Resident Evil 3: Nemesis feels like a side story, an expansion, a "gaiden" if you wanna be a freak about it. Technically that's because it is, it was never meant to be a numbered entry in the series. I don't want to unpack all that, but needless to say, RE3 feels weird as a conclusion to the Playstation trilogy.
It's not that it's a bad game. In fact, I like it quite a bit. It's less puzzle heavy than the first two games, putting much of the focus on action. It doesn't lean as hard into as Dino Crisis 2 or anything, but you're definitely given weapons that feel more fun to use, and ammo crafting becomes a huge part of your inventory maintenance. There's of course the titular Nemesis too, who despite the action heavy focus of the game is still best avoided if at all possible. It's clear they wanted to expand upon Mr.X from the previous game, and Nemesis is used to great effect here. It's definitely a highlight, though unfortunately he shows up less and less as the game progresses.
The reuse of Racoon City may at first feel a bit cheap, but you're able to explore so much more of it than you were able to in RE2. That said, one complaint I do have is that some locations beyond the large opening area aren't quite as memorable as, say, the sewers in 2 or the facility in 1. There's also only one scenario, setting this further apart from the first two games, but the alternate scenarios in RE1 and 2 weren't drastically different, and I don't feel the loss of one is that much of a bad thing. They could have given Carlos his own campaign, but weaving his story in with Jill's feels a lot better, ultimately.
Like RE2, there's a modern remake of this game. This is probably the first time I feel a Resident Evil remake is inferior to the original, however. The remake diverges more heavily from the original than 2 did and ends up losing too much of that identity along the way. While you are given more interesting areas to explore, they become less of a playground for the Nemesis, and thus there's even less of him past the starting area. In fact, he only really stalks you at one point during the entire game, with the rest of your encounters being scripted. I just feel that loses too much of what made the original fun, to be honest. If you have your pick between the two versions, definitely give the Playstation one a go.
It's not that it's a bad game. In fact, I like it quite a bit. It's less puzzle heavy than the first two games, putting much of the focus on action. It doesn't lean as hard into as Dino Crisis 2 or anything, but you're definitely given weapons that feel more fun to use, and ammo crafting becomes a huge part of your inventory maintenance. There's of course the titular Nemesis too, who despite the action heavy focus of the game is still best avoided if at all possible. It's clear they wanted to expand upon Mr.X from the previous game, and Nemesis is used to great effect here. It's definitely a highlight, though unfortunately he shows up less and less as the game progresses.
The reuse of Racoon City may at first feel a bit cheap, but you're able to explore so much more of it than you were able to in RE2. That said, one complaint I do have is that some locations beyond the large opening area aren't quite as memorable as, say, the sewers in 2 or the facility in 1. There's also only one scenario, setting this further apart from the first two games, but the alternate scenarios in RE1 and 2 weren't drastically different, and I don't feel the loss of one is that much of a bad thing. They could have given Carlos his own campaign, but weaving his story in with Jill's feels a lot better, ultimately.
Like RE2, there's a modern remake of this game. This is probably the first time I feel a Resident Evil remake is inferior to the original, however. The remake diverges more heavily from the original than 2 did and ends up losing too much of that identity along the way. While you are given more interesting areas to explore, they become less of a playground for the Nemesis, and thus there's even less of him past the starting area. In fact, he only really stalks you at one point during the entire game, with the rest of your encounters being scripted. I just feel that loses too much of what made the original fun, to be honest. If you have your pick between the two versions, definitely give the Playstation one a go.