Compared to the smashing success of the Resident Evil 2 remake, this game got almost no positive reaction at all. Fans were upset that some of their favorite sections from the original were cut, and that no free DLC or extra modes were added for replay value. It seems like a pretty bad deal all around, but it’s less of a downgrade than it may seem. I replayed the original for a point of comparison, and found that the remake actually does a pretty good job reworking it into a smoother experience. The best example is the removal of the clock tower sequence, which is considered emblematic of a remake that cut too much. However, as memorable as the clock tower imagery is, nothing that happens there contributes to the overall plot. The area is fairly small, and it doesn’t introduce any new enemies. The question the developers had to ask was if the smoother progression of the narrative was worth the blowback from fans of the original, and they decided to take the risk. Even if they miscalculated the response, they still achieved the goal of giving Resident Evil 3 the action-movie pacing it was originally envisioned with. That’s the line that always divides fans with remakes, whether you would prefer the original flaws to be left intact, or reworked with potentially warped hindsight. However, with the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 both being so fundamentally different in style from the originals that the “remake” designation is stretched to the breaking point, the latter option is easier for me to accept. I can also understand being annoyed at the lack of replayability options compared to the multiple campaigns of RE2, but the additional difficulty modes and persistent item shop did a good job of keeping me interested all the way through the ultimate inferno mode. This review is more defending the game rather than explaining why you should play it, and that’s because I understand that even the other Resident Evil fans who are most willing to replay the game found the content to be lacking. It may make it into my top games of the year, but in this case, I don’t feel like my confidence in a recommendation is proportional to my level of enjoyment. I enjoyed the RE2 remake a lot, this is essentially more of the same. How much that’s worth is up to you.