#she stalks me like nemesis stalks jill

[thesongofawinterwolf]

All I'm saying is, I've never seen Sedna and Nemesis in the same room 🤷🏻‍♀️

[writingwisterias]

Hello! Can you write Jill Valentine with a coworker! Reader who was kidnapped and turned into a Nemesis-like B.O.W because they were experimented on by Wesker?

When Jill first saw B.O.W! Reader, her first thought is to get her gun. But surprisingly, the creature didn't seem to immediately attack her at all. Jill lowered her gun and got good at its face. She immediately recognized the face of a coworker she once knew that she saw on a missing poster.

Got a request to do with with Leon as well so I've combined them into two drabbles! Let me know if you want anyone else because I love the angst with this idea! ~ Mads <3

Masterlist

Warnings: Angst, Regular Resident Evil Shenanigans, Hurt No Comfort

Jill Valentine (RE3)

Jill looked at the wall in her apartment, the red lines attached to various pins which she hoped were many clues that led to the solution of your suspicious disappearance. Your innocent face was in the middle of the web of red, your smile a constant reminder of how much she's missed seeing it in the morning as you arrived into work with an extra coffee for the team. She understood why you saved her and Chris as you all faced the betrayal of your boss but falling out of a window as Wesker dragged you along with him was something she could never have expected to happen. The situation became even weirder when they returned and never found a body. She spent the following days after the incident with Chris and the rest of the team cleaning up the leftover nightmares that roamed the mansion, whilst looking for clues to try and figure out what happened to you.

It had been months since she had any sense of a direction with this case, every time she thought she figured it out another dead end greeted her. The rain hammered against her windows as she woke up, the storm mimicking the anger she felt at letting anything happen to you. Jill sighed as she stared at the board for the hundredth time, before getting up and walking over to bathroom. She wondered over to the bathroom to splash her face to wake herself up. Her phone rang and she rushed to answer it, Brad was begging her to run and get out of the apartment but the warning came too late when the wall came crushing into her. Jill didn't hesitate to drop the phone and run, not even wasting time to look behind and figure out what was attacking her.

Jill coughed on the impact as she was flung against the wall in a harsh smack. She sunk to the floor clutching her side as she watched the flames reveal the thing that had be chasing her. A large deformed B.O.W crept closer to her, its build was strong and easily towered over her, its flesh mangled and stretched thin as she assumed it went through countless transformations. Yet it's face remained fairly untouched, it wasn't until it was almost upon her that she recognized it. It was you. She shouted your name, begging for you to stop your stalking, hoping there was a chance you were still there. you hesitated for a second, only to be called at by another person greeting you with a rocket launcher. You fell at the impact, delaying you pursuit on Jill. You watched her be dragged away by the man, her screams of your name didn't fall on deaf ears, but the commands were still pulsing throughout your head no matter how many times you begged for him to stop. You begged to stop hunting and killing your friends. You only hoped Jill had the strength and mercy to stop you, and finally put an end to your pain.

Jill sat in the subway train, staring at the blood caked on her boots. Her brain wishing for Chris to be here and help her figure out what to do, to see if there was anyway they could save you or if it was easier to just finally let you go. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

Leon Kennedy (RE4R)

Leon groaned as he lifted Ashley onto the chair with your help, the both of you trying to fight off the infection that was now rapidly growing. He felt you slump against the back of his chair as he quickly tried to stop the infection from growing inside Ashley. The both of you held her hand tightly as she went through the procedure, eagerly waiting to see if it succeeded or failed. Your heart ached watched the poor girl scream in pain as the machine did it's job, your only thought was coming up with compelling arguments to get Leon on the chair next. Coming up with excuse after excuse on why he should go and not you. It seemed like the universe worked in your favor though as you felt him slide off the chair and onto the floor, collapsing in a heap of limbs. You whimpered as you attempted to pry his arms into your grip to help lift him, you could slowly feel the infection finalizing its spread throughout your body, signaling you didn't have much time left and you assumed it was only the same for Leon. He was just the one that the exhaustion caught up with first.

You felt his weight slowly get lifted with as Ashley, who was now awake, helped you haul him onto the chair. She then rushed to help you in the chair as she saw your form swaying. "Get the restraints, I'll do the computer" you spoke softly, exhaustion was creeping in fast. Ashley listened to your final commands without hesitation, naively hoping the machine would fast enough to help you as well. Once the machine was set up and whirring you stumbled away from the chair, deciding to watch from afar as Leon got cured. You slumped against the wall, your legs finally giving out as you slowly felt Sadler turn your brain into mush, his echoing commands in the foreground of Ashley's cheers of success as Leon was cured. You felt your heart break as she turned to you her eyes widening as she witnessed the black almost take over your eyes. "Make sure he kicks Sadler's ass for me please." You joked, giving the girl a smile. She nodded, tears falling down her dirtied face as she turned to look at Leon again, praying he would wake up fast enough to help you onto the chair.

Leon woke up to Ashley's tear stained face as she slowly released him from the restraints. He groaned as he sat up scanning the room for you. His heart dropped when he spotted your hunched figure in the corner of the room. He called your name weakly before getting up to approach. He approached slowly, limping his way over to you. Leon called your name again, raising his hand towards Ashley as a silent command to stay there. He saw all the black seeping throughout your body, there was barely any unaffected skin left. His hands shook as he touched the handle of his knife. His breath catching in his throat as he watched you lift up your head as look at him, but your eyes were black, emotionless. He whispered your name for a final time, a final attempt to see if you were there but he knew. He knew it was a mercy killing but still struggled to hold back the tears as he did it.

