Resident Evil 3 Remake’s Nemesis will be smarter than Mr. X

Resident Evil 3 Remake’s Nemesis will be cleverer and craftier than Resident Evil 2’s Mr. X, because Capcom has improved the artificial intelligence that was used in the Resident Evil 2 Remake (via PlayStation Magazine).

In an interview with PlayStation Magazine, producer Peter Fabiano shed a little light on what’s in store for the remake, which is currently “about 90%” done. Capcom was conscious that the original game was especially action-oriented, and so there have been a few new implementations. Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, and Nemesis have gotten new designs for the new iteration of the game, and that’s not all that has been added. The PlayStation 4 brings Resident Evil 3’s Raccoon City into the new decade, and players will be able to see the sights… so to speak.

“It’s [still] not an open world game,” said Fabiano. “You’ll find that you’ll be able to walk through areas and explore a bit more than in the original. Keep in mind that you never know what might lurk around the corner.” Very reassuring. But, it does sound that new and veteran players alike will experience never-before-seen environments and carve their own path through the ruined city. They’ll have to watch their step, though, because Nemesis has new tricks up his sleeves.

In Resident Evil 3, Nemesis would crash the party in scripted moments, and with each appearance, he would be flaunting a new weapon and new combat style for players to adapt (or die) to. However, in the remake, he’s left his flair for the dramatic in the past. Nemesis will be let loose in the city and the implication is that the enemy could pop out at any moment. This is unlike Mr. X who would stalk Leon or Claire through the Raccoon City Police Station (though towering Tyrant did learn to open doors in the gap between games). Capcom is said to have been “building on the Tyrant AI technology” of the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and so Nemesis boasts “his own brand of terror.”

“You never know when or where he might show up,” added Fabiano, but it seems that the creature’s signature “S.T.A.R.SSS” callout has stayed in the remake. “Sound is very important, especially in horror games, and we are always working to ensure that sound design adds to that feeling of tension,” he said. “We’re using similar sound techniques from Resident Evil 2, and even some of the same sound designers.” Oh, and Capcom made Nemesis to guarantee he would be just as terrifying as the first time we met him. “Photogrammetry and motion capture techniques allowed actors to bring the characters and their expressions to life,” explained Fabiano. Let’s hope that’s only a metaphor, and there isn’t a real Nemesis chilling out in a trailer, chowing down on quinoa and sipping Fiji water. 

Resident Evil 3 Remake will launch for the PlayStation 4 on April 3.