Top 10 Biggest Changes to Resident Evil 3 Remake (So Far)

Two decades later and Raccoon City is still the worst place ever. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Changes to Resident Evil 3 Remake So Far.

For this list, we’re looking at the various changes to the original "Resident Evil 3" that have been revealed for Capcom’s upcoming remake. We know based on interviews with producers Masachika Kawata & Peter Fabiano that the storyline will take a shift from the original. With the two trailers out, here’s what we’ve noticed so far

Despite the backstory of Jill being ambushed by zombies while preparing to escape Raccoon City, we never got to see that unfold. In the orignal Jill Valentine's apartment is only briefly seen in a still image during "Resident Evil 3: Nemesis'" intro. After which we cut to her outside as she’s thrown through a wall by an explosion. The 2020 remake however, looks set to provide a more in-depth look at the protagonist's home life in Raccoon City. Even showing more of her escape as seen in the very first trailer. Even if Jill's apartment ends up being featured only in cut-scenes and, once again, the intro, this is still a welcome change.

"Resident Evil 3" introduced the Nemesis, a bio-weapon created by the Umbrella Corporation who spends the majority of the campaign chasing Jill Valentine around Raccoon City. Although the Nemesis' purpose is revealed, as Umbrella Corps sent out the Bio-Weapon to eliminate STARS operatives, barely anything is shown about the monster's origin. The remake's first trailer reveals that this is set to change, at least to the point that the Umbrella Corps will be actively operating on the Nemesis. Learning more about this terrifying Tyrant's creation should be fascinating, although hopefully, the remake maintains some of the original's mystique.

Despite only appearing for a relatively short spell in "Resident Evil 3," Murphy Seeker is at the heart of one of the game's more memorable moments and his destiny is inadvertently tied to Jill, despite the two never meeting. Depending on how Jill reacts to a Nemesis attack, either Nikolai or Carlos will kill the infected Murphy, with the scenes playing out extremely differently. If nothing else, the remake will have Jill directly meeting Murphy on the streets of Raccoon City. While the character's fate might very well remain the same, Murphy's heightened presence should make his storyline more emotionally captivating.

Unlike its predecessors, 1999’s "Resident Evil 3" mostly stuck to just one playable character, in this case, Jill Valentine. However, after a battle with the Nemesis leaves Jill infected by the T-Virus and on death's door, Carlos temporarily takes charge and goes out to find a cure. Capcom has already confirmed that Carlos will be playable in the remake, but this sequence could focus more on the T-Virus's effects on Jill. Seemingly causing hallucinations and visions, Jill's T-Virus infection looks set to be represented by more than just a couple of days sleep in a chapel.

While still firmly within the survival horror genre, the franchise has noticeable dabbled in the action territory over the years, often to fan displeasure. However as far as the original “Resident Evil 3” is concerned, Capcom could only do so much with the PlayStation One's hardware, Jill mostly stuck to bullets and the occasional railgun when trying to take down the Nemesis. In the remake, the S.T.A.R.S. operative will explore more creative ways to eliminate him, mainly ramming a car into the bio-weapon. We saw something similar to this in “Resident Evil 7” in the Baker family garage, which also ended up being one of that game’s most memorable moment, so it looks like we’ll be giving this another round.

As "Resident Evil 3" takes place prior to and after the events of "Resident Evil 2," the Raccoon City Police Department made a brief appearance in the game, even if 1999's sequel unsurprisingly doesn't focus too much on that location. Despite sticking to basically the same story, the remake will take liberties along the way, including altering Jill's first meeting with Carlos and the UBCS. In the original game, Jill meets Carlos right after leaving the RPD, with the station not being revisited again in the game. In the remake, the UBCS will at least be visiting the police station.

A stand-out sequence in "Resident Evil 3" takes place in a cable car heading towards Raccoon City's Clock Tower. In order to escape the city, Jill and the remaining members of the UBCS set out to use the cable car as a battering ram to plow through some of the more infected areas, a plan that does not make all that much sense. Putting aside US cities seldom have above-ground cable cars, a subway is far easier to defend and should be able to bypass most of the hordes roaming Raccoon City. Therefore, the remake upgrades from a cable car to a subway train. This area was briefly showed in the “Resident Evil 2 Remake’s” opening credit sequence, so the change makes sense for consistency.

Although impressive for its era, "Resident Evil 3" had to make certain sacrifices when crafting its game world, mostly at the expense of survivors. With the exception of two civilians, Raccoon City is almost devoid of survivors in the original game, something the remake should be remedying. At the very least, there will be more average Joes running around the city streets and on the subway train alongside Jill and the UBCS. Raccoon City is ground zero and basically a war zone, a point further exacerbated by the casuals sprinkled among the infected and trained personal.

With more than two decades separating 1999's game and the 2020 remake, it is only natural that certain aspects of the original "Resident Evil 3" will either be expanded upon or receive a face-lift. Capcom's "Nemesis" trailer highlights a construction site where Jill runs afoul of her hulking pursuer, a location that seems like a new addition to the story. This section could end up being part of Raccoon City's Clock Tower; even if that is the case, the environment should be different enough to almost serve as an entirely new area to explore. Either way, we are excited.

Just in case the Nemesis wasn't terrifying enough in the original game, the remake's version also comes with a handy flamethrower. Now, the Bio-Weapon has a history of using heavy artillery to fulfill its goal of axing Jill, but a flamethrower brings a certain visual menace to the villain that a rocket launcher cannot match. Combined with the Nemesis not being solely restricted to scripted events in the remake, "Resident Evil 3's" Tyrant has clearly not lost any of its intimidation factor over the last two decades. Dammit, Elon Musk!