Ashley watched his shoulders shake as he mourned over the loss of you, his partner. He clutched you body close to him, your blood seeping into his trousers and onto his hands. "She wants you kick his ass" Ashley whispered her hand falling on his shoulder comfortingly. He nodded, gently laying to peace as best he could. You were now another person he couldn't save on this mission but he sure as hell was going to avenge you the best he could.

[tanstar]

Rambling about RE2R and RE3R’s cut content part 2

Read part 1 here.

Part 2: RE3R

So I’m gonna be honest, I really like RE3R. It’s narrative and characters are 10/10 for me, something I haven’t been able to say about RE in a long time (honestly my biggest gripes with re5 and 6 are the complete wasted potential of their narratives and characters). I’ll go more in depth about it later but yeah I’ve got no complaints about the story or characters. My problems with RE3R come down to it’s length, level design and the utilization of Nemesis. So let’s get started.

spoilers ahead 

Cut/altered/new content:

Live select options were cut in favour of a cohesive narrative and characterization (which have been expanded upon greatly), Jill’s apartment is now explorable, Nemesis ambushes Jill at her apartment and her escape is now playable, the graveyard is gone (though there is a nod to the graveyard at the start of the rpd section), the clock tower interior and its puzzles are gone (it’s exterior is used for the boss fight against Nemesis form 2 like the original), no water puzzle, the gravedigger has been merged with hunter gamma as a common enemy type, Uptown is now a linear setpiece that cannot be revisited, there are fewer Nemesis encounters, Nemesis item drops aren’t as worthwhile as the original,  there’s a new boss fight with Nemesis as he wields a flamethrower, tram has been changed to a subway train, fetchquest for the tram has been cut, Mikhail is now fully conscious for his entire appearance, new character Dr Bard included with new vaccine subplot, fetchquest for the gems has been made optional instead of mandatory, Mayor Warren’s statue is no longer fetchquest related and can be found before crossing the bridge to the clock tower, battery fetchquest for the construction site elevator has been changed to fuses for the underground storage facility elevator, Nemesis destroying the helicopter has been moved to the beginning of the game, Brad is still bitten at Bar Jack but heroically sacrifices himself rather than act like a huge coward, Brad is not killed by Nemesis, Brad infects Marvin (which ties in well with both og re2 and RE2R surprisingly), Racoon city in general has been redesigned to look like an american city instead of a japanese one, Stagla still explodes but cannot be entered, the zombie horde at Stagla has been moved to the hospital in a tower defence sequence, Drain Deimos and Brainsuckers have been merged, no leeches, no spiders or crows, new enemies the pale heads and parasite zombies, construction site and power station have been merged, once Jill has been infected Carlos takes her to the hospital instead of the chapel iside the clock tower, likewise Carlos doesn’t wait for 2 days before deciding to find a cure instead it takes him around 12 hours to find Jill and he immediately looks for the vaccine, hospital has been expanded, underground storage facility replaces the park, dead factory is merged with a new lab area, Tyrell is now an actual character and dies to Nemesis intead of an explosion, final boss is now reliant on Jill operating the rail gun herself rather than coercing Nemesis in front of it, iconic STARS line has been moved from the final boss fight to a chase sequence, the confrontation with Nicholai has been moved to the climax of the game, Nicholai is implied to be working with Wesker instead of Umbrella and of course the alternate ending with Barry was cut.

So RE3R does cut or alter the content of the original but in most cases it does try to replace whatever was cut. Also regardless of cuts, re3′s narrative has been expanded upon with character arcs and lore tying it to the rest of the series, that alone justifies this game’s existence for me. As much as I love the original, its bare bones plot and narrative structure (a result of being a sort of choose your adventure game) as well as the fact that it started as a spinoff game and the fact that its last three levels were added last minute (hence the vaccine plotline coming out of nowhere) really don’t do it any favours. I still enjoy the original story and characters but I think the remake did a better job at both these things. 

So I had some major problems with the writing for RE2R in both terms of the overall narrative (there is no cohesive overlapping narrative between our two leads) and the portrayal of certain characters (Leon and Ada), so what did I think of RE3R? It’s good. It’s really good actually, the acting is probably the best in the series tbh. Jill’s ptsd from the mansion incident and how it has made her distrustful but also self sacrificing is so interesting. This is perfectly displayed when she agrees to help the UBCS, she knows she shouldn’t help them, that Umbrella is out to get her but with civilian lives on the line she decides to fulfil her duty as a STARS officer and help out. But she isn’t just abrasive or snarky, she shows she is still a very caring person too, this can be seen in her interactions with Brad, Kendo and even Dario, she wants to genuinely save all three of them but things just don’t work out that way. Carlos is great, way better than his original incarnation and I say that as someone who likes that version too. He’s a great support character for Jill and also acts somewhat as a foil for her character and his arc about learning of Umbrella’s wrongdoings is handled well. I think everyone can aggree that Carlos and Jill’s dynamic is fantastic, the growth of their relationship feels very organic and genuine. I never expected to care about Brad so much, in the original he’s just a huge coward who exists to be killed by Nemesis but now he actually feels like a person and someone who Jill valued. Also holy shit that scene where he bites Marvin is so much more narratively fulfilling than his death by Nemesis. Mikhail’s expanded role as captain is great, as is his death. Tyrell actually gets to be a character this time around and I actually hoped he’d somehow survive. Dr Bard is a total scumbag and his inclusion finally explains the vaccine’s creation as well as adding to the overall corruption of RC via Umbrella. Nicholai’s a total ham and a dickhead, I mean this in a good way I would describe all my favourite RE villians this way (the Weskers, the Ashfords, Salazar, Carla Radames, Jack Baker). And form 1 Nemesis has some fun dramatic flair that I enjoyed. Also I will defend the choice to remove Barry from the ending, I really like Barry but it was the right decision not to involve him as it would really work against the game’s narrative and Jill’s character arc.

