The recently released Resident Evil 3 is a game about a lethal outbreak that infects the vast majority of residents in Raccoon City, its central setting. In alignment with the 1999 original, the series was once a fantastic escape from the real world in fighting/avoiding hordes of zombies. Yet, amidst the COVID-19 crisis we face today, Resident Evil 3 hits a little too close to home.
Just last year, Resident Evil 2 was released to mass acclaim in a world that, while imperfect, was devoid of a deadly virus plaguing the globe. Really, it was pure bliss playing the game at a time when the zombie genre had yet to be revitalized.
Following the remake’s successful release, Capcom wished to follow it up with a remake of Resident Evil 2’s less-revered 1999 sequel, Resident Evil 3. While Resident Evil 3’s remake will likely hold the same legacy as its source material, the game nonetheless has high-quality content – unrivaled by that of many other remakes in the gaming realm. Its plot expands on the T-Virus outbreak detailed in 2019’s Resident Evil 2, explaining how the relevant authorities failed to contain the outbreak.
In any other year, this would have been interesting material in its expansion on Resident Evil 2’s ideas. Yet, in 2020, the game hits hard and has an unintentional real-life element.
The coronavirus that has spread from Wuhan, China to nearly every other nation is reminiscent of Resident Evil 3’s plot, or the other way around. They say that “art imitates life,” which clearly wasn’t meant to be the case. After all, the virus in Resident Evil 3 causes ordinary folks to become zombies hungry for human flesh. COVID-19’s nature is more similar to that of the bird flu, though with more intense symptoms in worst-case scenarios.
So, it isn’t the T-Virus itself that recalls COVID-19. Rather, it’s the failure to prevent its spread that serves as a bitter reminder of current circumstances. Just as scientists and other authorities were unprepared for the effects of the T-Virus outbreak, so were developed nations in real life. It’s an unfortunate truth that applies, and Resident Evil 3’s scientists’ mismanagement of the situation serves as indirect affirmation of how our leaders were less than efficient in their reaction to the coronavirus.
Resident Evil 3 is still a great game, and there is hope yet in developed nations, given that the worst is nearly over. However, Resident Evil 3’s mere plot point that the T-Virus’ spread got out of hand, and quickly, disappointingly resonates with the affected players.
