Following up a classic like Resident Evil 2 was always going to be difficult, but Capcom had an interesting approach to the issue. With Resident Evil 3, the game acted as bookends for Resident Evil 2 as it covered some of the events before and immediately after that game. The title didn't reach the heights that the second game did, but it was solid enough to keep the series going forward. The game had its own remake in early 2020, and it lived up to the standards of the PlayStation original by being a good title but not one that was going to surpass its predecessor. The original Switch version saw a cloud version of the game, but now we've got a native version for the Switch 2.

It is September 1998, two months after the events that occurred in the mansion located on the outskirts of Raccoon City in the Arklay Mountains. The T-Virus had spread beyond the mansion and it wasn't long before all of Raccoon City had become infected and overrun by zombies and other monsters. Jill Valentine, a former member of S.T.A.R.S. that was one of the few survivors of the mansion incident, was suspended from the force but has done her own investigation on the pharmaceutical company Umbrella Corporation in hopes of exposing their corruption to the world. A few days before she's set to leave Raccoon City for good, a large monster dubbed Nemesis breaks through her apartment wall to try to kill her. She manages to escape, but not before getting roped into helping a group of Umbrella soldiers craft an escape for the city's few remaining survivors.

Considering this game's relationship to the second game, it is only fitting that the mechanics from that remake make their way over intact. The fixed camera angle from the original has now been replaced with a third-person, over-the-shoulder viewpoint, but the game's opening borrows a bit from the seventh and eighth games in the series by briefly going with a first-person viewpoint. The controls are more in line with modern expectations, but there is now a quick select button to let you change your weapons on the fly instead of going to your inventory. Some streamlining is also in effect, as you can push some doors to open them, and ink ribbons are no longer needed to save your progress at a typewriter.

There are two big gameplay mechanics in Resident Evil 3, and both of them apply to combat. The first is the ability to craft ammo. You can still find ammo in the world, but now you'll find gunpowder as well. Much like the herbs that the game has used from the start, different combinations of gunpowder can craft different types of ammo for the guns that you have. Just like the second remake, the streamlining process has hit this mechanic, since you no longer need a crafting tool to create ammo. The other big gameplay mechanic is the dodge. It's a simple, backward dodge so you aren't suddenly tumbling all over the place, but timing the dodge just right allows for the game's form of bullet time, where you'll move in slow motion and automatically aim for the enemy's weak spot as your reward for avoiding damage.

This remake feels more exciting to play thanks to the changes that have been brought over from the second remake. The emphasis on action makes the game more of a thrill ride than something with an ebb and flow to the scares. There are a few changes that can damper things for those who enjoy the series' standard formula. The first has to do with the Nemesis. He is still a tall, menacing figure whose nigh invincibility makes for a terrifying foe. However, his sequences are heavily scripted chase sequences, with a few boss-style fights. The sense of dynamism in the original PlayStation release feels lost, and there are many moments when you feel like he completely exited the picture, making him actually less frightening than Mr. X from the previous title.

The other, more significant change is with the content, specifically the removal of stuff when compared with the original PlayStation game. Some of the locations are missing, only showing up briefly in cut scenes. Some of the boss fights are gone, as are a large chunk of the puzzles. There are also no branching paths for the story, and all of this put together creates an experience that is linear with one definitive outcome and also leaner, since the game can be completed faster with all of that previous content omitted. The experience is still thrilling for those who have never played that PlayStation original, but those expecting a Resident Evil 2-like experience where things were altered but otherwise intact will come away disappointed.

There are no Switch 2-exclusive features. No one should be expecting any motion controls, mouse controls, or touch-screen support. One thing that this version is missing over the original remake released on various other platforms is the inclusion of Resident Evil REsistance, a separate online-only game that pits a team of four survivors against one mastermind responsible for setting up traps across the given map. Not making that available on the system is a shame, but it is also something that few will ever miss considering the game didn't get the popularity or attention that Capcom was hoping for.

The audio has not degraded in quality after being ported from more powerful consoles. Even though the surround sound configuration goes no higher than an uncompressed PCM 5.1, the effects remain clean, and the sound of creaking doors and the drop of an empty bullet casing is both fresh and essential to creating the horror vibe. The same can be said for the music, which is actually muted. Compared to the original, the soundtrack isn't as prevalent, and when it does appear, it builds on suspense and lets you know if you're in a big fight. The soundtrack never feels like it's droning on, as sounds effects like barks and zombie groans comprise the majority of the audio. As expected, the characters have had their voices recast, and no one would accuse the series of returning to its roots in this respect. Every voice suits their character just fine, and the delivery is pitch perfect. The lines they say sound less silly this time around, and there are even bonus lines when anyone is trying to kill a monster and is frustrated at how many bullets it takes to down one.

With the game built on the same RE Engine as past Switch 2 ports, it should come as no surprise to see the game helping the Switch 2 to punch above its perceived expectations. HDR is present, but the game seems to be very dark on the system's own screen and on an OLED display. It's playable if you don't mind fumbling a bit in the dark, but you may want to turn up the brightness if you want to see more. Textures and character models remain as detailed as ever, and the game runs at 60fps with barely any drops unless you get into very heavy scenes full of monsters and particle effects. DLSS is no doubt doing all of the heavy lifting to achieve this, but the telltale signs are so few that you'll appreciate the upscaling for giving the system this kind of experience.

Resident Evil 3 is best seen as a complementary title to Resident Evil 2 rather than something more essential. Its short run time and significant trimming of the original game's content ensures that it won't keep you occupied longer than any other entry in the series. The ride itself is compelling enough that you'll have a good time for the brief time that you're there, making it more of a game for Resident Evil die-hards and less essential for the more casual survival-horror fan.

Score: 7.0/10