Resident Evil 3 is a 2020 survival horror game created and released by Capcom. It is a remake of the 1999 game Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. In the game, players take control of Jill Valentine, a former S.T.A.R.S police officer, and Carlos Oliveira, a mercenary, as they search for a vaccine and escape a city during a zombie outbreak. The game is played from a third-person view, and players must fight monsters, solve puzzles, and avoid being chased by a genetically engineered creature called the Nemesis. It was first released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in April 2020. Later versions were released for Amazon Luna, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in June 2022. A Nintendo Switch cloud version came out in November 2022, and an Apple version (for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS) was released in March 2025.
Most of Resident Evil 3 was developed at the same time as the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2. Both games use Capcom's RE Engine. While the story follows the same main idea as the original game, many parts were changed or removed to focus on a clearer storyline. To match the original game’s more action-focused style, developers improved movement speed and animations from the Resident Evil 2 remake and added the ability to dodge attacks. Because some features from the original game were not included, a separate online multiplayer game called Resident Evil: Resistance was included with Resident Evil 3.
Critics generally gave the game positive reviews, praising its story, tense atmosphere, and graphics. Some criticism focused on the game’s short length and the fact that many elements from the original version were missing. Some critics were disappointed by the increased focus on action and planned scenes. By September 2025, the game had sold 10.2 million copies.
Gameplay
Resident Evil 3 is a survival horror game that uses a third-person perspective. The player controls Jill Valentine, a main character from the Resident Evil series, for most of the game. Some parts require the player to control Carlos Oliveira briefly. The player explores the environment to open doors, climb ladders, and collect items. Collected items are stored in an inventory, which can be accessed anytime. Items in the inventory can be used, examined, or combined to solve puzzles and unlock new areas. Maps can be collected to show unexplored sections on the automap, which displays the player’s location and indicates if items remain to be collected. Cutscenes with quick time events are included regularly to advance the story.
As the player progresses, computer-controlled monsters will try to stop the player. The player can use various weapons, such as combat knives, guns, and grenades. Some weapons can be modified with extra parts to improve their performance. A creature named Nemesis is the main enemy and chases the player during key moments. Nemesis becomes stronger as the player defeats him in multiple battles. The player has health points that decrease when Jill or Carlos is hurt. On harder difficulty settings, ammo and health items are harder to find, and avoiding fights is often better. Jill can dodge close-range attacks, while Carlos can use melee attacks to slow enemies. If Jill or Carlos dies, the player must restart from the last save point.
After completing the game on the highest difficulty, two additional difficulty modes can be unlocked. These modes disable automatic saves, make enemies stronger, change some encounters, and rearrange item locations. Completing the game for the first time unlocks an item shop in the main menu, where players can spend points to get better weapons, healing items, and other helpful tools. Points are earned by completing challenges, such as finding weapon upgrades or destroying hidden Charlie dolls. Unlocking these items is necessary to complete the game’s most difficult modes.
Plot
On September 28, 1998, one day before the events of Resident Evil 2, most people in Raccoon City have become zombies due to an outbreak of the T-virus. This virus, which changes living things, was secretly created by the medicine company Umbrella. Jill Valentine, a former member of the Raccoon Police Department's Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.), is attacked in her apartment by a bioweapon called the Nemesis T-Type. This weapon was designed by Umbrella to kill remaining S.T.A.R.S. members. Before joining forces with another S.T.A.R.S. officer, Brad Vickers, who is later killed by zombies, Jill escapes the Nemesis. She is then rescued by Carlos Oliveira, a mercenary from the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service (U.B.C.S.). Carlos explains that he and other surviving U.B.C.S. mercenaries—Mikhail Victor, Tyrell Patrick, and Nicholai Ginovaef—have set up subway trains to help civilians leave the city. Jill helps restore power to the subway and boards a train with Nicholai and Mikhail, while Carlos and Tyrell stay behind to find Dr. Nathaniel Bard, an Umbrella scientist who may have created a vaccine for the T-virus.
Later, Mikhail suspects Nicholai because their group was attacked by zombies. Nemesis attacks the train, killing the civilians. Nicholai betrays Jill and Mikhail, locking them out of the train. Mikhail sacrifices himself by exploding a device that derails the train. Meanwhile, Carlos and Tyrell reach the police department, believing Bard is at the S.T.A.R.S. office. They learn the scientist is at a nearby hospital. Carlos contacts Jill, who survived the crash after escaping a mutated Nemesis. She defeats the creature but becomes infected with the T-virus and loses consciousness. Carlos finds Jill the next day and takes her to the hospital, hoping to find a cure. There, he learns that Bard was killed, and a video from the scientist reveals that Umbrella’s leaders are destroying vaccines and hiding evidence of the T-virus. After Carlos gives Jill Bard’s vaccine, Tyrell discovers the U.S. government plans to destroy Raccoon City with a missile strike to eliminate the T-virus. Carlos goes to a lab under the hospital to find more vaccines, while Tyrell tries to stop the missile strike.
