Top 10 Best And Worst Changes In The Resident Evil 3 Remake

While Carlos going into the hospital to search for a vaccine for Jill was in the original, it’s what happened after he got the vaccine that was different. In the original on his way out, bombs were placed in the hospital foyer completely obliterating the building. This time the Hospital is standing, but now Carlos has to defend the room Tyrell & Jill are barricaded in from an endless wave of zombies. This drastic shift in gameplay may have been intense in Resident Evil 4 when it was done there. But here; the section feels tedious, as zombies are way too slow to pose any significant threat. It also goes on for way longer than it needs to.

In the original, the only time wt got to witness the carnage of the outbreak reach its peak was in the opening FMV. By the time we were given control of Jill however, the carnage had mostly subsided with zombies lingering everywhere. This time, we get to experience the peak of the outbreak thanks to a surprise intro by Nemesis himself. With panicked civilians in the streets, and helicopters blazing overhead promising rescue, this was certainly a great way to get the events of the game rolling.

Credit where it’s due, The 2nd form of the Nemesis is certainly more creative than just having a bunch of tentacles grow out of him like the original had. However the problem with this isn’t with his design, but how the game handles him from this point onwards. Part of what made Nemesis so frightening in the original was that he really could come out where you least expect it. But once his transformation occurs, that fear of the unknown is lost as the player is now forced into boss fight arena’s with him or QTE segments. Not helped by the fact that two of his fights have very similar patterns that can be read by the player.

By far one of the remakes’s biggest strengths over the original is that it allowed for many of the characters in this world to be far more fleshed out, and Tyrell clearly got a better treatment this time around. In the original, depending on what room in the hospital Carlos visited first; Tyrell lasted for just one cutscene; in which he would meet an explosive demise. This time however, he’s introduced fairly early on as Carlos’ partner, and contributes a significant amount to the story; including travelling to the RPD and watching over Jill after she’s been administered the vaccine. Sadly his fate is still sealed in this game, but at least we got to know him more this time.

This is certainly something that wasn’t very present in the original. This game has a frequent amount of Action Set Pieces thrown in, that force the players to either run, fight, or perform Quicktime Events. It even gets to the point where the Nemesis becomes less frightful than what he was the first time around. Unlike the original, if he aims a Rocket Launcher at you: you have to run down an alleyway. Or you’re forced to outrun him as he chases you. These sequences have less in common with Resident Evil 3 and seem more like something out of that Disaster “Resident Evil 6” … Capcom you are relapsing.

While Jill needs to travel to the substation in both games to restore power to either the Cable Car or Subway Train respectively, it’s what she finds at her destination that’s different. In the original, activating the breaker opens a set of shutters where she can find a fuse for the cable car … oh and a handful of zombies to barbecue. This time however; a swarm of insects known as Drain Demos have turned the substation into their nest, forcing Jill to go deep into the heart of it to restore the power to 4 breakers. This easily made for one of the most chilling and terrifying sequences in the game, and one that has us tense on subsequent playthroughs.

In the original, the experimental Railgun was a large stationary cannon, in which Jill had to lure the Nemesis into its line of fire. This time around though, the Final Battle has the Railgun in handheld form, though I use the term “Handheld” loosely. First off; look at the size of this thing! Considering the components it would be made of, you’d need at least 2 people to hold that steady. But that’s not all, look at what happens when Jill fires the weapon. You’re telling me that this thing has a recoil powerful enough to shatter the concrete surrounding Jill? If that we’re the case; this thing would have shattered all the bones in her body. This absurdity is right up there with Chris punching a boulder. … Capcom you are relapsing.

This one is certainly quite the shakeup. In the Original, the RPD was the first place Jill headed to, and it was also the first place she encountered Nemesis. This time around though it’s Carlos that heads to the RPD, and this sequence now happens after the Subway escape. There’s a lot of interesting changes to this sequence too, for one we find out how Marvin got bitten, why Zombie Brad wasn’t in the RE2 Remake, and we also now encounter some Lickers in the hallways. Perhaps one of the coolest throwbacks here is that the save room music that plays in the Dark Room, is the theme from Resident Evil 2’s save rooms, since this station was that game’s main setting.

Before we get to the best and worst change, I do have some Honorable Mentions.

BEST - The Gammas

This sewer section that features these new enemies “The Gammas” wasn’t in the original game, while brief it’s certainly a cool addition.

WORST - Jill Meets Kendo

While it’s cool to see this interaction between Jill & Kendo since they don’t meet in the original; It’s clear this was done for fanservice, since it’s a cutscene that doesn’t really go anywhere.

By far the worst change, and also the biggest criticism to come out of the Resident Evil 3 Remake, is the amount of content that was cut from the original. Especially when compared to the “Resident Evil 2 Remake”, which was able to preserve or reimagine most of its content. Despite the fact that we can see it from the river, the Clock Tower section is completely absent, as well as the Racoon City Park, and only boss that wasn’t Nemesis: The Grave Digger. The game is also missing the branching live choices sections, as well as The Mercenaries Mode. Both of which were what made the original “Resident Evil 3” highly replayable to begin with. Thus leaving the remake really ... REALLY light on content.

While he’s no longer the UBCS commanding officer in this game, with that role going to Mikhail. Nikolai still had selfish and ulterior motives in this game, though it turns out there’s someone else that was pulling his strings. In the original; his goal was to wipe out all other mercenaries and supervisors to make it seem like he was the only survivor from a suicide mission, thus in a strong bargaining position to demand better pay. While he still turns against UBCS in the remake for money, we find out he’s working for another party who wants to “Burn Umbrella to the Ground”. Considering this unnamed party is “Anti-Umbrella” it really could be anyone, friend of foe. Who do you think it is?