This was my favorite Resident Evil game for the PS1 and one of the most intense (if not, THE most intense) entry for the PS1.
The space of the game takes place before and after the events of Resident Evil 2. For about 90% of the game, you control S. T. A. R. S. Member Jill Valentine as she tries to escape from the now zombie infested Raccoon City while also avoiding a relentless and seemingly unstoppable new enemy sent by Umbrella. I'll get to him soon... She also meets up with U. B. C. S. corporal Carlos Oliviera who assists her throughout the game.
First of all, I love how the game sheds more light on the Raccoon City incident. More areas of the city are revealed, and you're given more opportunity to explore them and witness the effects of the T-Virus outbreak. RE2 was limited to a few streets and alleys, the RPD, some sewer tunnels, and the Umbrella facility NEST. Here, you'll traverse through city streets, a power station, restaurant, bar, clock tower, hospital, park, and finally an Umbrella facility.
Thanks to some new mechanics, the game is a bit more action orientated. You have a gunpowder mixer to create certain types of ammunition, a dodging feature for Jill to avoid damage, explosives barrels and boxes to shoot and kill enemies, split-second decision making that could mean difference between life and death, especially during scripted encounters with Nemesis. Plus, despite retaining tank controls, you can now make 180 turns to quickly retreat from danger.
The dialogue is decent, and the characters are well developed. Jill is more hardened and confident, thanks to her experiences in RE1. Despite being a seasoned Umbrella mercenary, Carlos still has a good heart and proves himself a reliable companion for Jill. Mikhail is a brave man grieving for the deaths of his troops and even sacrifices his life to save Jill from Nemesis, and Nikolai is the human antagonist who is a greedy opportunist.
The soundtrack was pretty good with dark and gloomy music like "City of Ruin" or "City without Hope" that emphasize that Raccoon is dead and hopelessly lost to the T-Virus. And we have the spine-shivering "Feel the Tension" that plays whenever Nemesis is nearby.
Speaking of which, throughout the game, Jill must avoid Nemesis, one of the most intimidating enemies in video game history. Not only is he super strong, fast, and durable, but intelligent enough to use weapons, open doors, set ambushes, track Jill no matter where she goes, and even speak, although all he says is his infamous catchphrase: "Sssssstaaaarsss!!!"
