Resident Evil 3 improves on the same old formula, but keeps things fresh. This time things get more intense.
You play as Jill in Resident Evil 3. Instead of the multi-perspective storyline we're used to, the game gives us only one disc and one perspective; Jill's. But, to make up for the lack of a second character to see the story through, we get a branching storyline that has some choices that unexpectedly affect exploration, certain story moments and ending of the game. This encourages just as much replay value as a second character perspective would. It works well, and the characters we meet and situations we go through experience much more of an explosive (literally) appeal.
The gameplay adds a very hit and miss (once again, literally) dodging mechanic that is helpful in certain situations, but isn't too groundbreaking. Plus, we can now manufacture our own ammo by collecting key items to do so. This feels like a simply tacked-on element to only increase gameplay depth. It only takes a little extra time to do, and they may as well just place the actual ammo rather than the gun powders needed.The puzzles are much more fun and comprehensible and have reached their point of perfection in the Resident Evil series during this title, as far as I'm concerned. The combat is about the same, which is of course good for the genre, and the items are pretty much the same as we're used to. Nemesis' sudden appearances may be a treat or a burden depending on the player, as they are very unexpected, and often. Sometimes you may not be prepared since defeating Nemesis in these situations is genuinely hard. This is one way to get a game over screen as fast as possible. The crammed areas do not help with combat or boss battles. Nemesis always seems to show up in the smallest of corridors and can cause a very frustrating wrestling match.
The graphics, mainly the character models are much improved. We see some brand new zombie models, and the scary boss enemies (like Nemesis) are frightening and barely look like a block of nasty-coloured pixels. The FMV (pre-rendered videos) sequences are the best in the series so far, with some great animations and graphics. We finally get a more cinematic and explosive feel while watching them.
The good:
-Improved visuals that compliment the game impressively.
-Some action-packed, cinematic scenes that will blow anyone away.
-Interesting choice system that branches the story in different ways.
-Better voice acting to provide a more convincing and enjoyable storyline.
-Great atmosphere and feel of the city.
-The best accessible puzzles the series has seen. You actually can figure out how to do them now.
The bad:
-Gameplay additions are fairly tacked-on and not very helpful.
-Nemesis appearances may be frustrating and impossible for those who aren't hardcore Resident Evil fans.
-Some unneccessary gameplay stretches simply to add to the game's length.
In the end, Resident Evil 3 seems to deserve an 8.1/10 for being a successful sequel that offers much to those continuing the series from Resident Evil 1 and 2. Absolutely a classic.