Is Resident Evil 3 Remake worth playing in 2025?

Resident Evil 3 in 1999 was a masterpiece on the original PlayStation. The plot focuses on Jill Valentine trying to escape Raccoon City before it gets nuked while a Tyrant called Nemesis is out to kill her. In 2020, the game was remade for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, giving today's generation a chance to experience the terror of Nemesis with updated graphics and controls.

After the success of the RE2 Remake, fans were excited to revisit Raccoon City as Jill Valentine but were quickly disappointed to see just how much was cut from the original. Resident Evil 3 Remake was released five years ago, and we think it's time to see whether this title is still worth playing in 2025.

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Resident Evil 3 Remake nerfed Nemesis

Nemesis desreved better (Image via Capcom)

The biggest aspect of the RE2 Remake was Mr. X, a Tyrant that would dynamically search for you around the RPD. Every encounter you had with him during your playthrough was natural, meaning he would actively stalk you as you ran around looking for puzzle items and supplies. However, that was not the case in the Resident Evil 3 Remake, as every Nemesis appearance was scripted.

Even though his encounters were scary because of his new terrifying look and size, his "persistent pursuer" aspect was not faithful to the original game from 1999. This change was extremely underwhelming in 2020, and it can still feel the same in 2025, especially on repeat playthroughs once you have mastered the dodge mechanic.

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Visuals and performance hold up well

The character models look photorealistic (Image via Capcom)

Even though the Resident Evil 3 Remake was originally released on the previous generation of consoles, the game still holds up visually. Capcom has also ported the title officially to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, where it can take advantage of the newest hardware. This allows the game to use SSDs for faster load times, and ray tracing for better reflections across Racoon City.

Apart from these technical aspects, the character models and lighting also hold up, making the title visually impressive with finer details more visible on the updated version. Even without these latest bells and whistles, the last-gen version of the title still manages to play well, with the only drawback being the unstable frame rate that never hits the sweet spot of 60 FPS.

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A short but action-packed experience

The game begins and finishes with massive action set pieces (Image via Capcom)

One of the major complaints about the Resident Evil 3 Remake was how short it was compared to the original release from 1999. This was because many of the iconic sections, such as the Clock Tower and the Graveyard, were cut, which severely hampered the game's length. This meant that even after all the exploration, you could complete the title in less than six hours.

However, this made the remake feel more action-oriented than horror, as the slow moments were scrapped in favor of action set pieces. Even though the game feels shorter now, it manages to fill the playtime with plenty of boss fights against different forms of Nemesis. The experience also gets better as the dodge mechanic, inventory management, and gun combat work hand in hand here.

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Is it worth playing in 2025?

Resident Evil 3 Remake is not for everyone (Image via Capcom)

Resident Evil 3 Remake is not a game for everyone, so whether it's worth playing in 2025 or not depends on what you are looking for. If you are a classic horror fan who wants a terrifying atmosphere and limited resources similar to older RE titles, then this remake is not meant for you.

However, if you are someone who wants to play a short, action-oriented game with a powerful arsenal featuring weapons like a grenade launcher, shotguns, handguns, and a rocket launcher, then you can certainly give Resident Evil 3 Remake a try.