Jill wakes on October 1, the day of the missile strike, and joins Carlos at the lab. Tyrell tells her the U.S. government will stop the missiles if a vaccine is retrieved from the lab within hours. Nemesis kills Tyrell soon after, but Jill successfully creates a vaccine. She also learns that Nicholai works for an unknown contractor to sabotage Umbrella’s efforts while collecting data on Umbrella’s bioweapons, including Nemesis. Nicholai tries to take the vaccine from Jill but is forced to leave her to fight Nemesis. Jill defeats Nemesis with a railgun and confronts Nicholai on a helipad. Nicholai destroys the vaccine, saying the city’s fate does not matter as long as he is paid for his work. Carlos stops Nicholai, and Jill injures him. Disgusted by his greed, Jill escapes the city with Carlos in a helicopter, leaving Nicholai behind. As the missile strike destroys Raccoon City, Jill promises to fight Umbrella no matter the cost.
Development
Capcom created Resident Evil 3 as a remake of the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, which was released for PlayStation in 1999. The idea to remake the game came after Capcom began working on the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2. Since Capcom had previously remastered the 2002 remake of the original Resident Evil in 2015, they aimed to complete the trilogy. K2 Inc, along with external companies Red Works and M-Two (founded by former PlatinumGames CEO Tatsuya Minami), helped with development. Kiyohiko Sakata, a veteran from PlatinumGames who worked on the first four Resident Evil games, directed the project. While development for Resident Evil 3 and the Resident Evil 2 remake did not start at the same time, both projects overlapped significantly. As a result, both games use similar technologies and run on Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine.
Some original game developers participated in the remake, helping to reimagine Raccoon City’s appearance. Because Resident Evil 3 takes place nearly at the same time as Resident Evil 2, the team decided to connect the two stories more closely than in the originals. Improving the story’s pace and character development, especially the relationship between Jill and Carlos, was a major focus. Jill was designed to be strong and capable of surviving difficult situations, while Carlos was made to feel like her true ally. Their outfits were changed to reflect these traits—Jill wore more practical clothing, and Carlos had a rougher appearance. Capcom used the likeness of Russian model Sasha Zotova for Jill’s facial design. To honor the original game’s action-focused style, the team improved movement speed and animations from the Resident Evil 2 remake, adding a counter action that lets players automatically aim at an opponent’s head after dodging an attack.
The design of Nemesis went through several changes. While the art team kept the character’s original concept, they redesigned it to fit a more realistic setting. One major change was that Nemesis now wears bodybags instead of clothes. According to the game’s director, Kiyohiko Sakata, this choice showed that “Nemesis is not a completed model, but a prototype.” Sakata explained in an interview that the new attire was meant to look like “restrictive gear hastily created to contain him.” The game’s producer, Peter Fabiano, said the redesign helped the remake “keep the original game’s essence while updating it.” Initially, Sakata wanted Nemesis to actively hunt the player, but after seeing the Resident Evil 2 team’s approach to the Tyrant, he changed the design. Nemesis was given improved artificial intelligence, allowing him to use weapons, grab Jill with his tentacles, and jump long distances to appear near her. The team wanted players to feel constantly pursued but also included moments of relief, showing that Jill could defeat him.
Although Resident Evil 3 follows the same basic story as the original, many parts were rearranged, especially compared to the Resident Evil 2 remake. Some locations from the original, such as the clock tower, graveyard, park, and city hall, were removed. However, the game’s storytelling and dialogue were expanded to create a more consistent narrative. Carlos plays a more important role in the remake. The original game’s multiple endings and live choices were removed in favor of a more focused story. The Mercenaries – Operation: Mad Jackal mode, which involved escaping the city within a time limit, was also excluded. Instead, Capcom bundled Resident Evil 3 with Resident Evil: Resistance, an online multiplayer game developed by NeoBards, a Taiwanese company. By January 2020, about 90% of the game was complete, with final adjustments remaining. The total development time for the game was three years.
Marketing and release
Resident Evil 3 was officially announced during a live presentation by Sony on December 10, 2019, after development of the game had been mentioned by several sources. A hint about the game was later added to the Resident Evil 2 remake through an update, which gave players an achievement if they found and read a letter left by Jill in the game. A demo version of the game was released on March 19, 2020, allowing players to try a small part of the full game before its release. A new trailer focusing on Jill was released on March 27, 2020. Players who pre-ordered the game at certain stores received an exclusive downloadable content pack that included Jill’s original outfit and Carlos’ original hairstyle.