Now onto RE3R’s level design and structure and in my opinion it should have borrowed more from the og re3′s level design way more. What we have isn’t bad but it could’ve been much more. The streets being redesigned was inevitable to me, I really enjoy the aesthetic of the original but it looks very Japanese and RC is supposed to be a US city, so this change doesn’t bother me. The linearity does. The streets should have been more open and you should have been able to return to Uptown to explore (adding back in a fetchquest would justify this), this would give way more opportunities for Nemesis to stalk the player. What’s strange is there is a mod that opens up Downtown to be almost completely explorable and Nemesis’s AI can actually track you throughout it’s entirety, why bother programming him that way if the intention was to make the area more linear? When Nemesis does show up in the remake he’s great but he should have been present way more, he’s like the opposite of Mr X in RE2R. Mr X follows the player semi randomly around the RPD for a while but he is pretty toothless as a threat (seriously, you can out walk him), Nemesis on the other hand is a genuine threat but is only semi random for an incredibly short portion of the game. Expanding the streets would fix this issue. The park could’ve been an explorable area before the RPD, I personally don’t mind the park being cut but i know a lot of people do. They should have implemented more puzzles. I also think the clock tower should have been explorable and if I’m being honest I think it was supposed to be, it’s referenced in the subway and then we get the pamphlet before crossing the bridge, I think it was cut for time.  I think a lot was cut for time and I don’t think it’s M2′s fault, i think Capcom is the problem here and all you need to do is look at RE2R and all of its cut content for proof. 

Honestly if this game had just reintegrated some more of the original games levels and structure I think it would have been a 10/10, I still enjoy what we got I just want more! I hope we get DLC in the future and there’s certainly ample opportunity, we could have a ghost survivors scenario with Brad escaping Nemesis, we could play as Nicholai as he collects data on the outbreak before the main game, a dream sequence of Jill exploring the clock tower, Tyrell could cut through the park as he makes his way to the hospital and of course I hope we get Mercenaries mode. I guess time will tell.

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

So I've completed RE3 2020

......so my fear of finishing it early came true. Yet I still overall enjoyed the game......

Little spoilers or nothing extreme....but to show I completed it.

Yeah this is the PS4 version.

You know before I was gonna play this game. After watching a certain video showcasing their seemed to be some stuff off about the criticisms of this game. I can see people's point.

I think I'm just disappointed the game wasn't longer. Yet this is coming from someone who hasn't finished the original Resident Evil 3 on Dreamcast. But I think the remake is a pretty damn nice game.

It's just all of these weird feelings....just....I got through that.

It's weird to explain.

But other things. Yeah I got killed two more times. The 2nd I was surprised by a Gamma that was behind me during this hanger part. Which explained why there was this animation I had when facing these zombies. During the final Nemesis boss fight, on the right side of the power pillars, I get grabbed and squeezed by Nemesis.

I honestly laughed at Jill's, "Bitch can't even swim" comment. Also now I remembered. I did an evil laugh at Carlos's comment on the whole, "Welcome Leon" thing.....I think that was funny.

But back to some points I'm thinking about. Despite I felt very immersed into the experience including when playing as Carlos and calling this Hunter like creature a son of a bitch. Including exploring more of Raccoon City and just overall having a good time. Including gameplay as Carlos was nice as well.

Yet I am disappointed by yes when I think about it the cut content. While the clock tower battle is different. It's nice the tower is actually there. Because it made it seem like it wasn't involved but I think it could be because you don't go in it.

Okay yeah nothing huge in spoilers but this is a 20 year old game. But I'm just warning people.

You don't see Brad's death by Nemesis, Jill doesn't explore the RPD building, also Barry actually doesn't make an appearance in the game at the end.

Also that part with Nemesis I praised yesterday where I said Nemesis is worse than Mr. X? Despite Mr. X is scary on standard mode. Nemesis even on assisted just terrified me. Yet it's mainly that one segment, that one part of town he stalks you.

But considering he starts changing after the train part, it makes sense. I mean that would of been worse if there was another segment with Jill getting something and Nemesis in his stage 2 is stalking me.

Yet considering the game and length, I still dig what they did with Nemesis. Including I dig with what they did with the characters as well. Gonna admit....I really wonder what the Hell are people talking of how they ruined Jill. Such as this one thumbnail I decided look up that the game is a humiliation of Jill Valentine and Nemesis.

Listen I totally get cut content and length. Despite RE3 from what I learned is one of the shorter RE games....but I hope to God people's bitching about Jill isn't about possibly the trauma the game showcases she's gone through. Along with whatever things but I'm not sure. Because I dug her portrayal in this and it was respectful of the original game.

Especially there are two nightmare parts in this game. With the first at the beginning of the game.

Yet I shouldn't assume what some of the complaints are. The main thing I honestly liked it. Yet I can definitely tell I just wanted more. Because Resident Evil 3 as a whole is just something I really like.

Mainly just the set up and Nemesis as a villain. Because the complaints I've heard disappointment me at first.

Because before the game fans were hyping in YT comments that Nemesis would be worse than Mr. X.

Including in my case I hoped it would basically be Mr. X on steroids that's like the Xenomorph from Alien Isolation. Despite if that happened, there would be complaints about Nemesis being too difficult.

But considering my experience with Nemesis. I was honestly happy with his portrayal.

I do wanna say before learning or thinking well....the remakes mainly the 2nd and 3rd are basically their own canon which I have thought about. But considering one of the creatures is being retconned into the Las Plagas parasite and learned last night Nemesis got a bit of retconned too.....

So....yeah....the remakes of RE2 and RE3 possibly being their own things seem off now or so.

