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Rating: Awesome Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a lot like Final Fantasy 8 in that neither game is anywhere near as innovative as their predecessors, but they are still two of the best games of the year. One thing that is noticeably missing in Resident Evil 3 (besides Barry Burton) is the cheese factor that was oh-so-apparent in the original game. The cheesy voice acting and dialogue were one of the biggest things that made the Resident Evil series so lovable initially. Now Capcom has thrown all of that out the window in exchange for being more serious and professional. This stance doesn't make sense because it's very possible to have it both ways. Resident Evil 1 is proof that a survival horror game can be extremely cheesy, funny, and scary all at the same time. There's no good reason why Resident Evil 3 couldn't have been cheesy, funny, and scary instead of just scary. The gameplay mechanics in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis are virtually identical to the mechanics in Resident Evil 1 and 2. Some major innovation would have been nice, although I guess I would prefer a re-hash over a game that tries to change the series too much and screws it up. As it is, Resident Evil 3 is better than any survival horror game in any other series, but it can also seem very stale at times. The same old gameplay formula is still great, but after almost four years, it's starting to show its age and grow a little tiresome. So, if it's just a re-hash, what keeps Resident Evil 3 from falling to a Good or even an Average rating? I'll tell you what: The Nemesis, a bio- chemical weapon created by Umbrella Corporation who stalks you and other STARS members constantly through the game. Imagine what Resident Evil 1 would have been like if the Tyrant had stalked you throughout the entire game, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what it's like to play Resident Evil 3. The challenge that takes up most of the game isn't trying to kill the Nemesis (since trying to do that early on is almost suicidal), it is simply trying to stay alive despite the Nemesis' constant attacks. Unlike zombies and hell hounds, the Nemesis is smart enough to know how to open doors, and so he can (and does) stalk you from room to room. Because of this, escaping from the Nemesis isn't just a matter of getting to a door before he kills you like it is with all the other enemies. You have to keep running from the Nemesis until you're pretty sure you've lost him, and even then he's probably closer than you think and just waiting for the right moment to pounce on you. It's not just the element of surprise when he shows up that makes the Nemesis so scary, because he's just as scary when you know when he's coming and where he's coming from. The Nemesis is the main thing that earned Resident Evil 3 its Awesome rating, but there's a lot more to like about the game than just the Nemesis. The music is spookier than ever, and the graphics are still some of the best the PlayStation has to offer. The Easy Mode is nice because it allowed Capcom to make the Hard Mode as hard as they wanted, while still not running the risk of alienating newcomers to the series. The increased emphasis on action and the decreased emphasis on puzzles is also a welcome change. The now-standard zombie enemies are tougher and quicker than ever before, but this is balanced by the fact that you've now got a quick dodge button and a quick 180-degree turn at your disposal. As tough as the zombies are in Resident Evil 3, they're not really frightening to me because I've already killed hundreds of them in previous Resident Evil games. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a very entertaining and scary game, but it's just not as entertaining or fresh as the original Resident Evil was in 1996. It's still worth buying, but just barely. Send your thoughts on this review to ivan@mastergamer.com
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