🔞 ADULT: Id/Kaelon/recommended/ - Full Gallery 2025

Before I begin this review, here are a few things to keep in mind:
The Resident Evil 3 remake directly proceeded the Resident Evil 2 remake. RE3 is, by comparison, lackluster in many aspects. It is much shorter, more poorly written, and generally worse directed than the original. I have 100% completed RE3R and at the time of this review am on my way to 100% completing RE2R. Thus, it is with a moderate level of familiarity with this series that I make this review. In contrast to most RE3R reviews, this critique will keep the importance of the original game (RE3) in mind rather than the success of the preceding remake (RE2R). And again, this game is short for a mainline RE entry. I beat the game in just under 8hrs. There is no reason for why it should take me less than 40hrs to 100% a mainline RE title. Keeping all these things in mind, let’s move onto the review.

OVERALL: 65/100

Fear Factor: 4/10
Shock Factor: 8/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Sound Design: 8/10
Soundtrack: 4/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Controls: 8/10
Replayability: 7/10
Story/Characters: 5/10
Graphics: 9/10

While that’s not quite an overall score I expected, it's not far below what I'd have predicted.

FEAR & SHOCK FACTOR
The RE series is jam-packed with some iconic scares, and the original RE3 certainly forwards this idea. The remake of this successful and iconic '90s horror game does nothing by way of furthering any sense of fear. It is with much disappointment that I give RE3R a low score for its fear factor. The only things keeping said score above 0 are the adrenaline spikes thanks to chase sequences, delightfully repulsing enemy and boss design, and the entire Subway Power Substation section (which is, you guessed it, short). It is for these 3 reasons that I give RE3R a moderate score for its Shock Factor.

ATMOSPHERE & SOUND DESIGN
Now for the atmosphere. Thanks to most of the game’s tight hallways full of difficult or straight-up annoying enemies, it can be difficult to discern the game’s atmosphere. In terms of worldbuilding and general atmosphere, RE3R pales in comparison to its 1999 counterpart. That said, some sections of the game (such as the opening 10 minutes and the familiar RPD station) add to the game’s overall apocalyptic theme. It’s almost hilarious that one of the better parts of RE3R was a literal copy-paste from RE2R, and it still wasn’t improved upon. It’s for these reasons, and for the game’s consistent theme, that I give RE3R a mixed score for its atmosphere. There’s little more to be said regarding the game’s sound design than an admission that RE3R is, in fact, a Resident Evil game. Even at their lowest Capcom still delivers the best in action-horror sound design.

SOUNDTRACK
Soundtrack. A major factor which makes so many iconic games so memorable and recognizable. RE3R dared to take inspiration from its 90s counterpart and made a soundtrack that definitely… sounds. Some of the most iconic themes from every title in the RE series are the aptly named “Save Room” themes. RE2R also set a standard of using credits music that slaps. All RE entries have since kept this theme except RE3R. Few songs throughout the game build tension, no boss themes are particularly memorable, and this is the only game in mainline RE that has an utterly unrecognizable Save Room theme. Even RE6 had songs that slapped. It even had an EDM track or two akin to something you might find in Initial D. Regardless, RE3R has one of the least memorable soundtracks in the entire mainline RE series. The only reason it gets any points in the soundtrack category is due to the music’s moderately high production value.

GAMEPLAY
I’m going to split the gameplay category into two parts: One covering combat and difficulty, and the other covering locations and puzzles. This is the only section where I’ll really compare RE3R to RE2R.
COMBAT & DIFFICULTY
Put simply, the only thing RE3R improved on from RE2R was the combat. Perfect dodges, enemy lock-ons, and other tiny QOL details allow for an easier experience on keyboard and mouse as well as controller, for those who want to seamlessly immerse themselves (as much of an anti-immersion camp fest as RE3R is). RE2R and RE3R are hard. RE3R on the Inferno difficulty features some of the most grueling bossfights I’ve ever come across in gaming. Truly, if I was simply a better gamer, I could’ve 100% completed this game in under 3hrs. But I’ll get to that more in later. The combat is enjoyable, fluid, but leaves you feeling just vulnerable enough on your first playthrough to regularly be on edge.
LOCATIONS & PUZZLES
The game’s locations, at times, contribute to and take away from this feeling. RE2R nailed the sewers, and despite the fact that RE3R reused many sewer assets and sections, it isn’t quite as riveting as the prior entry. The city and underground NEST sections feel cramped with far too many enemies, on top of Jill’s tendency to be chased by a nigh immovable object. At multiple points in the game, and especially right out the gate, enemies can be more of an annoyance than an obstacle to be overcome. This is seen to a major extent playing as Carlos in the RPD and hospital sections. The puzzles in this game certainly don’t add to the difficulty, but they make their respective areas memorable. As previously mentioned, the maze-and-switch puzzle in the Subway Power Substation is what makes the area memorable (aside from the shock factor of downing herbs to vomit up creepy-crawlies). The Subway puzzle, while extremely simple and typically done within a couple attempts, adds to the memorability of the plot-important (albeit very small) Subway Station. It is with all these factors in mind that I give RE3R a balanced score as far as overall gameplay is concerned.