I'll also say this. Capcom I get RE4 is very popular and it's a meme to get it on every console possible. Surprised it's not like Doom meme levels which is stupid and insane to say.

Yet it would make more sense to remake Code Veronica before RE4....just give us the last of the 1998 saga of the RE series.

We got the remakes of the first three games, RE 0, and finally Code Veronica. Just give us that including with a remake version of RE Engine version of Wesker and younger Chris.

Because the stupidest thing I thought of long ago is just imagine if Capcom remade the original RE again. But this time using the RE Engine like with 2 and 3.

[killscreencinema]

Resident Evil 3 (PS4)

It would be October if I didn't play a spooo~ooky game, so I decided to check out the remake of Resident Evil 3!

The game takes place about a day before the events of RE2, and focuses on Jill Valentine, former member of the elite task force S.T.A.R.S. and one of the few survivors of the Spencer Mansion incident depicted in the first game. Ever since her horrific ordeal, Jill has been trying to hold the evil monster making company Umbrella accountable, but silly Jill, this is America. Corporations of holy, blameless creatures!

So naturally, she gets fired from S.T.A.R.S. and placed on Umbrella's hit list, the enforcer of which is a hulking monster named Nemesis. As the outbreak of the T-virus turns Raccoon City into a bloodbath, Jill must run for her life from this unstoppable monster and find a way out of the city before it becomes nuked "Return of the Living Dead" style.

Considering how much I enjoyed the RE2 remake, I was really looking forward to this game, especially as I had never played through the original RE3 before (BLASPHEMY!). I just remember around that time being sick of Resident Evil and felt like the series peaked with the original RE2. So until it eventually reinvented itself with the excellent Resident Evil 4, I was done with the series.

It's ironic because I kind of feel that way now about these remakes! While I'd still love a remake of Code Veronica some day, the Resident Evil 3 remake fell kind of flat for me. It's a technically sound game and solidly designed, but it just doesn't have the same thrills and exciting moments as the RE 2 remake did. When you get right down to it, there's a huge factor missing from this and it's same thing that's missing from the title: Nemesis.

Oh, he's there alright, but he's just the same. Instead of relentlessly stalking you throughout the game, infusing exploration with a constant sense of dread, Nemesis shows up in pre-scripted sequences, chasing you around for a bit before you finally make it to safety. It's still thrilling, but not he same. It's strange - the Mr. X stuff in Resident Evil 2 remake feels more like Nemesis than this. As a matter of fact, the Mr. X stuff was my favorite aspect of the RE2 remake - having to strategize where to go in the map while avoiding the hulking brute always made the game feel intense, which is sorely lacking with this entry.

Resident Evil 3 is also very short, clocking in at maybe 3 hours or so of play time. Don't get me wrong, in this era of sprawling, 100+ hour epics, it's refreshing to play a short game, but I feel like this could have been just a little bit longer.

It just feels like this game was made as an afterthought to RE 2. As if Capcom was like, "Hey, we still got the assets from the RE 2 remake - lets whip together quick RE 3 remake quick cash as well!" It just doesn't seem as if much passion went into this, which is a shame because it's otherwise a finely crafted game!

[entergamingxp]

Resident Evil 3 Review — A Jill Royale With Cheese

March 30, 2020 11:00 AM EST

Resident Evil 3 is an excellent remake of a fan favorite game that features great action gameplay, jaw-dropping visuals, and not enough Carlos.

The Resident Evil franchise has long been one of my favorite series in gaming. I vividly remember staying up late into the night, devouring the Resident Evil remake on GameCube. More than anything, the original game’s lore stuck with me, so I quickly went out and bought all of the S.D. Perry novels based on the games. I was so into the story of Resident Evil that when the first movie came out, I begged my mom to rent it. She finally relented, on the condition that I didn’t let my brother watch. So, he sat in the other room and I just described the movie to him. The obsession was real.

Anyways, because I came to the series relatively late and never owned a PlayStation One, the two series entries that always evaded me were Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Granted, I knew the basic story from the novelizations, but never got the chance to play them myself. So, when Capcom announced the Resident Evil 2 remake a few years ago, I was ecstatic to finally play the games that had evaded me for so long. Fortunately, Resident Evil 2’s remake was a masterclass in how to update an old classic for modern audiences and would have been my Game of the Year in 2019 if not for the sublime Judgment.

With the success of RE2, it was a surprise to literally no one when Capcom revealed they would remake Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Both games are fan-favorites that deserved the update and, after seeing what the team did with Mr. X, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we needed to witness how the stalking mechanics would evolve with Nemesis. But, given the totality with which the RE team knocked RE2’s remake out of the park, how could they possibly hope to top it with RE3?

“[Resident Evil 3] is an absolute must-play.”

Well, the short answer is that they didn’t. Now, don’t take that to mean Resident Evil 3 is a bad remake. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, while many of the designer’s decisions help to make the game better, there were enough niggles that kept the RE3 from completely surpassing its predecessor. That said, this game is an absolute must-play whether you’re a fan of the series or not.

The first thing that really stands out to me is the visuals. It’s not just that RE3 looks beautiful (and it does), it’s the detail Capcom has put into everything. I mean sure, Jill’s model is absolutely stunning, but what I really want to talk about is a blink-and-miss-it moment at the very start of the game.

After the opening cutscene, you wake up inside Jill Valentine’s apartment. On one wall of her apartment, she’s filled this massive board with clippings, notes, and connections about Umbrella Corp. Imagine the conspiracy board from the Pepe Silvia scene from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but with zombies and secret buildings owned by a pharmaceutical company. Next to the board, there’s an oscillating fan that’s been left on, presumably to beat that late September heat. As the fan moves back and forth, you notice that when it points toward the board, all the notes and string sway in the breeze. I’m not an expert on oscillating fans in video games, so, while I’m sure others have done it before, this was the first time I’ve seen it.

