About the Song: “Where’s The Fear? (Nemesis No Show)” is a song that depicts Kern’s two largest complaints of the Resident Evil 3 Remake. First of all, the Nemesis in the remake doesn’t feel nearly as threatening as his original counterpart. The original used arguably clunky tank controls, but the fact that Nemesis moves incredibly fast made him feel much more difficult to get away from, provided that you did choose to run from him. The second reason he feels much less threatening in the remake, and far less scary, is the lack of branching pathways and the overall improved enemy design when it comes to basic zombie encounters… the remake beefs up the usual zombie fodder a fair bit, but that means in context Nemesis feels weaker. While this song is obviously poking fun at the remake, it’s supposed to be “in good fun”, and not something to take too seriously.

There are some reasons why other people may find the remake to be the better of the two Resident Evil 3 games. That opinion has a fair bit of credence, but to me the original will always be better, and that’s why the remake was the one I chose to make the dis-track for. It’s the weakest of the remakes by far in my opinion, but that’s a statement I make in-context…. the “weakest game” is by no means a “bad game”, and please let that distinction stand as the nuanced opinion that it is.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is my all time favorite Resident Evil game in the franchise. The remake couldn’t have hoped to live up to my personal enjoyment as a player, and that’s not the game’s fault. When the things that make it my favorite were cut entirely, it’s fair to assume I’d find the remake lackluster. Visually, it certainly looks better… overall I just don’t find that it feels better to play.

The Strengths and Weaknesses Both Games Have

The Resident Evil 3 Remake isn’t a bad game, it’s just balanced differently. In an attempt to make the remake linear, they cut out the freedom of choice options that allowed players to interact with Nemesis in a much more organic way. This single action streamlines the remake into a completely solid experience for anyone intending to only play the game once. For those that have never touched the original, it’s a streamlined and simple approach to a very convoluted story. Resident Evil 2 and 3 take place both simultaneously, and separately, depending on timeline and lore.

While Nemesis was heavily scripted in both games (and it would be foolish to think he wasn’t heavily scripted in the original game too), he doesn’t feel as scripted in the original because the player is given distinct options when it comes to dealing with him. Choosing to battle him, incapacitate him briefly, or escape him for the moment are usually the crux of the choices presented. These set pieces offer a special way to enjoy the game during a replay because you can choose other options to begin with. While I will be the first to admit some choices have very little impact compared to others, I will also say that I prefer the attempt that the original game made to expand upon its story telling process.

Furthermore, even though I do believe that Resident Evil 3 Remake contains a weaker showing of Nemesis as a looming threat, let me be clear: both games are worth playing.

I think the story of Resident Evil 3 is much better represented in the original game. However, I think players will find the remake to be a better balance of overall enemy design and combat related immersion. It’s true that Nemesis is a weaker threat in the remake compared to his original counterpart, but, let’s not forget that in the original game he’s about the only real threat that there is. Once you’ve played the game a few times, every other enemy feels predictable. He needs to feel much more organic because to an experienced player he’s about the only element of surprise that we actually need to be careful of… all of the other enemies lack a feeling of real danger once you know the maps and the routes.

That isn’t to say an experienced player won’t find themselves in a thorny situation or two. Unless you’ve perfectly optimized all the runs and possible enemy placements in your head, and plan accordingly, the original game can and will provide its challenges. It’s merely that the difficulty threshold then increases based on player error, rather than the enemies themselves. Using too many bullets early might mean ending up shorthanded when you really need them later. The same would be true of healing items. That’s usually how the original Resident Evil games scale difficulty, so it’s no surprise. While it’s a good idea, it’s an unbalanced idea for anyone who plays the game repetitiously.

Zombies in the original aren’t too bright, and sometimes they will just go after the walls instead of the player. Unless you’ve encountered a large pack of them in a tight space, they’re not a huge problem. Crows are almost non-threatening completely since they show up sparingly, and the poisonous enemy types like spiders become crippled in the face of certain weaponry. The only enemies in the original game that might be just as dangerous as Nemesis are the hunters, and they show up rarely.

Contrasting that difference, in the remake zombies and other enemy types are a much greater threat than they ever were in the original. While I’m a little sad Nemesis felt like he became a little too nurfed in favor of other enemies of the game, all of the enemies in the remake feel at least somewhat formidable. By trading off branching paths and the real power-house threat Nemesis provides in the original game, the Remake was able to offer a linear and cleanly portrayed experience. For some players; the much more balanced combat, lack of tank controls, and on-rails story may prove to be the more entertaining experience for them.

For me personally, the original is just the better game, that’s how I feel. Others may disagree, and that’s completely fine. For Kresh, the remake was her first experience with Nemesis, and for that reason alone I’m glad we were given the remake. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is an old game, and its age shows. Beyond that, the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis had its failings within the initial trilogy too. Even though I love it, the original, it was still a step down objectively from its predecessor, Resident Evil 2. That was true of the original trilogy, and we see the remakes following that same pattern. Objectively Resident Evil 2 Remake is far and away better than the Resident Evil 3 remake… but that’s just history repeating. Nothing more than a true testament of what an amazing Game Resident Evil 2 actually was, and the source material that its own remake had to work with in spades.

I’m happy so many people like the Resident Evil 3 Remake, and I’m profoundly grateful that modern gamers who would never have touched the original, now have their own version of the story. I also genuinely hope one-day far in the future they will recall Resident Evil 3 Remake with the same loving fondness that I have for the original all these years later…

Still though, my personal opinion stands firm. In the Resident Evil 3 Remake, the titular enemy was ripped from not only the title of the game itself, but he was also knocked down a few pegs. Nemesis ultimately lost a little bit of what made him so formidable, and we decided to poke fun at him for it…

This has been Kernook of The Demented Ferrets, where stupidity is at its finest and level grinds are par for the course. I’ll see you next time!