Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
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| Resident Evil 3: Nemesis | |
|---|---|
 All of the covers (the North American PlayStation release is pictured) feature the Nemesis prominently. |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom Production Studio 4 |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom Eidos Interactive  |
| Designer(s) | Kazuhiro Aoyama (director), Shinji Mikami (producer) |
| Series | Resident Evil series |
| Release date(s) | Sony PlayStation: September 22, 1999 November 12, 1999 February 18, 2000Windows (PC): June 16, 2000 November 24, 2000 April 16, 2001Sega Dreamcast: November 16, 2000 November 17, 2000 December 22, 2000Nintendo GameCube: January 14, 2003 January 23, 2003 May 30, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M (Mature) BBFC: 15 |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PC, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube |
| Media | CD-ROM (PS, PC), GD-ROM (DC), GameCube Optical Disc (GC) |
| Input | Controller, Keyboard |
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (バイオハザード３ ラストエスケープ Biohazard 3: Last Escape?) is a game in the Resident Evil survival horror series. It was originally released in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation as the last game in the core series released on the platform and was subsequently ported to the Sega Dreamcast, PC and Nintendo GameCube.
Although it is the third numbered game in the series, the game is actually a “midquel”, with the first half of the game occurring 24 hours prior to Resident Evil 2 and the second half taking place the day after. The storyline expands upon the settings and events of the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City and concludes with the final fate of the city and its infected population.
The game's storyline was later used as the basis for the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The story takes place two months after the mansion lab incident in the first title. The player takes control of former S.T.A.R.S. operative Jill Valentine in her attempt to escape a ruined and zombie-infested Raccoon City. During her escape, she encounters three surviving members of the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service, Carlos Oliviera, Mikhail Victor and Nicholai Ginovaef. Mikhail is killed by Nemesis, an Umbrella bio-weapon and Jill Valentine escapes with Carlos Oliveria. Depending on the Players actions Nicholai also dies but a file in Gun Survivor 1 written after the incident by him, suggests letting him live is the cannonical ending.
Resident Evil: Nemesis was the last core title in the series to be released for the PlayStation and it was also the final Resident Evil game to take place in Raccoon City until the release of the online-enabled Resident Evil Outbreak. The city's fate is decisively resolved in the game's finale. The U.S. President orders a nuclear bombardment of Raccoon City and a nuclear missile is launched at the city. At this point in the game, Jill must escape the city in less than fifteen minutes. Resident Evil: Nemesis also is the first game in the series to talk about government investigation into the Umbrella Corporation, elaborated upon in the opening of Resident Evil 4.
[edit] Gameplay
The game takes place in Raccoon City and begins just a day before the events in Resident Evil 2 began (September 28). The story ends three days later on October 1. There are a number of inter-linking events between the two games.
The game's key feature is a new boss-like enemy: Nemesis, an experimental Tyrant model programmed by Umbrella to hunt down members of S.T.A.R.S. Nemesis has abilities similar to Jill's (he can run, use weapons, and has a dodge move), as well as being the first monster capable of pursuing the player from one area to the next. The creature is encountered several times throughout the game, in set-pieces, boss fights, and occasional random encounters as the player explores the city. Even if killed in combat (A difficult task) the Nemesis will eventually get up and continue the pursuit.
In a departure from the game's two predecessors, the player cannot select a character to play. Instead, the game is played almost entirely as Jill Valentine, although there is a short section in which the player controls UBCS operative Carlos Oliveira
There are some little improvements on the previous games. Resident Evil: Nemesis incorporates an emergency dodging move that allows the player to dodge enemy attacks, or even push zombies away if the player hits the action button a split second before the enemy's attack connects. The player can also turn around a full 180 degrees by pressing the back button with the run button quickly, another method of escaping the enemy. Enemies can actually follow the player up or down stairs, as most staircases no longer require the action button to climb or descend.
The game also features a unique ammunition creation system in which new ammunition can be created from gun powder through the bullet casing reload tool, or by combining different types of ammunition. Players can also shoot oil drums or bombs located in certain areas resulting in a small explosion that can kill nearby enemies. The game also incorporates a randomization feature in which item and enemy placement, as well as puzzle solutions and cutscenes, change during gameplay.
Another new addition is the Mine Thrower, an experimental weapon filling a role similar to CODE: Veronica's bowgun with flame rounds. The Mine Thrower can also be loaded with enhanced mine rounds which have the ability to follow enemies.
During certain points of the game, the screen will turn white and the player will enter a Live Selection mode, in which they're prompted to choose between one of two possible actions (not choosing either is also a third choice), each affecting the direction the story takes. There is only a limited amount of time to choose before the player will have to face the adversary.
[edit] Differences between versions
There have been three ports of Resident Evil: Nemesis since the initial PlayStation version for the following platforms: Sega Dreamcast, PC and Nintendo GameCube. The differences between them are minimal compared to other games. The Dreamcast and PC versions allow the player to choose Jill's outfit in the main game right from the start without going to the boutique. There are two additional outfits not in the PlayStation version. The "Operation: Mad Jackal" minigame is also available right from the start, with the added function of posting scores online on Capcom's official website (this feature has since been discontinued). The Dreamcast version also allows players to view their character's current health via a VMU. The GameCube version is a direct port of the PlayStation with no added content, with the exception of an increased framerate for FMV scenes.
[edit] Music
The original 2-disc soundtrack CD for Resident Evil 3 was composed by Masami Ueda & Saori Maeda, and was released on September 22, 1999.
[edit] Novelization
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| First edition cover | |
| Author | S. D. Perry |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Resident Evil |
| Genre(s) | Horror |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Released | October 3, 2000 |
| Media Type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 288 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-671-78496-X |
| Preceded by | Underworld |
| Followed by | Code Veronica |
S.D. Perry's novelization of Nemesis was the fifth book in her series of Resident Evil novels. The novelization stays true to the game's outline in most respects, although the author choose to ignore some of discrepancies between the game and her previous novels, such as Jill's decision to stay in Raccoon City (instead of going to Europe like she did in City of the Dead) and the destruction of Raccoon City at the end of the story. One discrepancy that is explained in the book is the sudden existence of Raccoon's Mayor Warren. In the novel, it is explained that Mayor Warren is the former mayor, whereas Mayor Harris is the current mayor in Perry's series.
However, like Perry's novelizations, there are additional new materials and scenes not depicted in the game, as well as a few differences. The recurring novel-only character of Trent (a Perry original) befriends Carlos prior to his mission in Raccoon and provides him with information before setting off. The novel also suggests that Nicholai intended to kill Mikhail out of jealousy for outranking him and the injury Mikhail suffered was because of him. In the game, Jill and Carlos decides to leave Uptown through the cable car without Nicholai, believing that he died in a zombie attack, whereas in the book, they become aware of Nicholai's treacherous nature beforehand and decide to leave the city without him. The character of Murphy Seeker is missing in the novelization, although a new character named Randy Thomas serves a similar role in the novel. Tyrell Patrick (one of the Supervisors or Watchdogs, as they're referred in the novel) is renamed Ken Franklin and his backstory differs greatly from the official one.
The novelization ends the story with Nicholai getting killed by the Nemesis, while Carlos and Jill escape from the city without outside help. This is only one of three possible outcomes in the game.