Either way, the point is that Capcom’s attention to detail is incredible. Here, they’ve taken a minuscule detail that most people likely won’t notice and made sure that it feels as lifelike as possible. That focus on detail in the graphics and animation is apparent throughout the entire game. From the viscera you see on each and every zombie to how they’ve altered Nemesis’ design to make him look like even more of a barely contained monstrosity, RE3 nails just about everything it goes for visually. And you cannot convince me that they didn’t give Carlos Oliveria that doofy haircut for any other reason than to show off their top-notch hairtech. The RE engine is a powerhouse and Resident Evil 3 is my favorite example of it so far.

But this beauty pageant winner doesn’t lack substance. In fact, in a few ways, the gameplay actually feels better than the RE2 Remake, depending on what you’re looking for. For the most part, if you’ve played RE2, you know what you’re getting. RE3 is, at its core, a survival horror game with a heavy emphasis on mitigating danger over mowing down zombies. Instead of clearing a room by killing everything, it’s much more effective to pick and choose who and where you shoot. If you can blow off a zombie’s leg, you force them to crawl. These even slower moving zombies are much easier to deal with and avoid than their still walking brethren. Even some of the larger, more deadly monsters you face are often easier to avoid than kill outright.

However, Capcom has given you a new move in your arsenal that makes avoiding enemies much easier. Like the original Resident Evil 3 game, the remake lets you execute a perfect dodge as enemies close in. Compared to the original though, this version’s dodge is much more cinematic. As far as I could tell, the game doesn’t really tell you how to do it, so the first time I pulled one off, my jaw hit the floor. It’s such an action movie-esque move that completely changes the game. Instead of feeling constrained by both the enemies and the environment, you feel like you can make it past anything. Of course, the move does take some practice to truly master, but once you have it down, you’ll be dodging Nemesis and all his undead friends on your way to victory.

For some people, this is going to be a net positive. You absolutely feel like the baddest chick in town every time you perfect dodge past a string of enemies while Nemesis is breathing down your neck. That said, for me, it takes away a lot of what made the RE2 remake so scary. Sure, you can dodge enemies in that game once you get the controls down, but it never felt as easy as it does in RE3. And, unfortunately, I think the improved dodging takes away from the game’s main antagonist.

“I never really felt in true danger when facing (Nemesis).”

In RE2, Mr. X felt menacing. His constant presence in the police station filled me with dread. Nemesis, on the other hand, feels more like a nuisance. I never really felt in true danger when facing him. So, while his presence in the game is absolutely more explosive, and his threat isn’t simply contained to one area, I didn’t think he was as effective an enemy as Mr. X. His design is phenomenal and the way he can arrive nearly anywhere is incredible, but your increased moveset makes him feel like a lesser version of what he could be.

One big thing RE3 does better than RE2 is how tight the campaign is. Playing through two separate campaigns for Claire and Leon always felt a little weird. Their playthroughs are supposed to be happening at the same time, but it never really feels like that’s the case. RE3 ditches the multiple playthroughs and gives you one streamlined campaign. Given the way it’s structured, Capcom could have easily made a campaign centered around Carlos and filled the game out with filler missions. Instead, they’ve built a cohesive, action-packed journey that incorporates both characters flawlessly. Obviously, the focus is mainly on Jill, but Carlos’ sections feel absolutely vital to the story.

And, if you want to play through the game multiple times, Capcom gives you plenty of reasons to do so. Not only are there unlockable difficulties, but you earn points through completing challenges. You can use the points to buy new equipment and costumes to use in your next playthrough. It’s a fun system with some cool rewards that led to me jumping back into the campaign right after finishing to see how fast I could blow through the whole game again.

Speaking of Carlos, what a joy his sections are. While Jill feels incredibly powerful with her new perfect dodge skill, Carlos is an absolute war machine. He starts the game with an assault rifle (Jill also starts with this on Assisted difficulty), which literally cuts zombies down to size in seconds. Remember earlier where we talked about how effective shooting off a zombie’s legs is? Well, Carlos can do that to a room of zombies like it’s nothing. He also has his own version of the perfect dodge where he literally punches a zombie in the face to knock it away.

If you thought Jill’s move was cool, you haven’t seen anything yet. Plus, Carlos’ mission takes you to a fun area that is full of callbacks to past Resident Evil games. To say more, would be spoiler-y and I don’t want to ruin the moment for you. I would’ve liked to play with Carlos for another section or two, but what we do have is a treat.

That all being said, by making the game a tighter narrative, you lose a little bit of what made RE2 special to me. There was something my brain loved about being stuck inside a building and having to carefully plan my route through the police station to make sure I was getting everything I needed in the most efficient manner. That’s not really necessary in Resident Evil 3. It very much feels like a linear carnival ride with much less backtracking. For some, that’s going to be a big positive. Personally, I think you lose a little bit of the Metroidvania-esque fun that was present in RE2.

“Capcom’s attention to detail is incredible.”

I also felt like there were several holes in the plot that just don’t make sense. Some of them are super minor but still took me out of the experience. For instance, in multiple encounters with Nemesis, he’s shown how easily he can just bust through a brick wall. Like, it’s nothing for him to just ram his way through solid concrete. But then there’s a section where you’re running away from him and narrowly dart through a giant metal door.

As you lock it behind you, Jill breathes a sigh of relief because he can’t get you. However, the wall surrounding the heavy-duty door is made of brick. And it’s not like this is a safe room. That I understand. This is just another room that Nemesis could easily chase you into, but he doesn’t. Obviously, it doesn’t really matter, but it completely took me out of the game. Why would something that he’d already shown would never stop him, randomly stop him now?

