Resident Evil 3 Remake - What We Know So Far
Resident Evil 2 Remake garnered resounding approval from Resident Evil fans. It only makes sense, then, that Capcom would remake another beloved title in the series: Resident Evil 3. Rumors of Resident Evil 3 Remake have been brewing for quite some time; now these rumors have been confirmed.
Though there will be more changes from the source material than you saw with Resident Evil 2 Remake, you can still expect to be transported back into the world of the third title in this series but with some massive graphical upgrades.
Which characters from the original will reprise their roles? Will Mercenaries mode make an appearance? When will you finally get to experience this new take on the classic title? Here's everything you need to know about Resident Evil 3 Remake.
Is there a trailer for the Resident Evil 3 Remake?
During its State of Play at the close of 2019, Sony released the first official trailer for Resident Evil 3 Remake. The trailer shows off Jill Valentine's new design and Raccoon City in all of its updated glory.
When comparing the trailer for the remake to scenes from the original Resident Evil 3, you can see just how far technology has come. While many commenters have expressed frustration over Jill's new clothing, they'll be happy to know that her original outfit is still available. If you want a shirt that practically screams "90s girl", all you need to do is pre-order the game and the exclusive Classic Costume Pack will be included with your purchase.
On Jan. 14, 2020, Capcom released another trailer for Resident Evil 3 Remake, this time focusing on Nemesis. The trailer shows heroine Jill Valentine trying to lead the enemy away from her friends as Nemesis stalks her through heart-pounding scenarios.
What is the release date for Resident Evil 3 Remake?
Those anxious to get their hands on a copy of the new Resident Evil 3 Remake won't have to wait long. The game releases on April 3, 2020. Even with all the recent game delays, Capcom has stated Resident Evil 3 Remake is almost complete and on track for a timely release. This comes as welcome news given that it seems more unusual for a game to stick to its initial launch schedule these days. Well done, Capcom.
What platforms will the Resident Evil 3 Remake be available on?
Resident Evil 3 Remake will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC at launch. So far there's no word on whether it will come to theNintendo Switch in the future. For PC gamers worried that their system won't be able to handle the newest title, you're in luck. As long as your PC was able to handle running Resident Evil 2 Remake, you'll be good to go for Resident Evil 3.
Is Resident Evil 3 Remake co-op?
Being able to play Resident Evil 3 with updated graphics isn't the only exciting news to come with the remake's announcement. Capcom is also including an online co-op minigame called Resident Evil: Resistance.
In Resistance, four players will form a team of survivors trying to escape from an experiment. The experiment is run by the fifth player who controls a character called Mastermind. With gameplay akin to Friday the 13th: The Game, teamwork will be an important element for the four survivors. So far, Capcom has confirmed six different survivor characters players will be able to choose from.
Will Resident Evil 3 Remake have Mercenaries?
The original Resident Evil 3 game included an unlockable mode called The Mercenaries – Operation: Mad Jackal. This mode allowed players to pick one of the three mercenaries encountered throughout the core game. They would then control this mercenary as they attempted to kill foes and exit the bonus level before the timer ran out and the whole place exploded. The game itself wasn't the most complex thing ever, but it still holds a special place in the hearts of Resident Evil fans.
While Resident Evil 3 Remake won't include Mercenaries mode, you'll still get a bonus round of gameplay with access to new characters. Resistance, the 4 versus 1 game included with Resident Evil 3 Remake has taken the place of The Mercenaries – Operation: Mad Jackal, but provides much more complex gameplay. It may not be Mercenaries mode but it's still an aspect to look forward to.
Is Resident Evil 3 Remake first person?
Many Resident Evil fans were confused by the trailer Capcom released for Resident Evil 3 Remake. A large portion of the trailer shows protagonist Jill Valentine running from horrors in a first person perspective. While traveling through the chaotic Raccoon City in first person would be a thrilling experience, the video was understandably misleading for many.
Despite what it may have looked like, Resident Evil 3 Remake will not be played in a first person perspective. Instead, the game will play out with an over-the-shoulder angle just like Resident Evil 2 Remake did. You'll still be relatively close to Jill Valentine as she runs from Nemesis, just not right in her head.
Is Resident Evil 3 Remake split screen?
Though you will have the opportunity to play as more than one character during the Resident Evil 3 Remake campaign, you won't play in split screen. The single player campaign version of Resident Evil 3 Remake uses an over-the-shoulder camera angle showing Jill Valentine in third person.
Resistance, despite being a multiplayer game, won't offer split screen either. Like most multiplayer titles these days, you'll have the option to play online with other people who access the game from their own consoles.
Will Resident Evil 3 Remake have a deluxe edition?
Die-hard Resident Evil fans hoping for a deluxe edition of the newest game are in luck. GameStop is offering a special edition option that includes both digital and physical loot for those willing to shell out the extra cash. The Gamestop Collector's Edition of Resident Evil 3 Remake is currently retailing at $179.99.