Resident Evil 3 was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on April 3, 2020. A launch trailer was also released, reminding buyers that Resident Evil: Resistance was included for free with every purchase of the game. A collector’s edition was available for console versions, including items like a Jill Valentine figurine, a hardcover art book, a Raccoon City map poster, and a two-disc soundtrack. In Europe, physical copies of the game were likely delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A board game based on Resident Evil 3 was released by Capcom on April 28, 2020, supporting up to four players and featuring a 19-hour campaign with a main storyline. A downloadable content pack allowing players to unlock Jill’s S.T.A.R.S costume and items from the in-game shop without completing challenges was released in August 2020.
Versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were announced on March 2, 2022, and released digitally on June 13, 2022, along with upgrades for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the Resident Evil 2 remake. These versions include improved visuals such as ray-tracing and high-framerate modes, with the PlayStation 5 version also supporting haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Players who owned the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One could upgrade for free, and a free upgrade patch for the Windows version was released at the same time. A version for Amazon Luna was announced on May 26, 2022, and released on June 10, 2022. A Nintendo Switch cloud version was released on November 18, 2022. In 2025, versions for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS were released.
Reception
Resident Evil 3 received "mostly positive reviews" on Metacritic and a 79% score on OpenCritic. In a very positive review, IGN said Resident Evil 3 is as strong as its well-known predecessor, noting that the game "does a great job of bringing back the horror and tension from the late '90s original while updating its gameplay for modern players." Game Informer called it "an exciting experience" from start to finish. GameRevolution agreed, saying the game is short but thrilling and that it improves on the original in visuals and storytelling. Destructoid mentioned that the remake of Resident Evil 3 might divide opinions, just like the original did. Other critics were less happy with the game. GameSpot said the beginning of the game is very strong but that the quality drops later when the game becomes narrower in focus. PC Gamer called Resident Evil 3 "a shallow game," saying its high-quality visuals hide how rushed and unoriginal it feels.
Critics praised the game's visuals and presentation, noting the detailed and clean environments, tense atmosphere, lighting effects, and varied locations. Destructoid praised the remake's character designs and appearance, saying they help create a feeling of fear as players move through the city. IGN said the storytelling delivers emotional moments that support gameplay without unnecessary explanations. Edge magazine said the game's writing is better than its predecessor because it keeps the original's style while updating the characters. Critics also said the game has strong and believable characters, especially Jill and Carlos. Some critics were disappointed that the game often uses scripted moments and cinematic scenes. VG247 explained that Nemesis is only active in a small part of the game and mainly appears in scripted sequences or boss fights. This led some critics to say Nemesis was not used enough and that his potential was wasted.
Most critics agreed that Resident Evil 3 lacks the depth of its predecessor because it focuses more on fast-paced action than exploration and puzzles. However, some said the game is not as action-heavy as Resident Evil 6 and still includes the item management style from early Resident Evil games. GamesRadar+ compared the hospital area to the police station in the Resident Evil 2 remake, saying both require players to slowly uncover details as they progress. While the dodge ability was welcomed, some said the timing to use it was inconsistent. Some critics also said the combat and gunplay were less satisfying than in the original game.
A common criticism was the game's short length and lack of replay value. GameSpot said the game follows the same story as the original but removes some locations, like the clock tower and park, making the short length more noticeable. GameRevolution said the game removes some areas but adds and expands others, calling it more of a reimagining than a true remake. Edge said the game's short length was not a problem, as it takes about six to eight hours to complete for the first time. The magazine also said the original game had multiple endings and choices that encouraged replaying, and the remake has unlockable items for speedruns, which also encourage replaying. Edge concluded that Resident Evil 3 is more true to the original in spirit than in content.
At The Game Awards 2020, Resident Evil 3 was nominated for Best Audio Design but lost to The Last of Us Part II. At IGN's Game of the Year Awards 2020, it was nominated for Best Action-Adventure Game and Best Remake/Remaster but lost to The Last of Us Part II and Final Fantasy VII Remake, respectively. It was one of the winners of the Award for Excellence at the Japan Game Awards 2021.
Resident Evil 3 sold more than two million copies in its first five days, though Capcom said nearly half of the sales were digital. In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold more than 189,000 copies in its first week, becoming the second best-selling retail game of the week, behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons. By May 2020, the game had sold 2.5 million copies, and by June 30, 2020, it had sold 2.7 million copies. Although this was a 55% drop from its predecessor's 4.2 million copies sold in a similar time, Capcom said the sales were solid and met expectations. In January 2021, Capcom reported sales of 3.6 million copies. In October 2021, the company said the game had sold 3.9 million copies, calling it a "hit." According to Capcom's 2021 Integrated Report, the game had sold 4.6 million copies by November 2021, with many being digital. By January 2023, it had sold 6.4 million copies. By June 2023, it had sold 7.6 million copies. At the end of 2023, total sales reached 8.4 million copies. By April 2025, it had sold 10 million copies. By January 2026, it had sold 10.994 million copies.