September 28th. Daylight. The monsters have overtaken the city. Somehow, I'm still alive.
If you played the original Resident Evil 3 on the PlayStation back in 1999, those lines are burned into your brain. Jill Valentine wasn’t just dealing with slow-moving zombies anymore. She was being hunted. Honestly, the third entry in Capcom’s survival horror trilogy is often the "middle child" that gets overlooked between the groundbreaking original and the sprawling masterpiece that was the second game. But that's a mistake. A big one. Resident Evil 3 changed the DNA of the series by introducing a level of unpredictability that the previous games lacked.
It was frantic.
It was loud.
And it featured a seven-foot-tall biological weapon in a trash-bag trench coat that could follow you through doors. That last part? Absolute nightmare fuel for anyone used to the "safe" loading screens of the era.
The Nemesis Factor and the Death of "Safe Zones"
Most people think they know Nemesis. They’ve seen him in Marvel vs. Capcom or the 2020 remake. But the original 1999 version of Resident Evil 3 did something the remake arguably fumbled: it made him a constant, looming threat that felt organic.
Director Kazuhiro Aoyama wanted players to feel watched. In Resident Evil 2, Mr. X (the T-00) was scary, sure, but he was mostly a slow, rhythmic presence. Nemesis was a different beast entirely. He could run. He had a rocket launcher. Most importantly, he had a "stalker" AI that triggered at semi-random intervals. You’d be walking through a quiet alleyway in Raccoon City, thinking you were just there to solve a puzzle involving a fire hose, and then—BAM—the music shifts. You hear that gutteral "STARS..." and you realize you have about three seconds to decide whether to fight or bolt.
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This wasn't just a gimmick. It was a fundamental shift in how survival horror worked. By breaking the "door" rule—where enemies couldn't follow you into new rooms—Capcom stripped away the player's sense of security. You were never safe. Not even in the inventory screen, really, because the adrenaline of a chase stayed with you long after you escaped.
Live Selection: The Choice is Yours (But Hurry Up)
One of the coolest things about Resident Evil 3 was the Live Selection system. It’s basically a proto-quick-time event, but with actual narrative consequences. When Nemesis corners you, the screen flashes white, and you have to pick between two options. Do you hide in the kitchen? Do you jump out the window?
These weren't just cosmetic choices. They changed where you went next, which items you found, and sometimes even which characters survived until the end of the game. It gave the game a massive amount of replayability. Most games back then were strictly linear, but Jill’s journey through the Raccoon City Police Department and the downtown streets felt like your version of the story.
Raccoon City as a Character
Unlike the first game's claustrophobic mansion or the second game's sterile police station, Resident Evil 3 took us into the streets. We saw the chaos. We saw the barricades that failed and the remnants of a city that died in a matter of days.
The pre-rendered backgrounds in this game are some of the most detailed on the PS1. You’ve got flickering neon signs, overturned police cars, and the general vibe of a summer night turned into a hellscape. It felt grounded in a way that the more fantastical later entries didn't. You were exploring boutiques, pharmacies, and parks. It made the horror feel "close to home."
Interestingly, the development of this game was a bit of a mess. It started as a spin-off. Hideki Kamiya was working on what would eventually become Resident Evil 4, and another team was working on a smaller project starring Jill. Because of the looming release of the PlayStation 2, Capcom decided to promote this "spin-off" to a main numbered entry. That’s why it feels so much more action-oriented than its predecessors. Jill is more agile. She has a 180-degree turn. She has a dodge mechanic that is notoriously difficult to master but essential if you want to survive a Hard Mode run.
The Ammo Crafting System
Let’s talk about Gunpowder. Before Resident Evil 3, you just found bullets on the ground. Simple. But Jill is a professional. In this game, you find Gunpowder A and Gunpowder B. You mix them. You use a Reloading Tool.
If you mix A and B, you get shotgun shells. Mix two A’s, and you get handgun bullets. If you keep making the same type of ammo, Jill actually gets better at it, eventually creating "Enhanced" rounds that do more damage. This added a layer of resource management that made the "Survival" part of Survival Horror feel real. Do you blow all your powder on grenade rounds now, or save it for the final showdown at the waste disposal plant?
