# What makes Resident Evil 3 Remake disappointing to fans? - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/what-makes-resident-evil-3-remake-disappointing-to-fans/ - Published: 2023-10-22 - Author: Nelson Ayers - Categories: [Business & Worth](https://33rdsquare.com/category/games/worth/) --- Resident Evil 3 Remake had huge shoes to fill. As a remake of the 1999 survival horror classic starring Jill Valentine and nemesis, expectations were sky-high for its release in April 2020. However, while RE3make provides exhilarating action and a beautiful recreation of Raccoon City, it ultimately falls short for fans due to extensive cut content, reduced difficulty, an inferior nemesis, and other gameplay changes compared to the original. In this guide, we’ll analyze the key flaws holding RE3make back from greatness and why it disappointed many hardcore RE fans. ## The game is far too short One of the most glaring issues with RE3make is its short runtime. Players can easily complete the main story in just 5-7 hours according to [HowLongToBeat](https://howlongtobeat.com/game?id=67220). For context, the original PS1 release took 10-12 hours, almost double the length. This huge reduction comes from cutting large sections of the game. Iconic locations like the Clock Tower and Dead Factory are gone. The Gravedigger boss fight in the Cemetery was removed. Even entire gameplay systems didn’t make the jump to RE3make: - Live selections – Time-sensitive choices to deal with threats like Nemesis - Branching paths through areas - Multiple endings Without these elements padding out the runtime, RE3make’s story feels rushed. You never spend enough time exploring or unraveling puzzles to fully appreciate Raccoon City’s downfall. Fans argue this ~5 hour runtime feels unsuitable for a $60 standalone release. Compared to RE2make’s 10+ hours, it comes across as an overpriced DLC expansion rather than a complete experience. ## Nemesis is far less persistent and intimidating Nemesis was nightmarish in the original due to his relentless pursuit of Jill. He could appear anywhere at any time to chase you through rooms and across areas. You never knew when he would burst through a wall and force you to run or fight. But in RE3make, Nemesis appears far less frequently due to cut content and reworked areas. Some sections where he dynamically stalked you no longer exist. This reduces his role to more predictable scripted chase scenes and boss fights. Rather than a chance encounter keeping you on edge, Nemesis becomes a known quantity. You expect he’ll appear for key story moments, not randomly whenever the game decides. As a result, he‘s less scary and more a setpiece than a persistent mortal threat. ## Standard difficulty is far too easy Many criticized RE3make for its low difficulty on standard mode. Between generous checkpoints, plentiful ammo and healing, and the absence of limited saves, survival is too stress-free. In the original, going too gung-ho against enemies would quickly drain your resources. You had to carefully manage ammo, health sprays, and ink ribbons. One wrong turn could mean getting stuck without saves or supplies. But in RE3make, playing cautiously is barely required outside higher difficulties. You can Rambo your way through hordes using powerful weapons and constantly replenish your HP. Without meaningful consequences for failure, the tension evaporates. According to [VG247](https://www.vg247.com/resident-evil-3-remake-review), _"you could almost go so far as to say that, on its default difficulty, it stops being a survival horror game."_ This shows how diluted the survival horror experience becomes. ## Lack of meaningful choices or consequences The original RE3 used a live selection system where you had to make fast choices when Nemesis appeared to fight or run away. Choosing poorly resulted in taking damage or even death. This raised the stakes and made encounters feel dangerous and reactive. But RE3make replaces this with scripted cutscenes and quick time events. Your choices become meaningless since there‘s only one outcome either way. Without risk/reward decisions to make, the action loses its sense of immediacy. Nemesis and other threats seem tame since you can‘t take a wrong path to a punishing conclusion. It railroad‘s Jill‘s journey into a one-note outcome. ## Extremely linear experience Speaking of railroading, RE3make adopts an extremely linear, guided design compared to the original‘s more open areas with backtracking and puzzles. There is only one set path through each section rather than having to revisit and unlock alternate routes. Puzzles to open new areas or acquire items are essentially nonexistent. This streamlined approach gets you from point A to B as fast as possible at the cost of exploration. Critics argue this linearity makes RE3make feel less like a survival horror and more like an action rollercoaster ride. With no chances to take a wrong turn or get stuck on a puzzle, the methodical pacing of survival horror is lost. ## Technical issues at launch On top of the gameplay and content changes, RE3make had some technical hiccups at launch that detracted from the experience. Reviewers reported problems including: - Framerate dips and screen tearing - Collision detection bugs - Poor enemy AI and pathfinding - Glitches like NPCs getting stuck These issues made RE3make feel unpolished compared to the smooth experience of RE2make. For a key Sony exclusive, the number of bugs left some players unsatisfied. While not making the game unplayable, the technical shortcomings reinforced the feeling that RE3make was rushed out compared to its predecessor. ## Cut content and changes compared to RE2make It‘s also important to contrast RE3make with 2019‘s Resident Evil 2 Remake. RE2make was widely praised for its faithfulness to the original while updating the graphics and modernizing the controls. But RE3 ditches much of the original content – multiple paths, live selections, random Nemesis encounters, backtracking, puzzles, etc. This makes it feel less accurate to fans of the PlayStation release. Given RE2make‘s success staying true to its source, it‘s puzzling why RE3changed so much if not for time/budget constraints. When offered a remake faithful to RE2 or heavily modified like RE3, fans chose the former. ## Disappointing value proposition at $60 The reduction in length, content, difficulty, and faithfulness to the original make RE3make‘s $60 asking price harder to digest. With little replay value after a single 5-7 hour playthrough, many players felt unsatisfied with what they got for the cost. Offering RE3make at $30-40 would have matched expectations better for a shorter game with an almost purely linear single player campaign. But launching at full AAA price put impossibly high expectations that Capcom couldn‘t deliver on. ## Lack of meaningful post-launch support Unlike RE2make which got free DLC modes, costumes, and updates, RE3make received no major post-release content. After launch, it was essentially abandoned rather than expanded over time to meet fan demand. This stung players who hoped to see RE3make improved and brought closer to the original vision. But Capcom provided no story DLC for cut areas or gameplay modes to enhance replay. For a game criticized as lacking content on arrival, the lack of post-launch support rubbed salt in the wound. - Drastically cut down length compared to the original - Nemesis encounters far less frequent - Standard difficulty provides little challenge - Linear experience with cut content - Lacked the faithful recreation of RE2make - Numerous technical issues at launch - No post-release updates or improvements - Disappointing value at $60 for a 5-7 hour experience Resident Evil 3 Remake is not a bad game, but a disappointing one for fans of the PlayStation original. By straying too far from what defined RE3 Nemesis rather than faithfully recreating it like RE2make, Capcom lost what made Jill‘s 1999 journey so memorable. As an explosive action game, RE3make succeeds at delivering blockbuster thrills in Raccoon City. But as a remake claiming to retell a survival horror classic, it falls painfully short of expectations. While still enjoyable for some, RE3make‘s drastic changes insured it would never recapture the tense, slower burn dread that made negotiating Nemesis so iconic in 1999. --- Source: [What makes Resident Evil 3 Remake disappointing to fans?](https://33rdsquare.com/what-makes-resident-evil-3-remake-disappointing-to-fans/)