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10 Resident Evil 3 tips to help you survive the zombie apocalypse (again)

Resident evil 3 tips
(Image credit: Capcom)

The zombies are back and some Resident Evil 3 tips will help you from joining them. With a new dodge move, a more gun heavy feel and the lumbering Resident Evil 3 Nemesis on your tail there’s some tricks to learn. A little guidance goes a long way so take a look at these pointers and Resident Evil 3 tips we wish we’d known before we started. 

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1. Don't worry about ammo and shoot everything

Resident evil 3 ammo

(Image credit: Capcom)

While Resident Evil 2 was more of a slow burn that favored ammo conservation and a careful aim, Resident Evil 3 is a little more trigger happy. Pretty much from the off you’ll usually have enough ammo to take down, rather than avoid enemies.  Later you’ll have plenty of gunpowder as well to make even more bullets so don’t be afraid to use your shotgun, or more powerful items, or just let loose with your handgun. There are more enemies this time as well so while carefully placed head shots might feel stylish, a more spray and pray approach can be more practical for crowd control - staggering zombies will help you keep them at a distance that’s easier to deal with.

2. Use down time to rinse out areas and collect everything you can carry 

(Image credit: Capcom)

When things are quiet, backtrack and collect as much ammo and gear as you can find. Do supply runs to the Item Box and make sure you don’t leave anything behind. There are a few hub areas to explore and you’ll usually know when you’re between objectives, or about to trigger something, because it’ll all start to feel a little empty. As a rule enemies will only appear when you first enter a new area, or trigger the next stage of an objective. Don’t miss the opportunity to stock up. A good example is when you collect the lock pick. If you continue on, the Nemesis will arrive and things will get busy. If you stop and go back you can gather every scrap of ammo and herb you can find relatively unbothered. 

3. Watch your space and be careful where you dodge

Resident Evil 3 dodge

(Image credit: Capcom)

Jill has a quick step move that’s great for dancing around the undead, and managing distance and space with an increased enemy count is vital in Resident Evil 3. That said be careful not to lose track of where you are. With three, four, or more zombies to face at once finding yourself with your back against the wall suddenly can be dangerous. You can get grabbed multiple times which can quickly be fatal, or simply lose the distance you need to aim at multiple targets easily. 

4. Take care with crowds to avoid being mobbed

(Image credit: Capcom)

When facing a large zombie crowd there is a risk you can be attacked from off camera, or grabbed by several in a row. Try not to get too close when the numbers are high, especially as hammering X to escape won't avoid damage, just lessen it. It'll also be easier to aim from a distance  

5. Kite zombies around to make space, or kill more in one go

resident evil 3 zombies

(Image credit: Capcom)

Because you have more space, and a dodge move, use it to lead zombies around. If there’s an explosive barrel try to bunch them up to kill as many as you can at once. The same goes if you have grenades - gathering zombies up can mean one boom solves all your problems. Even with basic gunfire being able to move your targets into one area can make attacking them easier by reducing the need to monitor and aim in several directions. 

6. Don’t be afraid to take on the nemesis and down him at least once for an upgrade

resident evil 3 supply case

(Image credit: Capcom)

He’s big and he's scary but if you’re careful you can take on the Nemesis. He’ll only go down for a little while but it’ll buy you some time and earn a Supply Case. The first time you do it that will get you the extended magazine for your handgun. It'll take a while with basic bullets and it’s not the best use of ammo so instead use a grenade, or better still one of the explosive barrels you can find. 

7. Check the map and make sure you don’t leave any red areas

(Image credit: Capcom)

The map is obviously helpful for finding your way around but it’s the color coding that’s the really useful info. Any room that’s no longer useful to you will turn blue, while red areas have some sort of useful item in them. It might be a quest relevent or it could be some missed ammo or herb tucked in a corner. Either way make sure you check any red rooms before you trigger whatever objective’s next in case you can’t come back. 

8. Use explosive barrels and generators when you can to buy you some space or time

resident evil 3 explosive barrels

(Image credit: Capcom)

You’ll find explosive red barrels , and electrifying generators scattered around levels. The barrels explode once, unsurprisingly, and largely kill everything. While the generators will stun anything in range of their electrifying blast and recharge over time. Don’t forget about them as they can be incredibly useful to take out lots of enemies, or slow them to buy you time. 

9. Stab downed zombies to save ammo and make sure they’re dead

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It’s worth attacking any zombies you’ve downed with the knife to either get in some free hits, or just to make sure they’re definitely dead, at least for the time being. You won’t really struggle for ammo but there’s no point wasting bullets if you can hack up a face down enemy. And, because you can often take down multiple enemies at once, it’s worth racking them all with a knife to make sure they’re all dead.  

10. Try to keep your distance from Hunters and use grenades to stay alive

(Image credit: Capcom)

It’s not always easy to keep some space between you and the two types of hunter you encounter but it’s best to try. The Gamma type can eat you whole, while the Beta can tear your throat out. Both are insta-kills no matter how healthy you are. Grenades will usually take them out in one go, while stun grenades will blind them long enough for you to do plenty of damage. Both have weak points as well - mouth for Gammas and head for Betas - so don’t waste ammo shooting anywhere else. 
