Parents' Guide to

Resident Evil 3

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Classic bloody zombie shooter is given new life.

Game PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One 2020
Resident Evil 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 5 parent reviews

MarineCat636
MarineCat636 Adult
November 19, 2020
age 16+

Remake of the classic shooter is terrifying and profane

Parents need to know that this horror remake is absolutly not for little kids. In fact, every single game in the Resident Evil franchise is not for anyone who is scared easily. This is pure nightmare fuel with a great storyline. Zombies and giant monsters will attack you and take bites out of your neck if they get too close. You will fend them off with lots of different guns, and they dont go down easy. A spray of blood is easily visable on every bullet impact, and sometimes limbs and heads will come off. The environment will be spattered with blood sometimes as well. Somehow, this game really isn't as violent as I expected. While it is bloody at times, combat isnt frequent. There is also quite a bit of profanity. In fact, the main thing that makes this game mature is the many F words and the overall scary atmosphere. I reccomend this game to adults who like horror and suspense, NOT little kids unless you want them to have nightmares for a week.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
MikeTatum123
MikeTatum123 Adult
November 11, 2020
age 13+

It is alright for mature kids

My son had asked me for this game, and originally I said no, But after I did a little research I found out that you can turn off blood. There is some language but most teens I think can handle it. Overall i'm so glad that you can turn off the blood, it is a great relief.
See all 5 parent reviews

What’s It About?

RESIDENT EVIL 3 is a remake of 1999's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and takes place just before and during the events of Resident Evil 2. Players control Jill Valentine, a hero from the Raccoon City Police Department's STARS division, when a viral outbreak turns the residents of Raccoon City into zombies, forcing her to find a way out of the city. It's a good thing she's well trained in the use of firearms, knives, and explosives, and knows how to find supplies that other people have left lying around. She also has good problem-solving skills, which is handy when it comes to solving situational puzzles that can help her unlock new areas to explore. But even with all of her skills, she'll need a lot of luck to manage to escape a really, really determined enemy who won't leave her alone and who keeps coming after her regardless of the number of shots fired at him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (10):

Though it's not as good as the similar remake of Resident Evil 2, this updated version of a popular survival horror game does breathe new life into the 21-year-old classic. A remake of 1999's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil 3 casts you as Jill Valentine, the ever capable, well-trained member of an anti-bioterrorism task force. That makes her the best person to be when a viral outbreak turns the residents of Raccoon City into zombies. As with other early games in this series, you not only have to shoot zombies from the third-person perspective, but also have to solve puzzles and find keys so that you can open up new areas of the city. You'll also have to scrounge around for ammo and other supplies while dodging incoming attacks.

All of this is made more fun in this remake by the game's updated and more modern, intuitive controls. These are more closely aligned with those of last year's Resident Evil 2 remake. It looks a lot better, and the city has been reconfigured to be just different enough to make it feel fresh, even for people who've played the original more recently than 1999. Unfortunately, it also carries over but alters the original's most divisive aspect: the random appearance of the unstoppable and unkillable Nemesis. Even worse (or better, depending on your perspective), he can now go into rooms that were safe before. But despite this change (or maybe because of it), Resident Evil 3 remains a classic zombie game that now plays better than ever.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Resident Evil 3 affected by the fact that your enemies in this game are zombies and other monsters? Would the impact be intensified if you were fighting humans or animals?

  • If there was a disaster on the level of a zombie apocalypse, would you know what to do? Are you and your family prepared for less fantastic, but just as dangerous, natural disasters?

Game Details

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