It's not exactly controversial to say that the Resident Evil 3 remake from 2020 was a sizeable disappointment, especially when compared to the classic 1999 original. Cut locations, missing mechanics, a criminally underutilized and watered down Nemesis, the remake's numerous flaws have been well documented and rightfully so.
Because of these aforementioned flaws, a lot of RE fans write the game off entirely, which I actually don't agree with. Don't get me wrong, I'm a massive fan of the original and think that the remake failed to live up to it, but I don't think that necessarily makes it a bad game. For context, the original is a S-tier game in my opinion while the remake is only B-tier. Definitely disappointing, but not bad.
For all of the remake's shortcomings, I still have fun playing it and think it contains some standout sequences. So here's my question: is there anything that the remake does better than the original (aside from obvious things like graphics or controls)? The original is vastly superior in nearly every category, but believe it or not, I was actually able to find a few things that I liked better in the remake. They aren't many, but let's take a look.
1.) The Dodge
The original game is excellent, but I don't think it's unpopular to say that its dodge mechanic was extremely clunky and unreliable. It was really difficult to time, didn't always work and would sometimes even get you killed by dodging directly into an enemy's path. As a result, the dodge was a mechanic I rarely ever saw people try to use.
The remake improves this dramatically by making it far simpler to use and extremely reliable. The fact that you can even counter an enemy's attack by dodging at the perfect time makes it even better.
2.) The Hospital
The hospital sequence with Carlos in the original was a solid if somewhat forgettable level. It was definitely fun, but pretty short and not really one of the standout locations of the game, especially when compared to the city and clocktower.
The remake's hospital, however, was greatly expanded on with brand new rooms, lore and some of the scariest versions of Hunters in the entire series. Its atmosphere is also some of the best in the series, with dimly lit hallways and blood and corpses everywhere, setting a highly oppressive and unnerving tone throughout. To top it off, you can even go back through it as Jill to collect items that Carlos wasn't able to, something that wasn't possible in the original. I really wish the rest of the game received the amount of care and attention that the hospital oddly did.
3.) Carlos's Character
Carlos was never really a fan favorite in the original and there's a good reason he never appeared in any future titles (unless you want to count The Umbrella Chronicles and Operation Raccoon City). He was always pretty bland and couldn't hold a candle to Jill. The remake greatly improved his character by making him really funny and likable, finally becoming a partner worthy of Jill. Since the remake's release, I've seen a lot of people say that they'd like to see Carlos return in future titles, which isn't something many were saying about the original.
4.) The Drain Deimos
The Drain Deimos were cool enemies in the original, but I thought the remake's implementation of them was a little more memorable and unique. Despite only appearing in one area, I think the power station is one of the standout areas in the game. Having to run through the Deimos nest to turn the power back on while being constantly flanked from every direction was highly tense and made for one of the most stressful (in a good way) parts of the game. I also really liked the Deimos' new attack where they pounce on you and lay eggs down your throat, forcing you to use a healing item in order to throw them up and survive.
5.) The Hunter Gammas
In the original, the Hunter Gammas are essentially the Hunter Betas with different designs. Aside from their kill animation (which is great), there wasn't really anything unique about them. In the remake, the Gammas are entirely unique and will kill you instantly if they get close enough. They don't appear very often, but when they do, they bring a good amount of tension with them.
6.) Flamethrower Nemesis
Remake Nemesis was inferior to the original version in pretty much every way. He was way easier to fight (even on higher difficulties--not counting his final form), didn't chase you nearly as much and was turned into a generic feral monster halfway through the game. Fans were justly upset at how the remake handled arguably the greatest monster in the entire series, as he often came off as a pale imitation of his original counterpart (and even Mr. X in RE2R).
That being said, it there was one sequence that I thought Capcom absolutely nailed with the titular villain, it was the flamethrower fight. First off, Nemesis never used a flamethrower in the original, so this was a welcome expansion (one that I wish was applied to the rest of the game.
More importantly, the ensuing battle with him is a big highlight of the game and one of my favorite boss battles from the series. I love how the fight starts off deceptively simple but gets more difficult as it continues with Nemesis becoming faster and more aggressive from taking damage. Even when you manage to destroy his fuel tank, the fight enters its most challenging phase as Nemesis begins to use it as club and battering ram, with very fast attacks that deal massive damage. Even better, Nemesis will consistently dodge your grenade launcher rounds throughout the fight (something that he would only occasionally do in the original), forcing you to wait for an opening.
Granted, I still think some of the fights with Nemesis from the original are better (particularly the clocktower one), but this was a more than worthy addition. I really wish the remake had more of these kinds of encounters with Nemesis.
Am I trying to say that the RE3 remake is better than the original? Absolutely not, it was a massive missed opportunity that failed to do its legacy justice. The original is easily the superior game and I share most fans' disappointment. That being said, I also don't think it's entirely fair when people write the remake off entirely and say it's garbage. There are some really good things about the remake that I wanted to highlight since discussion about it always seems to be solely about what it did wrong.