The 2020 Remake vs. The 1999 Classic
We have to address the elephant in the room. The 2020 remake of Resident Evil 3 is... controversial. It looks gorgeous. The RE Engine is a marvel of modern technology. Playing as Jill with modern controls feels great.
But it cut a lot.
Fans were devastated to find out the Clock Tower section—one of the most atmospheric parts of the original—was reduced to a boss arena. The Gravedigger boss? Gone. The choice system? Gone. The branching paths? Mostly gone.
The original game felt like a sprawling escape room across an entire city. The remake felt like a high-octane action movie on rails. While the remake is a "good" game, it lacks the soul and the structural complexity that made the original Resident Evil 3 a masterpiece of the genre. If you’ve only played the remake, you are genuinely missing out on about 40% of the actual story and atmosphere of Jill’s escape.
Why Speedrunners Love This Game
Even in 2026, the speedrunning community for the original RE3 is incredibly active. Why? Because the game is a literal gauntlet.
The "Dodge" mechanic is frame-perfect. If you time it right, Jill spins out of the way of a zombie's grab or a Nemesis punch. It looks cool, but it’s hard as nails to pull off consistently. Top-tier runners make it look like a dance. Then there’s the RNG (Random Number Generation). Items and enemies spawn in different locations depending on your "path," meaning a world-record run requires both immense skill and a bit of luck from the gaming gods.
Technical Mastery on Aging Hardware
It’s easy to forget how much Capcom squeezed out of the 32-bit PlayStation. They used clever tricks to put more zombies on screen than ever before. They used 3D models for certain background elements to make the world feel more dynamic. The sound design, specifically the "thump-thump" of Nemesis’s footsteps when he’s in the next room, was revolutionary for the time. It utilized directional audio in a way that genuinely helped you play the game—or told you when to run for your life.
Real-World Impact and Legacy
The influence of Resident Evil 3 is everywhere. The "Stalker" enemy archetype seen in games like Alien: Isolation or Dead Space owes everything to the Nemesis. The idea that a player should never feel safe—even in a hallway they’ve already cleared—is a pillar of modern horror design.
Jill Valentine also became a true icon here. In the first game, she was part of an ensemble. In the third, she’s a survivor. She’s tough, smart, and a bit cynical. Her outfit—the blue tube top and white sweater tied around her waist—became one of the most recognizable silhouettes in gaming history, for better or worse.
Actionable Insights for New Players
If you’re looking to dive back into this classic or experience it for the first time, don't just grab the first version you see. Here is how to actually enjoy it in the modern era:
- Seek out the Seamless HD Project: If you're playing on PC via emulation, this fan-made mod is a godsend. It uses AI upscaling to sharpen the pre-rendered backgrounds, making the game look like it was meant for a modern monitor without losing the original aesthetic.
- Master the 180-Turn: It sounds basic, but in RE3, mobility is life. Practice the Quick Turn (Back + Action) until it’s muscle memory.
- Don't Fight Nemesis Every Time: On your first run, it’s tempting to try and take him down for the loot drops (he drops special weapon parts on Hard Mode). Don't. You'll waste all your ammo and herbs. Learn when to run.
- Save the Gunpowder: Save your high-grade gunpowder for the late-game Magnum rounds or Freeze rounds. Nemesis hates ice. It slows him down significantly.
- Check the Map: The game is more non-linear than you think. If you’re stuck, you probably missed a small item like a crank or a wrench in an alleyway you sprinted through because you were scared.
Resident Evil 3 isn't just a sequel. It’s a stressful, brilliant, and highly experimental piece of software that pushed the limits of what horror games could be. It took the "safe" survival horror formula and set it on fire. Whether you’re dodging a rocket or mixing gunpowder in a dark hallway, the tension is just as real today as it was in 1999.
To truly understand the history of the Raccoon City incident, you have to play the original version. The remake provides the spectacle, but the original provides the dread. It’s time to head back to the RPD and finish what started in that mansion. Just remember to keep your finger on the aim button and your ears open for that signature growl.
Ready your gear, check your herb count, and start your trek through the downtown district. The helicopter isn't waiting forever. Residents of Raccoon City didn't have a choice, but you do: stay and fight, or run and survive. Usually, running is the smarter move. Good luck.