Resident Evil 3

The premise

Raccoon City falls into chaos as a virus turns its people into zombies. Jill Valentine, a former member of the S.T.A.R.S. unit, tries to escape the city, hunted by Nemesis, a bioweapon created by Umbrella to wipe out the last witnesses. She meets Carlos Oliveira, an Umbrella mercenary tasked with evacuating civilians, whom you play in some sections. The game is an over-the-shoulder shooter with a dodge that lets you counter attacks. Nintendo Insider notes that ammo is more plentiful than in Resident Evil 2, encouraging a more aggressive approach.

A divisive remake

All five reviews agree on one thing: Resident Evil 3 is the weakest of Capcom’s recent remakes. Several locations from the original are gone, including the Clock Tower, which Nintendo Life, Cubed3 and ntower miss. Nemesis mostly appears in scripted set pieces instead of freely stalking the player as Mr. X did in Resident Evil 2. The campaign is short: five to six hours for Nintendo Life, about seven hours for a thorough first run according to ntower. Cubed3 is the harshest, calling it too linear with simplified puzzles. The others see a tight, well-paced action-horror game: ntower and Nintendo Insider praise the controls inherited from Resident Evil 2 and the atmosphere of a city in ruins.

Few extras

The Resident Evil Resistance multiplayer mode bundled with the game in 2020 is not included on Switch 2, as its servers have shut down. Nintendo Life and Cubed3 regret that only concept art and 3D model galleries remain. For replay value there is a bonus shop unlocked after the first run, extra difficulty levels and challenges (ntower, Nintendo Insider). According to the eShop, the Switch 2 version includes Jill’s and Carlos’s classic costumes.

The Switch 2 version

Everyone rates the port as excellent. Nintendo Life and ntower report a 60fps target hit almost all the time, docked and handheld. Finger Guns finds it flawless on a TV, nearly identical to the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions. The flaws are the same as Resident Evil 2’s: slightly fuzzy hair, especially in handheld (Nintendo Life, Finger Guns). There is no gyro aiming or mouse control (Nintendo Insider, ntower), and Finger Guns finds aiming with the Joy-Con 2 sticks uncomfortable.

Price and platforms

As of 11 November 2026, Resident Evil 3 costs €29.99 on the Nintendo eShop (Switch 2). It costs €39.99 on Steam, the French PlayStation Store (PS4 and PS5 version, with Resident Evil Resistance on PS4) and the French Xbox Store. Bundles (Raccoon City Edition, trilogy) and separately sold add-ons are not listed here. The Switch 2 boxed version, announced for 29 January 2027, and resellers were not checked.

Who is it for?

Players who enjoyed Resident Evil 2 and want the rest of the story on the go: the port is very clean. Those expecting a faithful remake of the 1999 original or a long campaign may be disappointed. Nintendo Life suggests waiting for a sale.