After the incredible success of last year’s Resident Evil 2 Remake, it’s no surprise that Capcom would move ahead with a remake of Resident Evil 3 in the same vein. Now that the remake is so close to releasing, Capcom released a “Raccoon City Demo” for the game. It’s not long, but if the demo is any indication, it’s going to be a gorgeous and terrifying blast to step back into the (remade) world of survival horror.
The Raccoon City Demo picks up with Jill Valentine meeting Mikhail Victor on a stationary subway train. After being told to head up to Raccoon City, Jill emerges from underground to face off against the many shambling zombies that infest the city. In order to progress through an alley that is completely ablaze, Jill has to solve a variety of puzzles while avoiding and battling against zombies using limited ammunition and herbs. Towards the end, Nemesis appears, filling the rest of the demo with sheer terror and panicked exclamations.
If you never played the original Resident Evil 3, Nemesis is a huge, hulking biological weapon who wears a black leather trenchcoat and has a body that is the definition of “body horror.” He’s similar to Resident Evil 2’s Mr. X, but inherently more haunting to look at thanks to his deformed visage and seemingly endless lethal tendrils. Nemesis has an iconic and horrific design, and the Resident Evil 3 Remake seems to have adapted it to modern visuals flawlessly. The entire time that Nemesis was present in the demo, I felt uncomfortable at best, and incredibly scared at worst. You can’t kill him, and he’s only stunned by grenades and shotgun rounds for so long, so his constant oppressive presence thankfully seems to be present and even amped up in the Remake.
Outside of Nemesis encounters, there’s a somber sense of dread that fills every nook and cranny of Raccoon City. Finding notes from (late) survivors is always pleasantly depressing, but it’s the aesthetic of the ruined stores and desecrated streets that really sell the feeling of hopelessness that is so pungent in the demo. This is one case where updated visuals do wonders for the atmosphere of the game, and since Resident Evil 3 already had a great vibe to it, the Remake seems as though it just makes it even more suffocating.
Running out of ammo, having to juggle item slots in your inventory, and praying that this last shot or stab will kill the zombie in front of you are all wonderfully stressful situations that are abundant here, as are the convoluted but understandable puzzles that Resident Evil does so well.
All-in-all, the Raccoon City Demo has me even more excited for the Resident Evil 3 Remake. It takes everything scary about the original game and mixes it with all the best aspects of the Resident Evil 2 Remake. I can’t wait to play the whole game while clenching my teeth and swearing, and I hope this leads to a similar Code Veronica remake.