Because of these aforementioned flaws, a lot of RE fans write the game off entirely, which I actually don't agree with. Don't get me wrong, I'm a massive fan of the original and think that the remake failed to live up to it, but I don't think that necessarily makes it a bad game. For context, the original is a S-tier game in my opinion while the remake is only B-tier. Definitely disappointing, but not bad.
For all of the remake's shortcomings, I still have fun playing it and think it contains some standout sequences. So here's my question: is there anything that the remake does better than the original (aside from obvious things like graphics or controls)? The original is vastly superior in nearly every category, but believe it or not, I was actually able to find a few things that I liked better in the remake. They aren't many, but let's take a look.
1.) The Dodge
The original game is excellent, but I don't think it's unpopular to say that its dodge mechanic was extremely clunky and unreliable. It was really difficult to time, didn't always work and would sometimes even get you killed by dodging directly into an enemy's path. As a result, the dodge was a mechanic I rarely ever saw people try to use.
The remake improves this dramatically by making it far simpler to use and extremely reliable. The fact that you can even counter an enemy's attack by dodging at the perfect time makes it even better.
2.) The Hospital
The hospital sequence with Carlos in the original was a solid if somewhat forgettable level. It was definitely fun, but pretty short and not really one of the standout locations of the game, especially when compared to the city and clocktower.
The remake's hospital, however, was greatly expanded on with brand new rooms, lore and some of the scariest versions of Hunters in the entire series. Its atmosphere is also some of the best in the series, with dimly lit hallways and blood and corpses everywhere, setting a highly oppressive and unnerving tone throughout. To top it off, you can even go back through it as Jill to collect items that Carlos wasn't able to, something that wasn't possible in the original. I really wish the rest of the game received the amount of care and attention that the hospital oddly did.
3.) Carlos's Character
Carlos was never really a fan favorite in the original and there's a good reason he never appeared in any future titles (unless you want to count The Umbrella Chronicles and Operation Raccoon City). He was always pretty bland and couldn't hold a candle to Jill. The remake greatly improved his character by making him really funny and likable, finally becoming a partner worthy of Jill. Since the remake's release, I've seen a lot of people say that they'd like to see Carlos return in future titles, which isn't something many were saying about the original.
4.) The Drain Deimos
The Drain Deimos were cool enemies in the original, but I thought the remake's implementation of them was a little more memorable and unique. Despite only appearing in one area, I think the power station is one of the standout areas in the game. Having to run through the Deimos nest to turn the power back on while being constantly flanked from every direction was highly tense and made for one of the most stressful (in a good way) parts of the game. I also really liked the Deimos' new attack where they pounce on you and lay eggs down your throat, forcing you to use a healing item in order to throw them up and survive.
5.) The Hunter Gammas
In the original, the Hunter Gammas are essentially the Hunter Betas with different designs. Aside from their kill animation (which is great), there wasn't really anything unique about them. In the remake, the Gammas are entirely unique and will kill you instantly if they get close enough. They don't appear very often, but when they do, they bring a good amount of tension with them.
6.) Flamethrower Nemesis
Remake Nemesis was inferior to the original version in pretty much every way. He was way easier to fight (even on higher difficulties--not counting his final form), didn't chase you nearly as much and was turned into a generic feral monster halfway through the game. Fans were justly upset at how the remake handled arguably the greatest monster in the entire series, as he often came off as a pale imitation of his original counterpart (and even Mr. X in RE2R).
That being said, it there was one sequence that I thought Capcom absolutely nailed with the titular villain, it was the flamethrower fight. First off, Nemesis never used a flamethrower in the original, so this was a welcome expansion (one that I wish was applied to the rest of the game.
More importantly, the ensuing battle with him is a big highlight of the game and one of my favorite boss battles from the series. I love how the fight starts off deceptively simple but gets more difficult as it continues with Nemesis becoming faster and more aggressive from taking damage. Even when you manage to destroy his fuel tank, the fight enters its most challenging phase as Nemesis begins to use it as club and battering ram, with very fast attacks that deal massive damage. Even better, Nemesis will consistently dodge your grenade launcher rounds throughout the fight (something that he would only occasionally do in the original), forcing you to wait for an opening.
Granted, I still think some of the fights with Nemesis from the original are better (particularly the clocktower one), but this was a more than worthy addition. I really wish the remake had more of these kinds of encounters with Nemesis.
Am I trying to say that the RE3 remake is better than the original? Absolutely not, it was a massive missed opportunity that failed to do its legacy justice. The original is easily the superior game and I share most fans' disappointment. That being said, I also don't think it's entirely fair when people write the remake off entirely and say it's garbage. There are some really good things about the remake that I wanted to highlight since discussion about it always seems to be solely about what it did wrong.