Nemesis is a Fitting Swansong to PS1 Era

Of all the franchises that got their start during the 5th console generation courtesy of the Sony PlayStation, few have had the lasting impact of Resident Evil. Aside from being one of the first horror game series to have mainstream crossover success, Resident Evil helped name the genre it belonged to, coining the term “Survival Horror” even if it wasn’t technically the first game to adhere to its tenets. But while a lot of attention is normally paid to the first entry and its timeless sequel, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis tends to get lost in the shuffle.

Originally released 25 years ago today, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis would foreshadow many elements that players would come to love about both Resident Evil – CODE: Veronica and Resident Evil 4. Interestingly, the title was developed by a sort of “B Team” within Capcom. At the same time, Resident Evil 2 director (and future Platinum Games founder) Hideki Kamiya worked on what would become Resident Evil 4, with series creator Shinji Mikami overseeing the production of RE3. It’s a bombastic, action-packed thrill ride, and the innovations it brings to the table make it one of the more surprising entries in the series, helping it stand the test of time as a fitting cap to the PS1 trilogy.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Introduced Several Future Series Mainstays

For all the ways that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis feels like a solid conclusion to a trilogy of incredibly similar games, the amount of innovations it brought to the Resident Evil formula shouldn’t be overlooked. While the game does still abide by the classic “tank” controls that continue to be players’ single largest gripe about the original PS1 trilogy, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is the first game in the series to introduce the “quick 180” turn, forever changing the way future games would handle movement and combat.

In addition to smoother movement and more options for dealing with numerous threats at once, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis also introduced something that would become a major mechanic in the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes (as well as Resident Evil 7 and 8): ammo crafting. For the first time in the series, players had more than just standard ammo pick-ups to rely on and could gather three different types of Gunpowder to store in the game’s boxes. In a pinch, players could craft extra ammo, making Resident Evil 3: Nemesis feel like it strikes a perfect balance between the series’ traditional difficulty and a more action-oriented tone.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis’ ‘Fight or Flight’ Moments Are One of the Series’ Best Tricks

The inventory and movement mechanics that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis introduced are one thing, but the Live Selection segments from the PS1 original (which were unfortunately cut from the game for the 2020 remake) are what set it apart when stacked against its two amazing predecessors. These choice-based segments gave the player a split-second chance to decide to face Nemesis or flee from him, with the choice to fight leading to increased risk but the opportunity to snag some incredible rewards.

The Resident Evil 3 remake retains much of the original’s more action-oriented approach to combat and scenario design, but its cutting of the Live Selection moments in favor of fixed encounters with Nemesis is one of the things that makes it feel somewhat lesser than the original. Seeing as how the game’s events run concurrent to those of Resident Evil 2, it’s understandable that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis may be viewed by some as a non-essential part of the RE canon. But to miss out on the original’s excellent scripted events, great gunplay, and impressive series innovations means missing out on an excellent swansong to the era that birthed the series in the first place.