Just before release!　Reviewing the demo version of "Resident Evil RE:3" and the open beta test of "Resident Evil: Resistance".

Resident Evil RE:3" ("Resident Evil RE:3"), a survival horror game for PS4, Xbox One, and Steam scheduled for release on Friday, April 3, 2020, is a full remake of the original "Resident Evil 3" released in 1998, revived for current consoles. Currently, trial versions of the game, including "Resident Evil Resistance," which is included in this title, are being distributed (the open beta test for "Resident Evil Resistance" will last until 23:59 on April 2 (Thursday)). This article provides play reviews of both titles!　Please check it out as well as a review of the information on the production version just before the release date. A review article of the production version of this title will also be published soon.

Experience the core of "Resident Evil RE:3" at ......, including combat with pursuers, stepping, and emergency evasion!

The demo version of the main game is modest in volume. When the author played it, the clear time was around 30 minutes. However, the core elements of "Resident Evil RE:3" can be fully enjoyed. First of all, Nemesis. This bio-weapon, called "Tracker" in the original story, is a prototype developed by the giant pharmaceutical company Umbrella, and deployed in Raccoon City, where a large-scale disaster has occurred. It relentlessly pursues Jill, a member of the city's special forces unit "S.T.A.R.S.," in order to eliminate her. Its huge body and black coat are reminiscent of the Tyrant from "Resident Evil RE:2" and other films, but it is a different animal.

Nemesis is nearly twice the size of Jill, but it closes the distance with frightening speed. It is highly intelligent and has many variations in its behavior, such as moving ahead of where we are going or extending its tentacles to attract Jill. Even if you flee indoors, Nemesis will open doors or break down walls and chase Jill wherever she goes. Nemesis also possesses an extraordinary regeneration power, and even if you do a lot of damage and bring her to her knees, it will only be temporary, and she will recover completely in a short time. If you encounter Nemesis, you should run away first; he is not a serious fighter. In the demo version, a single hand grenade was enough to neutralize Nemesis, but compared to the Tyrant in the previous game, it was a very easy feat, so it may have been set a little low for the demo version. The limited space available to the player this time seemed to amplify the sense of fear of being chased.

Step" and "Emergency Evasion" are also new elements in "Bio RE:3. Step is activated by pressing R1 + left stick, and allows you to move quickly in any direction. As in "Resident Evil RE:2," the zombies in this title are very physical (about 4-5 headshots with a handgun), so you may want to avoid combat to conserve your remaining ammo. However, although useful as an evasion technique, the movement distance is short. I felt it was better to use it only as a way to deal with unexpected attacks, rather than to create a situation where you would have to use the step yourself.

Emergency Evasion" is triggered by stepping just before an attack from an enemy. After moving in any direction and holding a gun, everyone but you goes into slow motion, allowing you to attack the attacker unilaterally. In short, you can easily defeat an enemy by making an emergency evasion, but the timing for success is very critical. If you fail, you will take damage, so it is a high-risk, high-reward move. However, since Nemesis' attacks can also be dealt with by emergency evasion, it can be a great lifesaver when you are cornered.

Resident Evil Resistance" for asymmetrical matches

In stark contrast to the main game, "Resident Evil Resistance" is a multiplayer-only title. Players are divided into two groups: "Survivors" (four players), who try to escape, and "Masterminds" (one player), who try to prevent the escape.

The facility is divided into three sections, and the objective of the survivor side is to reach the innermost exit within the time limit while searching for key items needed to open each door. Each of the four survivors has a different skill set, including the ability to heal and sabotage the mastermind. Since the mastermind has no idea what kind of enemies will be deployed and where, if you go in alone, you will not be able to do much and you will end up being defeated. Even if a player is disabled, he or she can be revived by an ally within a certain period of time, but the survivor's strength is reduced by half during that time. Players who are not revived can be resurrected at the entrance to the nearest compartment, but at the cost of a greatly reduced time limit, so the risk is great. The key to success is teamwork, with all four players working together as much as possible and making full use of their unique skills.

Stores are located at the entrance to each section, where weapons, ammunition, green herbs (recovery items), and other items can be exchanged. The money needed for exchange can be picked up by defeating enemies or at some of the facilities. Especially useful in combat are melee weapons. It is dangerous to challenge a zombie to a close encounter, but in this game, a blow from a bat or hammer is more powerful than a single shot from a handgun. Simply swinging a bat or hammer at a zombie or zombie dog up close can quickly kill it. However, melee weapons have a durability level that decreases each time they hit an enemy. Eventually, they will break. Durability can be restored with a "repair kit," so if you use a melee weapon, you should have one. Powerful guns such as shotguns and magnums can be found in the store, but you cannot buy bullets, only the amount loaded at the time of purchase (bullets for handguns can be purchased). It may be better to use them as trump cards, like using them only against tricky enemies such as lickers.

In the open beta test, I tried several times on the survivor side, but all were defeated. Perhaps because I was paired with a group of randomly selected players in a quick match, I was unable to communicate well with my fellow players, which hurt me. Although I was not able to master the use of the system, it does allow for canned communication such as "This way" and "Roger," so those who are going to play the beta test or the commercial version should definitely take advantage of this feature.

Mastermind, the administrator of the experimental facility, thoroughly interferes with the survivors' escape and aims to run out of time. Through the multiple cameras installed in the facility, the mastermind monitors the survivors and sets up zombies and traps. Each trap has a cost. The cost increases over time, so it is up to the player's tactics to decide whether to place a large number of low-cost traps or to accumulate costs and call for more powerful ones. It is easy to get a pensive look on your face when you see a running survivor get caught in a trap and while disarming it, is attacked by a zombie from the back of the room.

The key to winning is how to wait for the survivor. There is no point in placing one or two enemies on the spot when you are about to lose one of the items you need to move on to the next compartment. It is too late. Once you retreat, turn your attention to the path they will use to return, to the room where the second item is located. Always look ahead. Just by being aware of this, you will be able to play much more calmly. In addition, although they did not appear in this beta test, "Alex Wesker" and "Oswell E. Spencer" are known as new masterminds.

On the mastermind side, there is a trump card. It is called "Ultimate Skill," which allows one to summon a powerful creature and manipulate it for a certain period of time. In Daniel's case, it is a Tyrant, which features martial arts such as powerful hooks and lunges. The moment the Tyrant appears, the survivors flee as if in cahoots, so it is exhilarating to hunt it down and beat it to death. However, since tyrants are slow to move and attack, survivors in large areas often missed them. It is the role of the mastermind to know the abilities of the creatures that come out with Ultimate Skills and take them into consideration so that they can use their full power. The timing of using the Ultimate Skill will directly affect the victory, since respawning the opponent will greatly reduce the time limit.

Resident Evil RE:2, a remake of Resident Evil 2, was nominated for Game of The Year in 2019 and was an undeniable masterpiece, both worldwide and in my subjective opinion. Although only a part of the production version was mentioned this time, the quality of the game meets the high expectations that will be received from all over the world, given the perfection of the previous version. I can't wait to play "Resident Evil RE:3," which goes on sale tomorrow.

（I can't wait to play "Resident Evil RE:3" when it finally goes on sale tomorrow.)

Information on the game
Resident Evil RE:3 ( Included in Resident Evil Resistance)
Genre: Survival horror
Compatibility: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam
Players: 1 player (up to 5 players in Resident Evil Resistance)
Price: 7,800 yen (excluding tax)
Release date: April 3, 2020 (Friday)
CERO: D (for ages 17 and up)
Z version is Z (for ages 18 and up)

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