This Resident Evil Remake Is an Underrated Gem, Forget the Haters

On its anniversary today, this Resident Evil remake is an underrated gem, and in my opinion, it’s got somewhat of an unfair reception.

When Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was released in 1999, while it was a sequel, it pretty much ran parallel in the same locations as Resident Evil 2. Instead of the story being told from the perspective of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, we instead played as Jill Valentine (returning from RE1), as well as the lovable Umbrella mercenary, Carlos Oliviera, in parts.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis shifted a little away from the survival horror elements of the first two games in the series, with an added dose of action. It was a formula that served the game well in my opinion, especially being only a year apart, it helped each game stand on its own, offering something a little different.

Capcom Treated Us to Two Glorious New Remakes

Roughly 21 years after the respective original launch, Capcom released remakes for Resident Evil 2 (2019) and Resident Evil 3 (2020). However, both games were received quite differently by critics and users alike.

For example, on Metacritic, Resident Evil 2 (1998) has a score of 89 from critics (for some reason, the PS1 user score seems botched). The 2019 remake scored 91 and 8.9, respectively.

As for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999), it scored 91 from critics and 8.8 from users. Yet, the 2020 remake scored far less favourably with 79 and 6.8, respectively.

Why Did Resident Evil 3 Remake Achieve Lower Scores?

Resident Evil 3 (2020), Capcom

Much of the positivity for the Resident Evil 3 remake praises its action-packed gameplay and visuals. But the most common complaints refer to it being too short, too similar to the RE2 remake and cut content, such as the Clock Tower (something we discussed with Jill Valentine actress, Nicole Tompkins).

While I feel the criticism of its cut Clock Tower content is fair, I think differently when it comes to the campaign length overall. Sure, I would have loved it to be longer and to have the Clock Tower segment, but when it comes to the campaign length, it’s not all that different to the original game. Though I will say that the heavily-scripted Nemesis was underwhelming, unlike the more unpredictable Mr X in the RE2 remake.

For example, according to the user-generated ‘How Long to Beat’ website, both Resident Evil 3 in 1999 and the 2020 remake have a core estimated campaign length of seven and a half hours.

What’s more, for completionists who like to achieve everything that a game has to offer, the original game is an estimated 13 hours, while the remake offers 20 hours (and that doesn't include the multiplayer game bundled with the remake, Resident Evil: Resistance).

Resident Evil 3 Remake Deserved Better

So, if the common complaint is the length and replayability of the Resident Evil 3 remake, looking at the statistics out there, I feel it deserved a much better reception than it received. Thankfully, I know just like me, there is still a lot of love out there for the RE3 remake.

With that in mind, if you were initially put off by the Resident Evil 3 remake for whatever reason, on the game's sixth anniversary, now is the perfect time to give this game another chance. Who knows, you might discover that this underrated gem has been worth your while after all these years.

Resident Evil 3 remake is out on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Though I would recommend staying away from the mobile and cloud Switch version, those are pants.

You might also be pleased to know that the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is available on PC via Steam and GOG, as well as the PlayStation Store, so you can compare the two, if that tickles your fancy.