The Collector's Edition includes the base game for your preferred platform, an 11" statue of Jill Valentine featuring her updated character design, a collector's art book, a double-sided poster of Raccoon City, and a digital soundtrack. Everything comes in a S.T.A.R.S. item box package, just to give it that extra bit of authenticity. Those who pre-order will also receive a code for the Classic Costume Pack featuring Jill and Carlos' original outfits from Resident Evil 3.
Is Resident Evil 3 Remake a prequel?
It's difficult to explain the timeline of Resident Evil 3 Remake because of how it aligns with the second installment in the franchise. In a way, you could argue Resident Evil 3 Remake is a kind of prequel, but that's not the full story.
Resident Evil 3 Remake begins before the events of Resident Evil 2. As you progress through the game, however, you soon catch up to Resident Evil 2. The rest of Resident Evil 3 then takes place simultaneously with the second title. While you may not necessarily cross paths with the characters from the second game, you will be in the same general vicinity at the same approximate time.
What characters are in Resident Evil 3 Remake?
Fans of the original Resident Evil 3 game will be happy to know that their favorite characters are reprising their roles for the remake, albeit with updated character models and more practical wardrobe choices. The updated graphics and console capabilities have given this remake the opportunity to bring well-known characters into the modern world in a much more realistic way.
Though this list may not be all-inclusive, some of the characters you can expect to encounter in Resident Evil 3 Remake include Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, Nemesis, Mikhail Victor, Nikolai Zinoviev, Tyrell Patrick, Murphy Seeker, Brad Vickers, and Dario Rosso. There may be more side characters present in the new game that haven't been listed here, but these are the characters with redesigns shared by Capcom. If you want to see what your favorite characters look like in all their updated glory, you can check out a list here.
Nemesis has new ways to torture you
Many Resident Evil fans agree Mr. X is a formidable enemy and his appearance in Resident Evil 2 Remake reminded players of just how terrifying he is. When compared to the main antagonist of Resident Evil 3 Remake, however, the award for the most intimidating and impossible-to-beat enemy goes to Nemesis. This is especially true when you take into account the changes Capcom has made to this enemy's character design.
The A.I. used for Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 Remake has produced a smarter villain who can adapt to situations and find the best way to make your life miserable as he hunts down you and everyone you love. Nemesis will have a flamethrower in the latest installment and his tentacles will make escape almost impossible. He'll also be much more relentless in his hunt for members of the S.T.A.R.S. squad.
To top it all off, Nemesis now has incredible healing abilities that will make the fight seem almost laughably unfair for players. You'll need to rely on more than just firepower to overcome this enemy. Stealth, weaponry, and strategy will all be required to make it out of Resident Evil 3 Remake alive. Good luck!
Resistance will not be part of the official canon
While not much is known about story specifics, Capcom has provided a fair amount of information about the mechanics of Resident Evil: Resistance.
Four players will work together as survivors attempting to escape from a fifth enemy player known as "Mastermind." This additional game promises to provide endless entertainment for players, but it's understandably confusing where the actual lore of Resident Evil is concerned. Thematically, Resistance looks like it fits perfectly with Resident Evil 3 Remake, and its ties to events in the rest of the Resident Evil universe make it seem canonically sound. Capcom, however, has made sure to specify that certain events in Resistance make it "impossible" to tie into the canon.
The nature of Resistance as a multiplayer survival game means each round you play is bound to leave a lot of loose ends. This isn't conducive to keeping lore nice and tidy. Without knowing exactly what happens in Resistance, it's difficult to say which elements of the game could be labeled as canon-compromising, but RE3 producer Peter Fabiono stated Resistance was bundled with Resident Evil 3 Remake simply because they're thematically similar and Resistance is considered an add-on gaming experience, not a standalone game.
The remake will be much more action-packed than the original
The modern technology available to game developers is prompting a lot of studios to remaster and remake some of their original works to better do the titles justice. With the immense success of Resident Evil 2 Remake, it was only a matter of time before Resident Evil 3 received the same treatment. Creators want to push platform capabilities to the limit to deliver an exciting new product to fans. This has led to a much more action-packed version of Resident Evil 3 than you might be used to. With an enemy like Nemesis, this approach makes sense.
In an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, producers Peter Fabiano and Masachika Kawata stated Resident Evil 3 Remake will have a lot more going on than the original game. It will also showcase more action than the Resident Evil 2 Remake. The producers cited this as a major reason for making changes to Jill Valentine's character design, as much of the action would be "awkward" in her original ensemble.
This also suggests the capabilities of modern consoles will be utilized for intense action sequences that will require a lot more from your machine than the original game demanded. Though the specifics remain unclear, the producers promised that the remake will stay true to the original game while offering those familiar with it something new and exciting to discover.
