Capcom
Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis

LA RECENSIONE

I remember the time when I started middle school, it was '98 and Resident Evil 2 had just come out with attached censorship and sales ban by the minors' association and various other nonsense, my classmates who had a copy brought it to school in front of the astonished looks of everyone who whispered "so you really have it! Can you lend it to me? I'll bring it back tomorrow", as if it were something forbidden that could not be possessed, wrapped in a veil of silence because T-H-E-W-O-R-L-D-O-F-T-H-E-A-D-U-L-T-S judged it immoral, already "RESIDENTIVO" a name that now labels an entire genre that until then had never had much success, I started playing it with the 3rd chapter which came out simultaneously with Gran Turismo 2 and I still remember the various "loops" I went through in deciding which of the two to bet on (also because 100 thousand lira per game was a lot, especially for a 12-year-old), in the end, I was drawn to the allure of zombies, leaving engines for the years to come.

The plot of the 3rd chapter is connected to that of the 2nd since Jill's (the protagonist) adventure begins 24 hours before and ends 24 hours after Leon and Claire's in a Raccoon City devastated by the T-Virus, where the classic "greeting from..." makes little sense, during the adventure we will have to move from one part of the city to another following different scenarios: from the most famous Police Station in video game history to Umbrella labs where the particle cannon (essential for definitively eliminating Nemesis) resides, passing by the Power Plant, the Clock Tower, the hospital, Raccoon City Park (with an attached cemetery), and the Water Treatment Plant. During this little trip, we will get to know the various mutations of the T/G-Virus from the classic zombies to Lickers without forgetting the "Apple Worm," frogs with razor-sharp claws, Drain Deimos, giant spiders, and Nemesis (the evolution of Tyrant seen in the 2nd chapter), along with a group of mercenaries sent by Umbrella to collect virus samples. Clearly, as in every respectable Resident Evil, there will be so many puzzles that we'll feel nauseated at the mere sight of a "Puzzle Week" (which nonetheless will have to be solved all to proceed with the adventure) along with various notes scattered throughout the city that will help us better understand the characters and events that led to all this, up to the epilogue in pure WWII style with the dropping of the atomic bomb and all the attached details.

In short, a title to dust off for the "old" ones who were able to enjoy it first-hand and for the younger ones, a piece of history to memorize like the whole RE saga (up to Code Veronica), forget about 4 and 5, they don't fit in at all.

As for me, I'm grateful I lived in that period and was one of those youngsters who hid it under the school desk, essences of a time now past in favor of an era where everything is allowed.