The Resident Evil 3 Remake made several changes to the original game. This includes the gameplay, a graphical overhaul and story changes. Here are some of the best and worst changes that were made in the remake. Be warned that this list will contain spoilers for the game!
Best: Opening Sequence
This sequence shows early on how much of a threat Nemesis is
In the original game, you don’t get to see much of the initial outbreak, or Jill witnessing it first-hand. In the Remake, thanks to an almost immediate introduction of Nemesis, Jill has to escape her apartment in the opening sequence, and afterwards gets thrown into the middle of the panic in Racoon City.
Worst: Boss Fight Variety
Two of the Nemesis fights have almost the exact same gimmick
While Nemesis got a much more creative redesign for his second form, the two fights with this form didn’t have much different from one another. Both involved him running against the walls of the arena, and you must knock him down before he jumps on you. In addition, the remake also removes the Grave Digger boss, the only boss fight that was not Nemesis in the original game.
Best: More Tyrell Development
We get to know Tyrell much more in the remake
Tyrell wasn’t much of a character in the original Resident Evil 3. Back then, he was in a single scene in the hospital, where he was quickly blown up. Now Tyrell becomes much more fleshed out, as he accompanies Carlos throughout the game, and assists Jill later in the hospital. While he does still end up dying, you do get to know him much more beforehand.
Worst: More Scripted Nemesis
Nemesis barely uses his iconic rocket launcher in this game
A big part of what made Nemesis a threat in the original Resident Evil 3 was that he was a constant threat for much of the game, being able to come out of nowhere and without warning. While this can still happen in the remake, the length of the game where this occurs is significantly reduced. Nemesis will basically only stalk you this way while you are in the outer Racoon City. Once you escape to the subway to evacuate, the rest of the encounters with Nemesis are completely scripted, removing the sense of the unknown.
Best: RPD Sequence
The reason Brad was kept out of the RE2 Remake is revealed in this game
One of the major changes in the Resident Evil 3 Remake was the RPD section. Originally, this was the first place Jill goes to, and where she meets Nemesis for the first time. Now, this happens later in the game, and Carlos is the one who travels here. Not only does this add more time we get to play as Carlos, but there are many details and Easter eggs tying this game to the remake of Resident Evil 2. This includes showing how Marvin was bit, how a few of the dead officers in the RPD ended up the way they did and showing why there’s a giant hole in the bathroom wall.
Worst: Cut Content
The clocktower is now only seen, and never explored
By far the worst change to the remake is the amount of content that was cut from the original game. Entire areas, such as the clocktower and the Racoon City park, are completely absent. Even worse, they removed all the branching choices and the Mercenaries mode, taking away a lot of the replayability from the original game.
With all the changes to the remake, the story is more fleshed out, but the game is a shorter experience overall. A full playthrough will take an average of around 6 hours, with harder difficulties and a special shop unlocking once you finish the game.
