Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a 1999 survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom originally for the PlayStation. It is the third main installment in the Resident Evil series and takes place almost concurrently with the events of Resident Evil 2. The player must control former elite agent Jill Valentine as she escapes from Raccoon City, which has been overrun by zombies. The game uses the same engine as its predecessors and features 3D models over pre-rendered backgrounds with fixed camera angles. Choices through the game affect how the story unfolds and which ending is achieved.
Resident Evil 3 was developed concurrently with Resident Evil – Code: Veronica and was conceived as a spin-off featuring a different protagonist. It was designed to have a more action-oriented gameplay than its predecessors and features a larger number of enemies for the player to defeat. It also introduces Nemesis, a creature that periodically pursues the player throughout the game and that was inspired by the T-1000 Terminator from the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Resident Evil 3 received critical acclaim and sold more than three million copies worldwide. Critics praised the setting, detailed graphics and Nemesis as an intimidating villain, but some criticized its short length and simple story. In the years following its release on the PlayStation, Resident Evil 3 was ported to Windows, Dreamcast, and GameCube with varying degrees of critical success. In particular, the GameCube version was criticized for its relatively high retail price and outdated graphics. A remake, entitled Resident Evil 3, was released in 2020.
Gameplay
left|thumb|The player, playing as [[Jill Valentine, is evading a zombie. Like its predecessors, the graphical style of the game features 3D models over pre-rendered backgrounds with fixed camera angles.]]
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a survival horror game where the player controls the protagonist, Jill Valentine, from a third-person perspective to interact with the environment and enemies. The player takes control of another character for a brief portion of the game. into Raccoon City to eradicate the T-virus infestation. After confronting Nemesis and grabbing a keycard needed to escape, Jill learns that the missile attack on Raccoon City has begun, with only a short time left before the city is destroyed.
Depending on the path taken by the player, Jill's final encounter with Nikolai will differ. In one version of the events, Nikolai will attempt to start a gunfight with Jill, only to be ambushed and killed by Nemesis. In another event, Nikolai will hijack Jill's intended escape chopper, and the player must either reason with Nikolai or destroy the helicopter. If Jill negotiates with Nikolai, he reveals that he has killed the other supervisors and boasts about collecting the bounty placed on Jill by Umbrella before escaping. Regardless of Nikolai's fate, Jill makes her way to the rear yard and confronts Nemesis again. After an intense battle, Jill defeats Nemesis with the help of a large prototype railgun before meeting up with Carlos and escaping the city via a helicopter. If the previous escape chopper was stolen by Nikolai, Jill and Carlos will instead meet up with S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team's weapons specialist Barry Burton, who helps them escape in his helicopter. At sunrise, the missile vaporizes Raccoon City, and Jill swears revenge on Umbrella. A newscast then briefly details the destruction and offers condolences for the lost lives.
Development
thumb|right|Resident Evil 3 was the last numbered [[Resident Evil game developed for the PlayStation.]]
Resident Evil 3 was developed by Capcom and produced by Shinji Mikami, who had directed the original Resident Evil and produced Resident Evil 2. <br> 9/10 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis released on September 25. The titles were sold both individually and as a $24.99 bundle. The game will get enhanced 3D character models and higher-resolution graphics on its release.
On August 19, 2025, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis released on the PlayStation 4 and 5 platforms.
Remake
A remake, entitled Resident Evil 3, was released in 2020.