Developer: CAPCOM
Year Released: 1999
‘S.T.A.R.S….’ – The third chapter in the Resident Evil series sees former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine attempt to escape the zombie-infested streets of Racoon City before it is virtually wiped of the face of the earth (in order to contain the infection). The failure of the city’s inhabitants to accept or believe the S.T.A.R.S. members’ warnings regarding the mansion incident that occurred several weeks prior, as well as Umbrella Corporation’s involvement, led to multiple outbreaks within the city. Consequently the majority of residents now stalk the streets, hungry for human flesh…
It is your mission to guide Jill through the undead city. As well as combating mindless zombies and various mutated creatures, Jill is relentlessly hunted down by Nemesis – a superior version of the Tyrant and armed with a rocket launcher; Nemesis is a creation of Umbrella, sent to dispose of surviving S.T.A.R.S members – as they threaten to expose the Corporation’s activities to the world. Fortunately, Jill does come across fellow survivors on her travels, including Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service (U.B.C.S.) soldiers: Carlos Oliveira, Mikhail Victor and Nicholai Ginovaef. Carlos (who is playable for a small section of the game) offers to team up with Jill and often helps her out of sticky situations. However, not every survivor has good intentions….
An interesting feature of the game is the use of decision making that can ultimately alter the outcome – for example, in one of the many confrontations with Nemesis throughout the game, you are given the choice of either fighting the monster or hiding in a nearby building etc. Like its predecessors, Resident Evil 3 is also composed of puzzle-solving. Barry Burton (another surviving S.T.A.R.S. member from the original Resident Evil) also makes an appearance. Upon completion of the game, a mini-game can be unlocked – Mercenaries: Operation Mad Jackal where you can play as any of the three U.B.C.S. members from the main game.
Resident Evil (Biohazard) and all associated characters, images, and trademarks are copyright © Capcom. Images adapted from CAPCOM’s Resident Evil 3