable characters from the beginning. Instead, the game is played almost entirely as Jill, although there is a short section in which the player controls Carlos.

Resident Evil 3 incorporates a dodge move that allows the player to avoid or repel enemy attacks. The player can also use a new quick turn ability, spinning 180 degrees, allowing the player to escape or turn to face an enemy very quickly. Getting up or down staircases can now be freely done just by walking to them, and does not require the player to press the action button; enemies can now follow the player up or down stairs.

The game also features an ammunition creation system in which new ammunition can be created from gunpowder through the cartridge reloading tool, or by combining gunpowder with ammunition. Players can also shoot oil drums or pipes located in certain areas resulting in an explosion or a spray of steam that can kill nearby enemies. The game also incorporates a randomization feature in which some item and enemy placement, as well as certain puzzle solutions and cutscenes, change during gameplay.

At certain points in the game, the screen will turn white and the player will enter Live Selection Mode, in which they're prompted to choose between one of two possible actions, affecting the direction the story takes. There is only a limited amount of time to choose.

There is an unlockable minigame titled "The Mercenaries - Operation: Mad Jackal". The player can choose from the three UBCS members that appear in the main game, with each character having a different set of items and weapons. The objective is to reach the warehouse from the station cable car in a limited amount of time. The player can extend their remaining time by killing monsters in quick succession, and gain additional items and ammunition by saving civilians. The player can use their winnings from the minigame to purchase unlockable weapons with infinite ammunition for the main game.

There are also five alternate costumes for Jill and eight different character-specific epilogues that are unlocked sequentially after the player clears the game several times. Each epilogue reveals the fate of a major character from the first two games following the destruction of Raccoon City.

Development

Ports

There have been three ports of Nemesis since the initial PlayStation version for the following platforms: Sega Dreamcast, PC and Nintendo GameCube. The PC and Dreamcast versions allow the player to choose Jill's outfit in the main game right from the start without going to the boutique. There are two additional outfits not in the PlayStation version. The "Operation: Mad Jackal" minigame is also available right from the start, with the added function of posting scores online on Capcom's official website (this feature has since been discontinued). The Dreamcast version included selectable outfits from the start with new additions, also featuring the added benefit of allowing players to view their character's current health via a VMU. The GameCube version is a direct port of the PlayStation version with no added features other than an increased framerate for FMV scenes and smoother-looking character models.

Music

Main article: Biohazard 3 Original Soundtrack

The original 2-disc soundtrack CD for Nemesis was composed by Masami Ueda & Saori Maeda, and was released on September 22, 1999.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	PS: 88% (36 reviews) DC: 81% (20 reviews) PC: 75% (14 reviews) GC: 64% (19 reviews)
Metacritic	DC: 79% (13 reviews) PC: 71% (8 reviews) GC: 62% (14 reviews)

Review scores

Publication	Score
1Up.com	GC: C
AllGame	PS: DC: PC: GC:
Computer and Video Games	PS: 9.0 out of 10 DC: 8.0 out of 10
Edge	8 out of 10
Eurogamer	PS & DC: 9 out of 10 GC: 4 out of 10
Famitsu	GC: 32 out of 40
Game Informer	9.25 out of 10
GamePro	PS: DC & GC:
GameRevolution	PS: A- DC: C
GameSpot	PS: 8.8 out of 10 DC: 8.3 out of 10 PC: 6.9 out of 10 GC: 4.7 out of 10
GameSpy	GC:
IGN	PS: 9.4 out of 10 DC: 8 out of 10 PC: 7.6 out of 10 GC: 5 out of 10
M! Games	PS: 88 out of 100 DC: 79 out of 100 PC: 71 out of 100 GC: 60 out of 100
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	PS:
PC Zone	8.1 out of 10
PlayStation: The Official Magazine	PS:
X-Play	GC:

While not as commercially successful as its predecessor, Resident Evil 3 received rave reviews. GameSpot said: "Unlike other series that offer incremental 'improvements', the RE lineup continues to refine an already excellent premise". IGN critic Doug Perry praised the game, saying: "The story still wonderfully unfolds in an intensely slow, intriguing way, and the combination of the great story telling and precise style of gameplay is still perfectly blended". Dale Weir from Game Critics called it "the best Resident Evil game in the entire series".

As of March 2008, Resident Evil 3 had sold 3.5 million copies worldwide.

Novelization

Resident Evil: Nemesis, S. D. Perry's novelization of the game, was the fifth book in her series of Resident Evil novels.

External links

• Template:StrategyWiki
• Resident Evil at Wikia