Resident Evil 3 is a survival horror third-person shooter game.[2] The player controls Resident Evil protagonist Jill Valentine through most of the game; certain sections require the player to control a supporting character, Carlos Oliveira, for short periods.[3] The player must explore the environment to open doors, climb ladders, and pick up items. When an item is collected, it is stored in an inventory that can be accessed at any time. Items in the inventory can be used, examined, and combined to solve puzzles and gain access to areas that were previously inaccessible.[4] The player may pick up maps to reveal unexplored sections in the game's automap, which shows the player's current position and indicates if an area still has items to collect.[5] Cutscenes with occasional quick time events are featured at regular intervals to advance the story.[6]
As the player progresses throughout the game, a variety of computer-controlled monsters will try to hinder the player's progress.[3] The player can acquire and use multiple weapons, including combat knives, firearms, and grenades.[7] Some weapons can be customized with additional parts to improve their performance.[8] A creature called Nemesis is the game's primary antagonist and pursues the player in key moments.[9] He gradually mutates into more aggressive forms as the player defeats him during several encounters.[10] The player has a certain amount of health which decreases when Jill or Carlos take damage.[11] On higher difficulty settings, ammunition and health recovery items are scarce, and getting past opponents without killing them is generally encouraged.[12] Jill has the ability to dodge incoming attacks at close range, while Carlos can perform melee attacks to stagger opponents.[13] If Jill or Carlos die, the player must start the game again from the last save point.[9]