RESIDENT EVIL 3: NEMESIS
This titular mutant terminator has STARS in its eyes, literally, from tearing the unit apart during the Raccoon City outbreak
Originally developed as a spin-off, this more action-focused and chaotic jaunt in Raccoon City eventually became part of the main series in its own right. Starring Jill Valentine in a return from the first game, it’s set just before and after Leon and Claire get caught up in the same T-virus outbreak during Resident Evil 2. Your goal is simply to escape a city in chaos, but that’s harder than it seems.
In a departure from the preceding games, the story almost exclusively follows Jill, only trading off to another character for you to control briefly. It’s more action-packed than RE1 and 2, both in terms of the big bangies (that’s what we call things like ammo and explosive barrels), and the quick shifties (Jill can quick dodge and turn on a dime to avoid undead claws) – though on a basic level it plays much the same, tank controls and all. Zombies are plentiful as Jill explores and makes her way through the Big Raccoon, and she finds herself constantly hunted by Nemesis, a super-powered mutant zombie who’s tracking down and killing STARS members. You frequently have to choose whether to fight him to get item drops or run away to escape. He’s tough, so the latter is just as valid a choice.
These decisions about whether to fight or flee from Nemesis, or which areas to explore, have little effect on how the story progresses. In this visit to Raccoon City, you feel like you’re navigating streets in ruin, though you do return to familiar sights like the RPD building. Coupled with a stronger focus on action, it does lead to a leaner-feeling game – but still a full-on and unforgettable experience. Beating the game unlocks The Mercenaries, where you play as Umbrella operatives working within a limited amount of time with limited resources, which would become an unlockable mode in Resident Evils
4, 5, and 6.