Resident Evil 3 fans finally had their collective wish granted yesterday.
Following an endless avalanche of rumors, leaked assets from a PlayStation Store update unceremoniously let the cat out of the bag early. Beloved series star Jill Valentine will receive her highly-requested return visit to Raccoon City in its dying days, as will a number of other cast members. Jill’s companion and former Umbrella grunt Carlos Oliveira is confirmed to be returning, as too, is the iconic Nemesis.
A variant of the Tyrant strain that birthed Resident Evil 2‘s Mr. X, Nemesis boasts the very same intimidating size and brute strength as his fellow test tube soldiers. The latter, however, has superior intelligence due to gene splicing involving an artificially created parasite. It’s this organism that prompts Nemesis to undergo several mutations during the course of the original game, to the extent that, in its final form, the monster devolves into little more than a shapeless mass of skin and bone.
As it did with William Birkin, Capcom will undoubtedly painstakingly recreate each body horror transformation for the remake, though, if initial reactions to Nemesis’ redesigned base form are any indication, it might want to focus on getting that one right first.
The primary point of contention, it seems, is the presence of a nose (observable in the gallery above) on what passes for Nemesis’ face. The respiratory organ was absent from Capcom’s original design, leading many to question why the developer has suddenly decided to bless its creation with the sense of smell. That, combined with a less prominent gum line, different teeth and the reduced prominence of medical skin staples has left many fans feeling disappointed.
Ultimately, the visual redesign is unlikely to be a deal-breaker for the majority of Resident Evil 3‘s fanbase, and it’s worth noting that we’ve yet to see the character in-game.
Speaking of which, Capcom is largely expected to reveal the title at this year’s Game Awards or Jump Festa events. Stay tuned for further developments.