Some of the holes are much weirder to me. There’s a second U.B.C.S. operative working with Carlos named Tyrell Patrick. Every time you go to a new infested zone with Tyrell, he refuses to tackle the mission with you. He’s always sitting back and claiming he needs to do computer stuff. In RE2, when you meet Marvin, it makes sense that he can’t go with you. He can barely move due to a zombie bite.

As far as I can tell, Tyrell is completely able-bodied. There are zero reasons that he wouldn’t just go with you and lower the zombie threat for both of you. You could even explain it away by having him go search another wing of the building you’re in. Instead, he’s just playing Ski Free or something while you’re risking your life fighting zombies. Again, do things like this really matter? Not really, but they’re totally immersion breaking and I don’t remember them happening nearly as much in RE2.

So, usually, this is the point where I would wrap everything up and give you my final thoughts. I’ll do that shortly, but I think it’s important to talk about one more thing. It was oddly surreal to play this game while we’re living in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing cutscenes of people rioting in the streets and watching a city deal with a large-scale outbreak felt a little too real at times. Obviously, we aren’t in those stages yet (and hopefully never will be); however, I still needed to take a few breaks during my playthrough just to ease my mind.

If you’re someone who is struggling with your mental health during the ongoing pandemic, I would just caution you to know going in that RE3 can hit a little too close to the real world at times. I still think the game is worth your time. I just wouldn’t fault you for waiting a few months before you try it out.

It’s also important to quickly talk about Resident Evil Resistance, the free multiplayer mode included with Resident Evil 3. Basically, this is an asymmetrical mode. One player takes on the role of the “Mastermind” while the four other players are various survivors. The Mastermind’s goal is to stop the survivors from progressing through all three stages of the game within the time limit. They move through the environment by switching between different security cameras and can use different abilities to slow down the survivors. Masterminds have access to everything from normal zombies to several traps to super-powered bioweapons. They can also jump into their minions, taking control of the fight against the survivors.

The survivors, on the other hand, are trying to solve puzzles and shoot through the hordes on their way to victory. As mentioned, the whole thing is timed, so you need to move quickly to win. You lose and gain time in numerous ways though, so, while speed is key, you also have to play smart. Currently, there are six different survivors, though Capcom has already confirmed that Jill is coming to the mode later. Personally, I’ve played most of my games as either Valerie or my boy Martin Sandwich. Each character has their own set of skills. For instance, Valerie has a ping that lets her mark items and threats and a free health spray. Martin, on the other hand, uses his engineering skills to build mines and flashbangs.

Because the mode relies on players working with strangers, it can be a bit frustrating at times. It’s also currently very difficult to get into games; however, that problem will hopefully iron itself out when the game launches. That said, I do not come to Resident Evil games for this kind of thing. It was a fun distraction for a few hours, but probably not something I’ll be jumping back into. That isn’t to say the mode isn’t worth your time. There’s plenty to do, and it would not surprise me if Resistance built up a solid community in the coming months.

And Capcom has earned a bit of leeway given their recent track record. Even if Resistance isn’t a complete hit out of the box, the game definitely feels like something they could continue building out over the summer. I’m certainly willing to give Capcom some time to see how they support Resistance going forward.

“I would absolutely recommend Resident Evil 3 and would not be surprised if a sizable portion of the fandom ends up preferring this remake.”

With that out of the way, I found Resident Evil 3 to be a bit of a tough nut to properly rate in a review sense. The game is an absolute treat to play with action-packed sequences, tense exploration, and a few genuine scares. As mentioned above, I was having so much fun playing it, I immediately jumped back in and started again. However, from a survival horror standpoint, the game takes a significant step back from Resident Evil 2. But really, when you think about it from a thematic standpoint, that totally makes sense. In RE2 you’re playing as either a rookie cop or a civilian. Jill Valentine is the Master of Lockpicking and a battle-hardened member of S.T.A.R.S. It makes complete sense for her to have a few extra zombie fighting tricks up her sleeve.

So, while I probably prefer RE2 ever so slightly, most of that just comes from Mr. X and the police station just being one of my favorite sections of video gaming in years. I would absolutely recommend Resident Evil 3 and would not be surprised if a sizable portion of the fandom ends up preferring this remake. After all, it’s hard to top the excitement that comes with jumping back into the shoes of Jill. Regardless of which you may like more, it is so refreshing to see the Resident Evil franchise come back in such a big way. Here’s hoping Capcom can continue the momentum with whatever comes next.

March 30, 2020 11:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/resident-evil-3-review-a-jill-royale-with-cheese/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=resident-evil-3-review-a-jill-royale-with-cheese

[haleyfury]

During the winter and holiday season, one of my favorite things to do is to cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate and a baking show. I love a lot of the baking shows on Food Network, especially their Baking Championship series (Holiday BC is my favorite). I’ve of course watched The Great British Bake Off on Netflix—I’ve noticed that British baking shows are a lot calmer than American ones—so when Rebecca of mylifeasasportsfangirl tagged me to do The Great British Bake Off Book Tag, I knew I was in for a treat!The Great British Bake Off Book Tag was created by Zaheerah of Zaheerah Khalik.

Amateur Baker: A book that is self-published

*raises hand in acknowledgement that they’ve been a bad bookworm in that they can’t come up with a self-published book that they’ve read*

The best answer I can come up with is Switched by Amanda Hocking, who previously self-published her work before signing with traditional publishing companies.

Soggy Bottom: A book that had a great start but disappointing ending

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. The ending just felt so rushed and like a quick way to end the book without having to explain the affect effect (vague but no spoilers here!).