The remake will not have multiple endings
As the name suggests, Resident Evil 3 Remake will be a remake rather than a remaster. This means some things will be changed from the original game that fans are familiar with. While Capcom hasn't shared plans for any major overhauls of the plot, it will remove a rather significant element of the original: multiple endings.
Multiple endings in games are usually stem from a moral decision system like in Bioshock, or are simply the result of how you interact socially with those around you, like in Oxenfree. In the original Resident Evil 3, the decisions made when interacting with the game's antagonist affected the ending you received. If you chose to negotiate with or attack your antagonist at one point, your final boss battle would change. Other choices throughout the rest of the game also changed the ending you'd get.
In the new version of Resident Evil 3, Capcom has confirmed that these decisions will no longer yield multiple endings. Instead, it has established one united ending, which may disappoint some players. For those wishing the multiple endings had remained in place, Capcom has assured there are reasons for the change.
The fact that Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 2 take place simultaneously will be a much bigger factor in the remake, possibly accounting for why the multiple endings have been removed. Tying these two games even more closely together will help to unify the Resident Evil story and will undoubtedly give die-hard fans a few fun Easter egg moments. Capcom has remained mostly tight-lipped on the exact ways the second and third games will intertwine, but has promised the end result will be exceptional.
Capcom may be trying to fix the Resident Evil timeline
Capcom has been transparent about the fact Resident Evil 3 Remake will diverge from the original source material. In Resident Evil 3, choices you made early on determined whether another character saved you at the end of the game, or if you just saved yourself. These choices also determined the fate of Nikolai. This had major ramifications for other games since a dead character shouldn't canonically show up alive and well in a sequel.
By eliminating multiple endings and giving players one distinct story conclusion, Capcom may be trying to fix the Resident Evil timeline. Due to the abundance of loosely tied together spinoffs and main entries, the Resident Evil storyline has become a tangled mess. Add to that the multiple endings available in the original Resident Evil 3 and you're just asking to create a space-time paradox. Attempting to follow the timeline when some games take place both before and after other games simultaneously can be a daunting task.
One unified timeline set up by the remakes and established through all Resident Evil lore would be incredibly helpful. Hopefully, the exclusion of multiple endings from Resident Evil 3 Remake means Capcom is aware of the confusing and sometimes contradictory timeline and is working to make it a bit more user-friendly.
RE3 Remake is double the file size of RE2 Remake
Most new releases in the gaming world these days contain large files. These games can eat up space on your hard drive faster than Nemesis can hunt down Jill Valentine. With many new games boasting a file size of about 80GB, what makes Resident Evil 3 Remake's 43.01GB so special? It's almost double the size of Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Resident Evil 3 Remake will revisit the same Raccoon City you saw in the second game, with a much larger area of exploration available. This heftier map size, combined with the fact Resident Evil 3 Remake will contain additional multiplayer content, explains why the file size will be so much bigger than the second installment.
The Resistance multiplayer game, while relatively small where the map is concerned, will take up a large chunk of the 43GB you'll have to dedicate to Resident Evil 3 Remake. So, if you don't have a lot of free space on your hard drive at the moment, you'd better do some spring cleaning before the game releases in April.
Russian model Sasha Zotova is the inspiration for Jill Valentine
Resident Evil darling Jill Valentine has received a major overhaul for Resident Evil 3 Remake. Capcom has replaced her less than practical tube top and miniskirt with clothes fit for an action hero, and her features are now much more distinct. While some fans have voiced their displeasure with the changes made to Jill and her appearance, others are happy to receive a heroine that looks like she can take care of herself ala Lara Croft.
The technological advancements used to make Jill look so realistic aren't the only elements at play with her new design, however. It has been revealed that Jill Valentine's face model is actually based on a real person: Russian model Sasha Zotova. The model took to her Instagram account to reveal to her 34 thousand followers that she was, in fact, the prototype for Jill Valentine. She went on to express her excitement to portray such a beloved character and thanked the fans for their support and kindness.
A new line of merchandise will accompany the remake
Resident Evil fans were excited to learn about new merchandise created for the release of the Resident Evil 2 Remake. When the remake first launched, Capcom teamed up with Numskull to create some highly coveted Resident Evil-themed pieces. Luckily, history is about to repeat itself. You'll be happy to know Capcom and Numskull have worked together to create new Resident Evil 3 Remake merch.
The items you can get your hands on include a S.T.A.R.S. collector's pin, an Umbrella metal badge mug, a triple pin badge set, a "Welcome to Raccoon City" mug, a S.T.A.R.S. snapback, a "Welcome to Raccoon City" snapback, and an Umbrella snapback. All of this exclusive merch will launch on April 3, 2020, the same date Resident Evil 3 Remake releases. With the merchandise that Capcom and Numskull already created for the launch of the Resident Evil 2 Remake, there are now about 25 Resident Evil-themed pieces fans can load up on.