It has been over a year since Capcom released the remake of Resident Evil 3, and unlike its predecessor, the game never got any post-launch DLC apart from some outfits and special items. However, it appears that Capcom is still not finished with the Resident Evil 3 Remake just yet, given that players discovered that the studio has been updating the game's page recently.
While it is possible that Capcom may just be updating something on the game's backend, it is also possible that the developer has plans to introduce a new DLC to the remake, especially after it received mixed reviews. Unlike the remake of Resident Evil 2, Capcom did cut a lot of locations and iconic cutscenes in Resident Evil 3. So it is possible that the rumored update may either be the studio's way of bringing them back in or compensating for the cut content by introducing a new story DLC that focuses on some of Resident Evil 3's supporting characters.
Resident Evil 3 Director's Cut
One of the biggest criticisms that fans voiced upon the release of the Resident Evil 3 Remake is the absence of locations and iconic moments from the original game. For example, players who have played the original Resident Evil 3 would know that S.T.A.R.S. member Brad Vickers met his tragic death in the hands of Nemesis. However, Brad was merely killed by zombies in the remake and made his way to the R.P.D. to infect Marvin Branagh from Resident Evil 2.
While this scene does a brilliant job explaining how Marvin got infected, it still would have been nice to see Jill enter the R.P.D. and witness Brad get maimed by Nemesis, which Capcom could do by releasing a Director's Cut version of the game.
Of course, a Director's Cut version of Resident Evil 3 could potentially bring back much of the cut content from the original game. Apart from bringing back Brad's iconic death scene, Capcom could also bring back some locations missing from the game, such as the inside of the Clock Tower, the Raccoon City Park, and the Dead Factory. However, while a Director's Cut version of Resident Evil 3 could enhance the existing remake, this prospect is highly unlikely given that Capcom would be changing a lot from the remake, which could pose consistency problems in terms of the story that has already been established.
Resident Evil 3 Story DLC Focusing on Minor Characters
However, while a Director's Cut version of Resident Evil 3 is unlikely, players can still expect one thing from the rumored update, which is a story DLC similar to Resident Evil 2's Ghost Survivors. It is worth remembering that shortly after the release of the Resident Evil 2 Remake, Capcom added the Ghost Survivors DLC, which introduced what-if scenarios revolving around some of the game's supporting and minor characters such as the Mayor's Daughter, the owner of the gunshop Kendo, and the Umbrella operative HUNK.
Similarly, Resident Evil 3 has many supporting characters that could benefit from a story DLC. For starters, the DLC could let players control U.B.C.S. operative Mikhail Viktor, showing how he arrived in Raccoon City and what has transpired shortly after that wiped out most of his team, leaving him wounded. Additionally, the DLC could also show the perspective of U.B.C.S. operative Murphy before Nikolai shot him, or what happened to the citizen Dario Rosso after his encounter with Jill.
However, one of the most interesting characters that a DLC could explore further is Nikolai. Nikolai served as the main antagonist in the main campaign, and is often seen in the shadows doing Umbrella's bidding. It would be interesting to see how Nikolai killed Dr. Bard, what he did after seeing Jill infected by the T-Virus, and whether or not he managed to escape Raccoon City after Jill and Carlos left with the helicopter he was supposed to use.
Resident Evil 3 Mercenaries Mode
Lastly, Capcom may also be bringing back the iconic Mercenaries game mode in the original Resident Evil 3. Similar to the original, the Mercenaries Mode could let players control members of the U.B.C.S. to make their way from one end of Raccoon City to the other in the fastest way possible. The Mercenaries Mode could also bring back other characters from the Resident Evil franchise, such as Chris Redfield, Albert Wesker, Rebecca Chambers, Barry Burton, and even Lady Dimitrescu. In the end, it remains to be seen what the recent activity in the game's Steam page really means, but it would certainly be exciting to see Resident Evil 3 receive new content.
Resident Evil 3 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.