Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
North American PlayStation release is pictured. All of the covers feature the Nemesis prominently.
Developer(s)	Capcom Production Studio 4
Publisher(s)	Capcom Eidos Interactive
Designer(s)	Kazuhiro Aoyama (director), Shinji Mikami (producer)
Series	Resident Evil series
Engine	Quake engine (Modified)
Platform(s)	PlayStation, PC, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube
Release date	Sony PlayStation: September 22, 1999 November 11, 1999 February 18, 2000 Windows (PC): June 16, 2000 November 24, 2000 April 16, 2001 Sega Dreamcast: November 16, 2000 November 17, 2000 December 22, 2000 Nintendo GameCube: January 14, 2003 January 23, 2003 May 30, 2003
Genre(s)	Survival Horror Third Person Shooter Science Fiction
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: M (Mature) BBFC: 15 OFLC: MA15+ OFLC (NZ): M
Media	CD-ROM (PS, PC), GD-ROM (DC), GameCube Optical Disc (GC)
Input methods	Controller, Keyboard

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as Biohazard 3: Last Escape (バイオハザード3　ラストエスケープ, Baiohazādo Surī: Rasuto Esukēpu^?) is a survival horror video game and the third installment in the Resident Evil series. The game was released for the Sony PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Sega Dreamcast, PC and Nintendo GameCube.

The first half of the game occurs 24 hours prior to Resident Evil 2 and the second half takes place two days after. The storyline expands upon the settings and events of the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, and concludes with the fate of the city and its infected population.

The game's storyline was later used as the basis for the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Story

The player takes control of former S.T.A.R.S. officer 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 Oliveira, Mikhail Victor and Nicholai Ginovaef. Mikhail sacrifices himself to save Jill from the Nemesis, a bio-organic weapon, and Jill escapes with Carlos. Depending on the player's actions, Nicholai may also die.

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 or around Raccoon City until the release of Resident Evil Outbreak. The city's fate is resolved in the game's finale. The US Government, after hearing of unsuccessful efforts to avert the T-Virus infestation, orders the destruction of Raccoon City. At this point in the game, the player has exactly fifteen minutes to escape the city before the missile strikes.

Gameplay

The game takes place in Raccoon City and begins just a day before the events in Resident Evil 2. There are a number of interlinking events between the two games.

A new feature is a boss-like enemy: the Nemesis, an experimental Tyrant model programmed by Umbrella to hunt down and kill all members of S.T.A.R.S. Nemesis is considerably different from most enemies. 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. Nemesis is encountered several times throughout the game, in set-pieces, boss fights, and the occasional random encounter as the player explores the city. Even if defeated in combat, Nemesis will eventually get back up and continue the pursuit.

In a departure from the game's two predecessors, the player cannot choose between two playable characters from the beginning. Instead, the game is played almost entirely as Jill, although there is a short section in which the player controls Carlos.

There are some small improvements on the previous games. Nemesis incorporates a dodge move that allows the player to avoid or repel enemy attacks. The player can also use a new quick turn ability, spinning 180 degrees, allowing the player to escape or turn to face an enemy very quickly. Enemies can actually follow the player up or down stairs.

The game also features an ammunition creation system in which new ammunition can be created from gunpowder through the bullet casing reload tool, or by combining gunpowder with ammunition. Players can also shoot oil drums or pipes located in certain areas resulting in an explosion or a spray of acid, steam etc, 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.

At certain points in 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. For the most part; these selections only alter the present situation but one of the last Live Selection segments is the entire hinge for the ending the player receives.

There is an unlockable minigame, similar to the "The 4th Survivor" mode in Resident Evil 2, titled "The Mercenaries - Operation: Mad Jackal" upon completing the main game. The player can choose from three U.B.C.S. members that appear in the main game, with each character having a default set of items and weapons. The objective is to reach the warehouse from the station cable car in a limited amount of time. The player can extend their remaining time by killing monsters in quick succession, as well as gain additional recovery items and ammunition by saving civilians. The player can use their winnings from the minigame to purchase unlockable weapons for the main game.

There are also eight different character-specific epilogues that are unlocked sequentially after the player clears the game several times. Each epilogue reveals the fate of a major character from the first two games following the destruction of Raccoon City.

Development

Nemesis was originally planned to be a side story of the series under the title of Biohazard 1.9 (although early storyboards of the game also used the alternate title Biohazard 2.1). The game was developed using the same game engine as Resident Evil 2. As development was approaching completion, the developers considered the title to feature enough improvements over previous titles to market the game as a sequel.

Ports to other platforms

There have been three ports of Nemesis since the initial PlayStation version for the following platforms: Sega Dreamcast, PC and Nintendo GameCube. The PC version allows 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 included outfits choosable from the start with new additions, also featuring the added benefit of allowing players to view their character's current health via a VMU. The GameCube version is a direct port of the PlayStation version with no added features other than an increased framerate for FMV scenes and smoother-looking character models.

Reception

While not as commercially successful as its predecessor, the game received rave reviews. GameSpot gave it a score of 8.8, saying: "Unlike other series that offer incremental 'improvements', the RE lineup continues to refine an already excellent premise". IGN critic Doug Perry gave the game a 9.4, saying: "The story still wonderfully unfolds in an intensely slow, intriguing way, and the combination of the great story telling and precise style of gameplay is still perfectly blended". Dale Weir from Game Critics called it "the best Resident Evil game in the entire series". GamePro gave the game a perfect score of 5/5, telling that "Resident Evil 3: Nemesis writhes with dark themes and horrifying action". As of March 2008, Resident Evil 3 has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide.

Music

The original 2-disc soundtrack CD for Nemesis was composed by Masami Ueda & Saori Maeda, and was released on September 22, 1999.

Novelization

Nemesis
First edition cover
Author	S. D. Perry
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Resident Evil
Genre(s)	Horror
Publisher	Pocket Books
Publication date	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 chose 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 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 differences. The recurring novel-only character of Trent 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 story ends with Nemesis being defeated, while Carlos and Jill escape from the city without outside help. This is only one of two possible outcomes in the game, with another being that Jill and Carlos are rescued by Barry Burton, who is flying in a civilian helicopter.

External links

• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis guide at StrategyWiki
• Resident Evil at Wikia