#Bingate: A book that you grew frustrated with and had to DNF

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. I’m just going to refer to my Goodreads review thoughts:

Stalking Jack the Ripper has received A TON of hype in the book blogging community and there’s been much hype and anticipation over its sequel, Hunting Prince Dracula. Unfortunately, this book did not at all live up to the hype for me. I couldn’t stand Audrey Rose (for such an intelligent girl, her POV read way more younger than her age), I didn’t really find much interest in anyone besides Thomas– there is also a big cast of characters because of the murders and victims that I often lost track of who was who, Audrey’s father was completely stubborn and illogical (I don’t care that this is the late 1800s and women are supposed to listen to a man’s word, Audrey should’ve walked out of the house way before she actually did),and the story is just so slow moving.

It also tried to add diversity but it didn’t work so well- Audrey talks about how her mom is Indian once and how they used to eat Indian dishes when they were younger and maybe mentions once how her skin is sort’ve dark but that’s all we get?? Additionally, I agree with the feeling that Audrey felt like a girl transported from the 21st century to 1880s England. Audrey, wearing pants isn’t going to help you fight against the controlling men in your life.

The only components I did enjoy about the book was how it took place in the past (I’ve been reading a lot of books lately set during our time) and the circus chapters. As you can tell, this book was just not my cup of tea.

Junior Bakeoff: A children’s book

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean by Lauren Child. I was absolutely obsessed with Clarice Bean in middle school. I think I still have those books store away with my Junie B. Jones books.

A Hollywood Handshake: A book that impressed you

 Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee. This book just covers SO much—sexuality, friendship, romance, family, Youtube/online content creation, and more.

Signature Challenge: A book that you would recommend to your friends and family

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I actually recently recommended this one to my friends who was interested in reading more books set during World War II.

Technical Challenge: Books that you picked up without knowing too much beforehand, ranking them from worst to best.

 Nemesis by Brendan Reich

 The Night Circus by Erin Morgensten

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Graynor and Heather Webb

A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck 

Showstopper Challenge: A book/series that is your all-time favorite

One of my all-time favorite series is the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke. I really need to reread these series, as this was one of the first fantasy series I ever picked up in middle school. My copy of Inkheart might be a bit battered from carrying it back and forth to school.

The Finalists: A Favorite Trilogy

Legend by Marie Lu

An Extra Slice: A Favorite Companion Book

Just One More Night by Gayle Forman. This tag is making me remember some of my all-time favorite series, like Gayle Forman’s Just One Day series (and I’m also realzing how many books I need to reread). It’s important to note that Just One More Night takes place AFTER Just One Day and Just One Year. 

I tag:

Courtney from buried in a bookshelf 

Sara from The Book Cycle 

Dani from Perspective of a Writer

Do you like to watch baking shows? What about reading books about baking? Share in the comments!

The Great British Bake Off Book Tag During the winter and holiday season, one of my favorite things to do is to cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate and a baking show.

[entergamingxp]

Resident Evil 3 remake review

The Resident Evil 3 remake comes out just over a year after the Resident Evil 2 remake, which is particularly satisfying timing when you consider the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis came out just a year after Resident Evil 2, back in 1999. Resident Evil 3 launched just before the launch of the PlayStation 2 and a transition to the next-generation of consoles, and the Resident Evil 3 remake launches not long before the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X – another satisfying parallel. But unfortunately there is an unwelcome parallel: the Resident Evil 3 remake, like the original upon which it is based, is inferior to its predecessor.

Resident Evil 3

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Platform: Reviewed on PS4

Availability: Out now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One

Don’t get me wrong, when the Resident Evil 3 remake is good, it’s fantastic. The remodelled Jill Valentine, if not inspired by Milla Jovovich then certainly developed with the Resident Evil movie star in mind, is a wonderful character. Her desperate attempt to escape Raccoon City with the relentless Nemesis monster on her back quickly turns into a save the city operation – she’s likeable, determined and I couldn’t help but root for her throughout.

I was surprised to find myself rooting for Umbrella mercenary Carlos Oliveira, too – once I got over his spectacularly vibrant bouffant hair. Carlos comes across as, well, a bit of a dick when he saves Jill – early doors – from the clutches of Nemesis. But as the story progresses so does his character. In reworking Resident Evil 3’s plot, Capcom has placed greater emphasis on Carlos, and you play as him in two extended portions of the game. Jill is of course the star of the show here, but Carlos benefits from the extra quality time – and his new hairdo, which I’m convinced has a life of its own.

And it’s worth pointing out just how fantastic Resident Evil 3 remake looks. There is an incredible level of detail throughout the game, which was built on the Resident Evil 2 remake tech. Capcom’s lighting technicians are wizards, and I love how incidental objects make subtle noises when you are close, just to freak you out. A creaking gate, the crunch of glass under foot, the wind blowing papers around the downtown streets of Raccoon City – nighttime never looked so good.

It’s a shame, then, that the Resident Evil 3 remake is so fleeting. I finished my playthrough in just five-and-a-half hours, and I think it’s worth unpacking why it felt even breezier than that. This is a more action-oriented game than the Resident Evil 2 remake, and while it does contain traditional horror sections, such as skulking through the creepy corridors of a hospital, you spend less time tiptoeing around corners and listening for thuds, and more time blasting beasts to smithereens. Zombies are less threatening because both Jill and Carlos have the dodges they had in the original Resident Evil 3, but if you time a dodge perfectly, you get a free counter-attack opportunity. Jill and Carlos both have access to serious firepower (Jill gets the shotgun pretty early and Carlos starts with an assault rifle), too. It’s not long before Jill gets an assault rifle of her own and then the death-dealing grenade launcher. So, this remake ends up quite the inventory management game as you fuss over making sure you’ve enough room for your weapons and their ammo (the grenade launcher has four types of ammo). The true fear is you run out of ammo, not run into a rock hard enemy.