CONTROLS
Additionally, the controls are great. Slight upgrades from RE2R for keyboard and mouse users, lock-on highly benefits controllers.

REPLAYABILITY
Time to critique the game’s replayability. As previously mentioned, much of the game’s “replayability” is heaving your head against a brick wall of difficulty until you get lucky enough to beat Nemesis phase 3 on the Inferno difficulty. Inferno is the last of three difficulties offered by RE3R above Standard mode, and as its name implies, it is the closest I’ve come to experiencing hell in an RE game. Most of the game’s “New Game Plus” content is just replaying the already short game on higher difficulties. Actually, strike that. All of the game’s NG+ content is going through subsequent rings of hell. There’s a reason why this is the game that really taught me how to button mash on a controller until the underside of my thumb blisters. Anyway, there’s not much more to say here. As you beat the game repeatedly, you get additional weapons and bonuses to help you through higher difficulties. If you attempt Inferno, you’ll find soon enough that unlimited ammo does nothing to ease the bite of hell’s flames on your fingers during a grind steeped in QTEs and perfect dodges.

STORY/CHARACTERS
Mid is the best word I can come up with to describe the entire RE3 (REMAKE) story. I emphasize the “Remake” because the story is a far cry from the original RE3. Characters are pretty two-dimensional. Tyrell is the only great character which you see more than a shallow outer layer of in RE3R. Carlos is creepy, Claire is the kind of typical campy badass you might expect to see as a side character in one of the Resident Evil live action movies, Brad doesn’t have a presence nearly as significant as he did in the original, Nicholai is hardly seen in RE3R, and even Nemesis can’t hit his shots for the literal life of me. All of these combine to make the overall storyline incredibly weak compared to the first game. Tyrell carried, and the writing is, at the very least, cohesive.

GRAPHICS
The graphics and physics are great, just like in RE2R.

