Capcom’s long-awaited Resident Evil 3 remake is due to arrive in just a few short months and, as was the case with last year’s stellar reimagining, fans should expect a number of changes over the original.
First and foremost, of course, is the introduction of a brand new multiplayer mode. Resident Evil Resistance (formerly Project Resistance) is a bespoke, asymmetrical affair that pits four survivors against one Mastermind featuring hordes of undead and biologically altered animals from the series’ past and present. Mr. X, Lickers, Cerberus: you’re going to have one hell of a time escaping from this particular nightmare, not least due to the player-controlled Mastermind hounding you every step of the way.
That’s the most major addition accounted for, then, but what else? Besides the immediately obvious – totally redesigned characters and environments – improvements, Capcom has revealed a number of further adjustments in a recent interview.
Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine UK, the developer confirms that many of the game’s characters, including Carlos Oliveira, will receive significantly more screen time in the campaign. This, it says, will allow it to give the Umbrella soldier a more defined personality and narrative purpose.
On the flip side, some elements of the original are being left on the cutting room floor. Mercenaries – an arcade-style bonus mode that lets players take control of several different characters – won’t be returning. Development time that would have been dedicated to its recreation were instead diverted to the aforementioned Resistance, a component that Capcom is hoping will more than make up for the former’s removal. We’ll have to wait and see whether that gamble pays off, but given how fond many veteran fans are of Mercenaries, we imagine Capcom’s decision will be far from unanimously accepted.
Resident Evil 3 is out April 3rd for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. See here for our breakdown of pre-order bonuses and special editions.
