Resident Evil 3 is somewhat different ground for me, as far as the remakes go.
The HD/Remaster of the first game kind of retained the feel of the original, but because it was based on the GameCube version instead of the original PlayStation: it’s not my childhood. Or should we say the main thing that irked me about the game was virtually all my vague-memories of where the key items are, and the various puzzles, were rendered useless. As a kid, my brother bought Resident Evil when it first came out.
Needless to say I remember when the the Dual Shock and Director’s Cut editions were released as well, lol. More than a bit of my childhood went to watching my older brother play video games, and getting to try them as well.
Resident Evil 2 is a more stable territory for a remake of sorts. I watched my brother play part of the game’s RPD portion, and got filled in by a friend about the rest of the story with the Birkins and such. But I never played it much myself. So I kind of approached the remake with more open eyes, and a curiosity for how it turned out. Was glad for the modernized action, but it still retaining the strong emphasis on survival/horror that Resident Evil spawned as a genre. Not to mention the obtuse puzzles and hidden items, lol.
I enjoyed the RE2 remake enough to create pretty extensive notes. Largely built from wandering around trying to remember where an item was and which you need to acquire in order to reach that key item.
So we can say that I didn’t care for the first but loved the second remake. Enter Resident Evil 3!
When Resident Evil 3 came out I was already done. My brother was hyped at the demo but I didn’t get involved, and he having moved out by then, I didn’t watch either. Most of what I remember about the game comes from thumbing through his strategy guide like twenty years ago. Seems like the greater focus on action was retained. Having not played the original beyond the demo disc, I don’t know if the “I’m too busy running from freaking zombies to be worried about puzzles” style aligns that well but it creates a very different experience from RE2 despite much the same technology and mechanics. I was really shocked when I found the use for the jewels hidden around the city was more like cash for a vending machine than a key plot device.
Must say that I loved the weird assed door comments when Carlos first sees one of the RPD special key doors. Whoever designed the Racoon City Police Department with the puzzle defense in depth would probably have gotten along with the security group at the Spencer mansion from the original game. Encountering the violating effects of the spiders at the power substation, also made me reflect upon both the super sized sewer mutants in RE2, and on how Jill’s original campaign was crafted. I remember well that Chris was stronger, sturdier in a fight but Jill began with useful tools and received more help (and occasional sabotage) along the way.
I kind of wonder if some of RE3’s campaign reflects upon how she was designed to be the “Easier” route in the mansion, and jack things up because only a Bad Ass Jill Valentine could survive Racoon City. And with my luck by the time I reach the hospital phase it’ll either be knee deep in the dead, or designed by the bastard that did the Chess plug puzzle in RE2.
Actually reading the note about the portable generators in the city was kind of nice. Seems the electrician’s guild is less full of pricks than the engineering company that did the sewers in RE2. Yes, I really hated the fuse puzzle. RE3’s giant battery packs the size of a cordless phone are practical for the sewer’s electronic security system. The magic fuses shaped like chess plugs however is just far too damned much work to be practical, on top of it being a bad idea for maintenance. But video game puzzles don’t have to reflect real life, lol.
