By 1999, Resident Evil had firmly established itself as a juggernaut in terms of horror video games. But the third installment, which arrived 20 years ago this month, took the terrifying gameplay to a whole new level with the introduction of its titular creature.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis debuted on September 22, 1999 for the PlayStation, and followed Jill Valentine as she attempts to escape from Raccoon City. The game’s events begin roughly 24 hours before those of Resident Evil 2. Jill soon encounters the bio-organic weapon known as Nemesis, which has been programmed specifically to hunt down and kill the surviving members of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.). As the only way to call a rescue helicopter is to reach Raccoon City’s clock tower and ring the bell there, Jill must equip herself to deal with Nemesis and with the various other infected creatures terrorizing the city.
The game was initially designed as a spinoff from the main franchise, intended to introduce a brand-new character who would have to escape from Raccoon City. At the time, Capcom was trying to develop multiple Resident Evil games at once, with one team (led by Hideki Kamiya) set to produce the next main installment, and another one working on a spinoff. However, hiccups occurred in development, and the team led by Kamiya eventually moved on to develop Resident Evil 4, while the planned spinoff was turned into the third main installment, with popular character Jill Valentine taking on the lead role.
As a result of the story taking place across a city, rather than in a confined area such as a house, Resident Evil 3 was more action-oriented than previous entries. This resulted in some changes in gameplay, such as the introduction of a dodge feature so that Jill can more effectively avoid enemy attacks.
Resident Evil 3 was an instant success, with many reviewers noting that it kept the most important parts about the franchise intact while changing enough things to keep existing fans excited and on their toes. The introduction of the Nemesis itself was also praised, as the thought of being hunted down by the creature created a sense of tension unlike anything else present in games at the time. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis eventually sold more than 3 million copies worldwide, and was ported to the Dreamcast, Windows PC and GameCube. After the successful remake of Resident Evil 2 arrived in 2019, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirayabashi said that the company may consider a remake of Resident Evil 3 in the future – though no formal announcement has yet been made.
