Capcom recently let loose some new information on the Resident Evil 3 remake that's coming out in April. The remake will have improved Nemesis AI that will make the game even more terrifying than it used to be. This is to be expected from a game that is coming out 20 years after the original, but the way RE3 is changing Nemesis sounds like it is going to be a game changer.
Capcom is building off the AI technology it used last year to make Resident Evil 2’s encounters Mr. X some of the scariest video game moments of the year. Game producer Peter Fabiano said that Nemesis will be free to roam around the RE3 remake’s version of Raccoon City and also confirmed that the map will be larger than the areas in Resident Evil 2.
The changes to Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 will be arguably more significant than any other change to the controls, puzzles, or story. Having an AI that is constantly lurking somewhere in the shadows and can pop out literally any time? That might just be the promise of Nemesis in RE3. Nemesis as a living, breathing being that exists wherever the player is and could be on the other side of the map or in the very next room.
In 2019's Resident Evil 2 remake, the tyrant stalking the player, the fashionable Mr. X, would appear in certain sections but wasn't actually present throughout a majority of the game. In many sections, there was no fear he would show up. It seems like Resident Evil 3 is attempting to make the Nemesis a more omnipresent force throughout the game than Mr. X was in RE2.
This improvement to the AI would make the gameplay experience way more unpredictable. Each playthrough of the game could change drastically based on when Nemesis chooses to attack. If he catches the player at a rough time, it could make the next handful of hours of game way more tense. It could also give the game a more randomized feel, similar to a rogue-like take on the Resident Evil formula. It is safe to assume the player would be okay during some more story-heavy moments of the game and set pieces, especially as the game is more action-heavy than its predecessor, but that doesn't mean players should just let their guard down. There's also likely to be encounters with Nemesis that are more like traditional staged boss fights.
The developers also recently revealed the game will be "more action-packed" than RE2 was. This makes perfect sense considering the fact that the original Resident Evil 3 was more action packed than the game that came before it. RE3 was always a bridge to a new action focus for the series. The game gave players an assault rifle pretty much from the get-go and even the opening areas included way more combat and encouraged them by being more generous with ammo and items. Even narratively, the tone was shifting away from campy horror and into the even more overtly campy action tone the series eventually became known for in the later titles.
The original Resident Evil 3 still maintained the tank controls and fixed camera angles of the very first game, even if it introduced more movement options. The game was trying to break out of its shell, while still appealing to fans of the originals. The choice to take a more action-oriented approach in this remake is facilitated by an over-the-shoulder camera, which was used in the RE2 remake, but first seen in Resident Evil 4. The over-the-shoulder camera was a way to still convey the tension and limited perspective of the fixed camera angles while allowing the focus to be on the shooting. In RE2, the gunplay was response and sharp. It is easy to see Capcom making a more action-focused game on this engine. Clearly, the engine was designed to be flexible and allow for a balance of tense horror and tight action.
What the Nemesis AI improvement means most of all for Resident Evil 3 is that it will be unlike any RE game that has come before it. The mix of action and horror, with Nemesis stalking the player for what sounds like a majority of the game time, feels like it will give fans of the franchise the best of both worlds. Of course, this could also lead to the game becoming to unpredictable or frustrating if Nemesis makes the game to difficult for some players. Additionally, the action-focus could throw off the balance that Resident Evil 2 so successfully mastered.
RE2 felt great to play but also focused on resource management and played around with ideas of scarcity and constantly shifting the power balance. If RE3 is less hand-crafted will it be as tight of an experience as Resident Evil 2 or will it lack that pitch-perfect pace? With such a large element of the game relying on chance, the game experience might not reach the consistent highs of RE2. Hopefully, Resident Evil fans will get a game that will be the best of both worlds.
Resident Evil 3 will be out on April 3 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.