Pretty much all of the characters in the game look impressively realistic.

Capcom has also made some curious decisions when it comes to the cutting room floor that make the plot pacey. You start in Jill’s incredibly-detailed apartment before Nemesis starts his assault and forces you out into the city streets. You spend the first hour or two in downtown Raccoon City, running this way and that as you try to get a train working. Downtown Raccoon City is more open than the confines of Resident Evil 2’s iconic police station, and while zombies are everywhere, there are plenty of environmental aids to use in your defense, such as exploding barrels and electric shock stuns. But while downtown is more open, its map is modestly sized. And while you can spend the backtracking time it takes to explore some of the shops and building interiors that were closed off in the original game, it’s not long before you’re on the train and, well, as you’d expect – and as you know if you played Resident Evil 3 on PSone – your escape does not go well at all.

The return to the police station is a cool moment for anyone who played the Resident Evil 2 remake, as, timeline wise, you arrive before Leon turns up. Without spoiling things, Capcom has significantly re-jigged how this area plays out, from start to finish. But there are some clever nods to the Resident Evil 2 remake here – an explanation of some environmental damage and even enemies you’ll remember from last year’s game. I got a kick out of retreading old ground – even if I’d seen most of it before.

My favourite area from Resident Evil 3 is the clocktower, its creepy gothic architecture and fun puzzles a wonderful change of pace following the carnage of downtown. The remake relegates this section to a boss fight, played out in the area outside the clocktower. I found this particularly disappointing, as it means the remake sort of hurtles forward into the next section of the game, which, as someone familiar with the events of the original, meant I knew I was coming up on the endgame. Raccoon Park and its Grave Digger boss aren’t in the remake at all, another popular Resident Evil 3 location that failed to make the cut.

Resident Evil 3 is quite the looker – with lighting particularly impressive.

Perhaps the bigger issue is the lack of puzzles. There are only a few to solve, and none involve much work. I love the silly puzzle-solving in the original Resident Evil games, and the Resident Evil 2 remake had plenty of that, too. What happened here? I’m not sure, but more puzzles would have added variety to the gameplay. Resident Evil 3 remake is a relatively straightforward adventure, and while you can spend time backtracking to find weapon attachments, extra resources and Easter eggs, progression is linear.

Which brings me neatly onto Nemesis – Resident Evil 3’s big bad. I won’t spoil how or when he turns up, or his various forms (there are a few, and some of them are fantastically outlandish), but for me he’s not as effective, or as memorable a villain as Resident Evil 2 remake’s Mr X. He works best in downtown Raccoon City, where he stalks Jill in (relatively) humanoid form while wearing his creepy bin bag-style clothes. But his jump scares feel scripted. Sure, there is some sense of him dynamically stalking you once he bursts onto the scene – usually through a wall. But where Mr. X imposed a sense of dread that encompassed the entire police department – so much so that venturing out from a safe room gave me the fear – Nemesis is about inducing surprise panic.

There are moments where this can work tremendously well. In one playthrough, on a harder difficulty, I escaped the clutches of Nemesis by the skin of my teeth (the less said about Nemesis’ new teeth, the better). One more hit and I’d die, and with Nemesis leaping to attack, I made it under a shutter with a millisecond to spare. Safe, sweating, exhilarating! But these moments are by design, rather than emergent. And in any case, after Nemesis starts sprouting tentacles, he ditches his surprise stalker status and settles into a traditional boss fight role. It’s a different feel, and I don’t think it’s better.

Nemesis has some fantastic transformations – and he’s got surprisingly quick feet for such a big boi.

A word on Resident Evil: Resistance

Resident Evil: Resistance, the asymmetrical 4v1 multiplayer survival horror game, comes bundled with the Resident Evil 3 remake. It is a separate download and client, and was once an entirely separate project. We’ll have more to say on it once its servers are live, but based on our time with the game during playtests and the beta, it’s fun with friends but a bit of a nightmare with randoms. If you’re playing as the Mastermind, know this: Mr. X is overpowered – as he should be?

All this – the pacing, the progression, the action and Nemesis’ design, contributes to the feeling the Resident Evil 3 remake is over too soon. I know, the original Resident Evil 3 wasn’t exactly a long game. And Resident Evil 2’s campaign can be completed in a handful of hours, too. But Resident Evil 2 remake’s campaign can be played over with two separate characters, which changes things. Resident Evil 3 remake is one set story, divided up into Jill and Carlos playtime.

So, why play it again once you’ve finished the game? There are a few reasons. There are incredibly hard difficulty sections for Resident Evil masochists. The knife is invulnerable, so knife-only runs are viable. When you finish the game you unlock the shop, which lets you buy a new costume for Jill and other game-affecting “leg-ups” for a virtual currency you obtain by completing in-game challenges. But apart from that, there’s nothing much else to do.

I feel like I’m coming down a little too hard on the Resident Evil 3 remake. After all, my expectations were set with the incredible Resident Evil 2 remake in mind. Jill is a triumphant character, and there are moments of genuine brilliance here. The hospital level, whose tone rekindles memories of Resident Evil 2’s police department, is fantastically unnerving. But for every super cool area in the Resident Evil 3 remake, there are two areas that fail to inspire. Downtown Raccoon City is, unfortunately, not the expansive, multi-layered stalk-fest I’d hoped it would be. There are no alternate endings to chase, no story-altering choices to make, no new game plus mode. The source material is – and I think this is the perceived wisdom – simply not as good as the original Resident Evil 2. But I can’t shake the feeling the Resident Evil 3 remake was rushed – as its original was. Now that’s an unfortunate parallel.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/resident-evil-3-remake-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=resident-evil-3-remake-review