15 Minutes in Zombie Hell: A Few Things We Learned from the 'Resident Evil 3' Demo

The Resident Evil 3 demo is officially out today, and it is magnificent...

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...We have just a couple more weeks until Capcom unleashes the highly anticipated Resident Evil 3 remake on April 3rd, but with the demo now available, I got a good taste of what to expect, and holy shit, are gamers in for one hell of an experience. 

In the demo, players take over Jill Valentine, a badass cop at war with the Umbrella Corporation. As Jill, players start in a subway and are tasked by a gruff general to help save the survivors on a subway car. With that, you head up to Raccoon City, which has become engulfed in flames and is overrun by zombies.  

I thought I'd take a minute to briefly list a few things I learned from checking out the demo, which you can grab now on PS4, XB1 and Steam. 

The Action Has Never Felt Smoother

Dodging. You're going to have to do a lot of it, and so it's a good thing that the controls in the Resident Evil 3 remake are so smooth that moving around feels almost effortless. The Resident Evil 2 remake thankfully eradicated the tank controls from our lives (the one thing I will never be nostalgic for from the classic originals), allowing for an unshackled experience that made it much easier for players to work their way through hordes of zombies...something you'll need to do frequently, if this demo is any indication, because they are EVERYWHERE. While I wouldn't say the controls are vastly improved from part 2, as that was already a great improvement, they do feel smoother, and it's a good thing too, because dodging is going to be your friend in this game. 

The Gore is the Most Realistic it's Ever Been

Let's be honest, when playing a survival horror game, one element high up on the list of requirements for us horror fans is good gore, and the Resident Evil 3 remake lives up to that and then some. This demo is only about fifteen minutes long (depending on your playing style), yet by the end, you'll find yourself drenched in blood and zombie bits. Players are at one point given access to a shotgun, which explodes zombie heads like blood-filled balloons with a satisfying splash that I couldn't get enough. 

What's most impressive though is the realism of it all. Past games might see a red splotch show up on a zombie wherever it's shot, but in this instance, each bullet wound is visible on enemies in incredible detail. I was actually shocked to see each bullet leaving a nasty mark on grotesque zombie faces, ones which stretch the flesh of the creatures, opening up a crater of pink tissue. Capcom has included every ounce of detail they possible could in this game, and they deserve a round of applause for it. 

The Nemesis is Going to Cause a Lot of Heart Attacks

None of us are prepared for how badly the Nemesis is going to wreck us. Many fans found themselves screaming for their mommies during every encounter with Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake, but fam, that was nothing compared to the Nemesis. Not only is the Nemesis a hell of a lot more intimidating (and ugly), but he moves with lightning speed and hits hard and fast, able to completely destroy you in a matter of seconds, a far cry from the lumbering Mr. X. This thing is a bully that's going to take your lunch money, buy your favorite food, eat it in front of you, and then spit it in your face and laugh. In just the short time I faced him, I already hate him, and that's a good thing. 

At the end of the demo, players encounter the Nemesis and are forced to run from him, surrounded by blazing fires and masses of zombies. I felt like I was in Hell. I screamed. I cried. I nearly peed myself. And of course, I died. A couple times. If that's what players are going to be up against throughout the majority of Resident Evil 3, then we'd better have a stack of fresh underwear nearby, because we're going to need it. 

This Has a Great Chance of Being the Best Resident Evil Game Ever

This demo may have only been fifteen minutes long, but it was enough to convince me that the Resident Evil 3 remake has all of the potential to be the greatest game in the franchise. The voice acting is believable. The graphics are damn near incredible. And the Nemesis is going to go down as legend for striking terror in the hearts of gamers like he never has before. 

Since we're all going to be at home for the next few weeks, DO NOT put off picking up Resident Evil 3. You won't be able to put it down. 

By Matt Konopka