Resident Evil 3 remake’s announcement may not have been the surprise Capcom had perhaps been hoping (thanks to a blunder by Sony), but nobody could have foreseen just how soon it would arrive.
Thanks to some expert planning and the smart decision to reuse scores of assets created for the fantastic Resident Evil 2 (both games are set in and around the same location), Capcom has been able to fast-track its latest reimagined survival horror classic to release. Barely a year after the launch of its predecessor, fans will be returning to the doomed Raccoon City once more to witness, first hand, the horrific results of Umbrella’s experiments.
This time around, however, it’ll be former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine playing the lead role and, just as Leon and Claire were, she’ll be pursued every step of the way in her escape attempt by a monstrous Tyrant. Mr X was intimidating, for sure, but even his large, imposing stature is nothing compared with Nemesis.
We’ll likely see more of the bioweapon (gameplay when, Capcom?) in the weeks ahead, but many fans have already seen more than enough proof that Resident Evil 3 is a must buy.
Pre-orders for the title have been live for several weeks now, of course, but which version should you buy and what bonuses do they come with? Well, for starters, there’s the $179.99 collector’s edition. The bundle, pictured above, is currently exclusive to US retailer GameStop and comes packed with goodies, including a high-quality statue of Jill.
For those not willing fork over that much green for a special edition, the only other option is the standard $60 copy. Do note, though, that pre-orders of either version will come with codes for a ‘Classic Costume Pack.’ As the name implies, these outfits revert Jill and Carlos (and potentially even Nemesis) to their pixelated, polygonal selves as a neat nostalgia kick. As for purely digital PC players, several online retailers are already offering a number of deals. See here for further details.
Resident Evil 3 is out April 3rd for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
