THE DEAD TIMES
DEAD ARE COMING...
Reimagining Nemesis
In early 2019, the much-desired remake of Resident Evil 2 was released by Capcom, 21 years after 1998's original. In some ways this was a bold move as the greater Resident Evil series had been struggling after a disastrous sixth instalment and a seventh, which while well-received by critics and gamers alike, saw the company's funds dwindle as sales failed to meet expectation. In addition, remastering older games riddled with nostalgia can lead to disappointment (yes, I'm looking at you Alone in the Dark) and when that game is often touted as the highlight of a franchise, even an entire genre, get it wrong and you risk losing the millions-strong fanbase almost overnight. Also factor in the two decades worth of pleas from hardcore RE fans to remake the sequel and it quickly became apparent that Capcom was holding a powder keg; let it off at precisely the right moment and reignite a troubled series but, fire it off too quickly without the loving care it deserves and a hellish end will surely follow.
Fortunately, they got it right… and then some. The game was released to scores around the 90% mark, gained a very high reputation from players and sold over four million copies within one month of launch, up from three million in the very first week. In the review here on The Dead Times I even gave it a whopping 4 stars out of 5. It was clear we were dealing with a legendary game that would not be forgotten for years to come.
Naturally, in this consumerism led world, thoughts - disturbingly quickly - turned to the future. It was left in no doubt that Capcom would continue the Resident Evil franchise but what form would it take; the rumoured Resident Evil 8 or perhaps, following their recent success with reigniting old flames, a remake of Resident Evil 3? Perhaps they would jump ahead to what is often considered the true third instalment of the series and remake Resident Evil: Code Veronica - Resident Evil 3 often being (somewhat unfairly) labelled as Resident Evil 2.5 due to its reuse of assets from the sequel and similar story. In all honesty, Capcom did not even intend RE 3 to be a numbered entry in the series but pressure to churn out a third game in a relatively short time forced them down this route. So, a direct line to a remake of Code Veronica would appear to be the obvious solution if a new remaster is the heading (and, being one of the first RE games I played properly, I am thrilled by that conclusion). However, I would hate Capcom to overlook 3 entirely; after all, it does exist, like it or not. That still leaves the problem that a one-for-one remake of 3 would be very close to 2 and what audiences forgave back in the old-days of limited polygon worlds and games worthy of your time coming out relatively infrequently, they might not be so amicable to now.
What a redoing of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis really needs is a twist; some shocking new playstyle that, while not completely alien to gamers, is new to the Resident Evil series, something that will maintain and even heighten the terror of this horror-fuelled world. The answer, to me, was quite obvious once I had identified the key strength of 1999's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and how this may clash with the updated 2019's Resident Evil 2. No one can forget the truly harrowing Nemesis enemy from RE 3, particularly his fear-inducing, slightly 'gravelly' call of "Starrrzzz..." as he hunted down Raccoon City's finest police unit. Nemesis is similar to the series' Tyrants - basically big, hulking brutes that have been heavily altered by the T-virus and are almost unstoppable. Nemesis however is far more physically dexterous and smarter than your typical 'whack you in the face really hard' Tyrant. Gamers have even heralded Nemesis as being "one of the series' most popular characters", adding that this towering monstrosity is "one of their favourite and most terrifying monsters in video games".
Fast-forward to 2019 and Resident Evil 2 stokes a similar fear in players hearts of a relentless pursuer with, 'love him or hate him', Mr. X. Of course, Mr. X - a generic Tyrant of which there are rumoured to be more than one - was in the original RE 2 but he just seems more in the limelight this time around; increased graphical power and other technological improvements really bringing this speechless behemoth to life. It's obvious then, at least to me, that if there is to be a RE 3 remake, Nemesis desperately needs an overhaul to up the scare factor even more - a gruesome modernisation to continue his legacy of one of the franchises most popular characters. The answer is right there in the title; make Nemesis a true nemesis, make him hunt you down relentlessly, and not just you, any survivors clinging on to life in Raccoon City. Make him unscripted, an autonomous threat, a learning, unstoppable, insidious evil that could be anywhere at any time, the one true foe that will be remembered for years after his first appearance - make him like the xenomorph in that 'oh so creepy' horror game from Creative Assembly, Alien: Isolation.
Just imagine the mind-bending potential of this; a terror that cannot be killed, that is a constant worry, from which nowhere is safe, the ultimate hunter. The oversized, lifeless terror, radically mutated by the T-virus would haunt the environment, stalking the player around the entire game, occasionally making his presence known as he slowly plods around, fulfilling his mission of destroying the troublesome S. T. A. R. S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) team members. You could hide from him in dumpsters, lockers, cupboards and so forth - if you are lucky, he may not even see you, his heavy footsteps and unnerving, scratchy breathing all that reminds you of his diabolical presence. For those not so fortunate though, a dismal fate awaits them at the hands of his foul weaponry or hideous physical abilities.
Of course, the game design would need to be changed quite substantially from the original, although, given the similarity with RE 2, this might actually be a good thing. The basics would stay the same; a third-person camera, weapon collection, scarce resources, a small yet upgradable inventory, etc.. The game would ideally become more of a smaller-scale open-world, similar to that seen in The Evil Within 2, encompassing a decent-sized chunk of Raccoon City for players to explore (no doubt, fans would love a chance to explore the city where the outbreak first occurred in glorious high definition). You would have the same sort of puzzles that RE is famous for; collecting items, combining them, backtracking and then using those items to unlock later areas. Also, to keep things grounded, there would be Zombies around and Lickers, as well as a host of new glamorous beasties, each forcing the player to choose between risking the increased noise of combat - and possibly drawing Nemesis to your location - or attempting to sneak by without detection, risking an unplanned ambush should the worse happen. There would be other citizens too - most being hostile or simply ignoring you altogether. These civilians would basically serve as cannon fodder for Nemesis, to get him to come out and let the player know that he is still there, watching, waiting, while he blows up pathetic survivors with his rocket launcher. However, a canny player would realise that these helpless individuals could also be used as bait; themselves drawing Zombies away from vital areas or 'busying' Nemesis while you sneak past.
This suggested respec may imply more of a Resident Evil: Nemesis than a formal Resident Evil 3: Nemesis but there is nothing wrong with a bit of diversification and, if it continues a beloved series in a strange, enjoyable and horrific new chapter, who really cares about the title?
DESCRIPTION:
With the whopping success of the Resident Evil 2 remake, there is little doubt that Capcom will continue remaking and remastering older games in the Resident Evil series. Will a remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis be next and how will it avoid being simply more of 2? This article gives possible answers for both of those questions.
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DATE UPLOADED:
20/04/2019