Before I begin this review, here are a few things to keep in mind: The Resident Evil 3 remake directly proceeded the Resident Evil 2 remake. RE3 is, by comparison, lackluster in many aspects. It is much shorter, more poorly written, and generally worse directed than the original. I have 100% completed RE3R and at the time of this review am on my way to 100% completing RE2R. Thus, it is with a moderate level of familiarity with this series that I make this review. In contrast to most RE3R reviews, this critique will keep the importance of the original game (RE3) in mind rather than the success of the preceding remake (RE2R). And again, this game is short for a mainline RE entry. I beat the game in just under 8hrs. There is no reason for why it should take me less than 40hrs to 100% a mainline RE title. Keeping all these things in mind, let’s move onto the review. OVERALL: 65/100 Fear Factor: 4/10 Shock Factor: 8/10 Atmosphere: 5/10 Sound Design: 8/10 Soundtrack: 4/10 Gameplay: 7/10 Controls: 8/10 Replayability: 7/10 Story/Characters: 5/10 Graphics: 9/10 While that’s not quite an overall score I expected, it's not far below what I'd have predicted. FEAR & SHOCK FACTOR The RE series is jam-packed with some iconic scares, and the original RE3 certainly forwards this idea. The remake of this successful and iconic '90s horror game does nothing by way of furthering any sense of fear. It is with much disappointment that I give RE3R a low score for its fear factor. The only things keeping said score above 0 are the adrenaline spikes thanks to chase sequences, delightfully repulsing enemy and boss design, and the entire Subway Power Substation section (which is, you guessed it, short). It is for these 3 reasons that I give RE3R a moderate score for its Shock Factor. ATMOSPHERE & SOUND DESIGN Now for the atmosphere. Thanks to most of the game’s tight hallways full of difficult or straight-up annoying enemies, it can be difficult to discern the game’s atmosphere. In terms of worldbuilding and general atmosphere, RE3R pales in comparison to its 1999 counterpart. That said, some sections of the game (such as the opening 10 minutes and the familiar RPD station) add to the game’s overall apocalyptic theme. It’s almost hilarious that one of the better parts of RE3R was a literal copy-paste from RE2R, and it still wasn’t improved upon. It’s for these reasons, and for the game’s consistent theme, that I give RE3R a mixed score for its atmosphere. There’s little more to be said regarding the game’s sound design than an admission that RE3R is, in fact, a Resident Evil game. Even at their lowest Capcom still delivers the best in action-horror sound design. SOUNDTRACK Soundtrack. A major factor which makes so many iconic games so memorable and recognizable. RE3R dared to take inspiration from its 90s counterpart and made a soundtrack that definitely… sounds. Some of the most iconic themes from every title in the RE series are the aptly named “Save Room” themes. RE2R also set a standard of using credits music that slaps. All RE entries have since kept this theme except RE3R. Few songs throughout the game build tension, no boss themes are particularly memorable, and this is the only game in mainline RE that has an utterly unrecognizable Save Room theme. Even RE6 had songs that slapped. It even had an EDM track or two akin to something you might find in Initial D. Regardless, RE3R has one of the least memorable soundtracks in the entire mainline RE series. The only reason it gets any points in the soundtrack category is due to the music’s moderately high production value. GAMEPLAY I’m going to split the gameplay category into two parts: One covering combat and difficulty, and the other covering locations and puzzles. This is the only section where I’ll really compare RE3R to RE2R. COMBAT & DIFFICULTY Put simply, the only thing RE3R improved on from RE2R was the combat. Perfect dodges, enemy lock-ons, and other tiny QOL details allow for an easier experience on keyboard and mouse as well as controller, for those who want to seamlessly immerse themselves (as much of an anti-immersion camp fest as RE3R is). RE2R and RE3R are hard. RE3R on the Inferno difficulty features some of the most grueling bossfights I’ve ever come across in gaming. Truly, if I was simply a better gamer, I could’ve 100% completed this game in under 3hrs. But I’ll get to that more in later. The combat is enjoyable, fluid, but leaves you feeling just vulnerable enough on your first playthrough to regularly be on edge. LOCATIONS & PUZZLES The game’s locations, at times, contribute to and take away from this feeling. RE2R nailed the sewers, and despite the fact that RE3R reused many sewer assets and sections, it isn’t quite as riveting as the prior entry. The city and underground NEST sections feel cramped with far too many enemies, on top of Jill’s tendency to be chased by a nigh immovable object. At multiple points in the game, and especially right out the gate, enemies can be more of an annoyance than an obstacle to be overcome. This is seen to a major extent playing as Carlos in the RPD and hospital sections. The puzzles in this game certainly don’t add to the difficulty, but they make their respective areas memorable. As previously mentioned, the maze-and-switch puzzle in the Subway Power Substation is what makes the area memorable (aside from the shock factor of downing herbs to vomit up creepy-crawlies). The Subway puzzle, while extremely simple and typically done within a couple attempts, adds to the memorability of the plot-important (albeit very small) Subway Station. It is with all these factors in mind that I give RE3R a balanced score as far as overall gameplay is concerned. CONTROLS Additionally, the controls are great. Slight upgrades from RE2R for keyboard and mouse users, lock-on highly benefits controllers. REPLAYABILITY Time to critique the game’s replayability. As previously mentioned, much of the game’s “replayability” is heaving your head against a brick wall of difficulty until you get lucky enough to beat Nemesis phase 3 on the Inferno difficulty. Inferno is the last of three difficulties offered by RE3R above Standard mode, and as its name implies, it is the closest I’ve come to experiencing hell in an RE game. Most of the game’s “New Game Plus” content is just replaying the already short game on higher difficulties. Actually, strike that. All of the game’s NG+ content is going through subsequent rings of hell. There’s a reason why this is the game that really taught me how to button mash on a controller until the underside of my thumb blisters. Anyway, there’s not much more to say here. As you beat the game repeatedly, you get additional weapons and bonuses to help you through higher difficulties. If you attempt Inferno, you’ll find soon enough that unlimited ammo does nothing to ease the bite of hell’s flames on your fingers during a grind steeped in QTEs and perfect dodges. STORY/CHARACTERS Mid is the best word I can come up with to describe the entire RE3 (REMAKE) story. I emphasize the “Remake” because the story is a far cry from the original RE3. Characters are pretty two-dimensional. Tyrell is the only great character which you see more than a shallow outer layer of in RE3R. Carlos is creepy, Claire is the kind of typical campy badass you might expect to see as a side character in one of the Resident Evil live action movies, Brad doesn’t have a presence nearly as significant as he did in the original, Nicholai is hardly seen in RE3R, and even Nemesis can’t hit his shots for the literal life of me. All of these combine to make the overall storyline incredibly weak compared to the first game. Tyrell carried, and the writing is, at the very least, cohesive. GRAPHICS The graphics and physics are great, just like in RE2R.