At Sony’s State of Play presentation last December,Capcom finally confirmed that the highly-requested remakeofResident Evil 3is currently in development. Although this was the first time that Capcom revealed the upcoming remake ofResident Evil 3, the developer also confirmed its target release date, which falls on June 07, 2025.
Apart from the initial trailer that was showcased at the State of Play presentation, and a few details released shortly after, not much is currently known aboutResident Evil 3 Remake. However, in a recent interview with Famitsu, Capcom producers Masao Kawada and Peter J. Fabiano, revealed thatResident Evil 3will be more action-focused thanResident Evil 2Remake. The developers then said that the game’s action-oriented gameplay is already reflected in the redesigned looks of Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveria.
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Of course, givenResident Evil’stroubled history with incorporating action into its games, the recent interview given by the game’s developers could be worrying for some players. Ever since 2004’sResident Evil 4,the franchise slowly turned away from its survival horror roots, and favored a more intense, fast-paced action gameplay that eventually alienated most of its longtime players. However, in recentResident Evilgames, Capcom decided to return to the survival-horror style of gameplay that made theResident Evilfranchise popular in the first place. So, should fans be worried about Capcom’s decision to makeResident Evil 3Remake action-oriented?
The only way to really know for sure is to wait for Capcom to at least release gameplay footage of the remake and give players a preview of the upcoming game’s overall vibe. However, it is unlikely that the action elements that will be introduced in the remake will be as extensive as in previous installments in the franchise such as withResident Evil 5. The developers also said in the same interview that the upcoming remake ofResident Evil 3will still capture the core essence of the original gameand that the personalities of the characters will remain similar to the 1999 title.
It is also worth pointing out that even the originalResident Evil 3was more action-oriented thanResident Evil 2andResident Evil 1due to the more advanced enemies hunting down players. A perfect example of this isResident Evil 3’siconic main villain Nemesis. Compared toResident Evil 1’sTyrant andResident Evil 2’sMr. X,Nemesis is able to run and damage players from a distancegiven that he carries a rocket launcher. This results in a more fast-paced and action-oriented experience given that players who choose to face the monster would need to strategically position themselves to avoid getting hit and use stronger weapons to temporarily defeat the threat that is upon them. Despite all that,Resident Evil 3still proved to be an installment that is worthy of carrying theResident Evilname, since it still had survival-horror at its roots and every encounter with an enemy is still a horrifying experience.
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Apart from the more advanced enemies inResident Evil 3, the game also featured characters that are already experienced in dealing with bioweapons, unlike inResident Evil 1(that also featured Jill), andResident Evil 2’srookie cop Leon Kennedy, and civilian Claire Redfield. This time around, Jill has already witnessed the horrifying creatures created by thet-Virusfrom the mansion incident and is no longer taken by surprise with the monsters lurking around Raccoon City, unlike Leon and Claire who had no idea of what to expect. Of course, with her firsthand experience in dealing with zombies and other monsters, it does make sense that the game’s intensity shifts to a fast-paced and action-oriented gameplay.
It is also worth pointing out that it is unlikely for Capcom to drastically change the overall atmosphere ofResident Evil 3, given the highly-successful release of the remake of its predecessor.Resident Evil 2Remake was critically acclaimed by both fans and criticsdue to the fact that the remake retained the best features of the original game, while also introducing new features and storylines that made the overall experience of players more richer than before. Given this, players should expect a similar approach inResident Evil 3remake, with the exception that the game’s pace would be more intense and action-oriented.
All in all, while we still can’t know for sure whereResident Evil 3is headed until proper gameplay footage is unveiled, it is likely thatResident Evil 3 remake will remain a survival-horror title and that the action-oriented feature Capcom has been talking about is just a minor change of pace rather than a full-fledged change of direction.Breaking down the remake’s launch traileralready gives players some sort of an idea on what to expect in the upcoming game. The footage revealed at Sony’s State of Play showcased Jill Valentine running from her life as she is pursued by a shadowed figure that is most likely Nemesis. Although the action element is already prevalent in the fast-paced launch trailer, it still embodied the survival-horror atmosphere and the terrifying encounter that madeResident Evil 3one of the most iconic titles in video game history.
Resident Evil 3is set to release on Jul 17, 2025, for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
