There are three, yes, three Resident Evil remakes coming to Switch 2 this week, all in time for you to have some fantastic handheld zombie survival horror fun in the scariest month of the year. If you’ve never played these fantastic remakes of the classic three games, then now is an amazing opportunity, as they all have steep discounts for preorders on the Nintendo E-Shop. You’re in the right place for Resident Evil 3 on Switch 2, but if you’re after Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition, or Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition, click the links.
So, what’s left to say about Resident Evil 3 that hasn’t been said before in the last 5 years? We know it received a 79 average on Metacritic when it released back in April 2020, and was lamented for being a little shorter than its predecessor. For this review, I’m going to keep succinctly to what’s of note with the Switch 2 version, anything that’s changed, added, or removed, and issues or improvements exclusive to Nintendo’s system.
Spoiler Alert: This is the one where Jill Valentine finds herself in Raccoon City at the same time as the outbreak in Resident Evil 2, relentlessly pursued by the Nemesis creature. Jill works her way through the infected in a much shorter, more linear remake campaign than Leon and Claire did in Resident Evil 2, and subsequently this one can feel like a fair bit less bang for buck. Whole sections of the original were cut, but you get to play as Carlos a little more than you did. And the graphics are a step up, so it’s prettier, but there’s less of it.
The original is considered a classic of the survival horror genre, but the remake wasn’t well received when compared to its predecessor. So how does it play running natively on Switch 2?
Graphically, this one honours the same step up we saw back in 2020, when Jill just came out looking like a massive upgrade from Leon and Claire. On Switch 2, there’s a bit of a haze or a blurring that I couldn’t get rid of even with judicious use of the different settings, most noticeable on characters’ hair or beards, or some fabric. However, docked, the game is flawless throughout, and indistinguishable from the full console releases on PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Mostly I was just amazed at being able to play such an astonishingly high-fidelity game on a handheld system. The Switch 2 really can run just about anything, and while it may not quite compete with a Series X or a PS5 Pro, it’s still easily able to be on par with base systems. And that’s incredible.
The best thing about playing horror games on your Switch 2 is taking the handheld console up to your room, away from your family or housemates, turning off all the lights and scaring yourself half to death. At least with a handheld you can already be under the covers, and not in your less scary living room. I really enjoyed getting back into Resident Evil 3, and while I found myself getting further into the game much faster than with 2 or 4, that linearity and familiarity was welcome. I had the shotgun easily inside of 30 minutes.
At the same time, familiarity breeds a false sense of security or safety, and of course I found myself turned around, and suddenly set upon by a zombie. I yelped; I’m not embarrassed. I always have at least a few moments in any Resident Evil where I literally yelp out loud.
Graphical fidelity aside, I wasn’t quite as sold on the controls of the Switch 2 for games with lots of aiming like this. Joy-Con 2s are fine; it’s not like they are broken at all, but aiming quickly with that teeny little joystick and trying to get a fast headshot takes practice, and it’s just not as ergonomically comfortable as it is playing on either an Xbox or PlayStation. I have an awkwardly bent right thumb on any Switch 2 game that requires aim or camera control, and that awkwardly bent thumb can eventually start to ache. Good job it’s a handheld and can be easily paused, or encourages taking breaks. Stick the Joy-Con 2 in the gamepad, and this problem is largely alleviated, but then I’m no longer handheld.
This new Switch 2 edition isn’t a deluxe at all, and is much leaner on the extra content. There’s 1x extra Jill costume and a change of hairdo for Carlos. But at the cheaper price point of £24.99, I think Capcom are quite aware the game is less of a deal.
Either way, 6 years on, it’s a great game, with my favourite heroine of the series in Jill Valentine, and my favourite villain creature of the series in Nemesis. The remake manages to trim down an already straightforward story, but thereby makes one of the best and least bananas of all the series. Jill’s motivations are clear, and I think what was trimmed doesn’t really detract on a story level, only really on a gameplay length level.
Undoubtedly the best way to play Resident Evil 3 on Switch 2 is via this edition with albeit meagre trimmings. If the Switch 2 and scary handheld gaming sessions are your idea of a good time, you won’t go far wrong. However, we preferred using gamepad and dock to handheld mode for ergonomic ease, and getting more fidelity on the big screen with a game that looks this good.
Resident Evil 3 is out on 16 October 2026 only on Nintendo Switch 2.
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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