Choosing the right difficulty can make or break a game for people, and it’s no different in Resident Evil 3 Remake. Whether you want a relaxing experience after work or an intense sprint through the apocalypse, the game has something for you within its five difficulties. In this article, I’ll review all of them and guide you on which to choose for your purposes.
5. Assisted
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Different game, same meaning
Assisted mode is one of the two modes that are initially available when you start the game (you have to play and complete the story to unlock the other three). This is the easiest mode in the game and offers several advantages to players that aren’t available on the other difficulties. You’ll just generally have more of everything good and less of everything bad.
How Assisted Mode Works:
Aim Assist
Automatic health recovery (to a certain point)
Enemies are weaker
Begin the game with an assault rifle
Crafting ammunition yields more than usual
Difficulty can be changed
Choose this difficulty if:
You’re new to Resident Evil games. Most games in the series play similarly with a few added mechanics here and there. If you’re new to the series, it’s best to play on assisted so you can get the hang of the game without worry of constantly failing and getting frustrated.
You just want to experience the story. This mode yields several advantages to the player over others, and is the designated mode for people who don’t want to have to try too hard to progress through the story.
You’re new to the genre in general. Survival horror is a notoriously difficult genre to hop into with no prior experience, so this mode is recommended for those of you who haven’t yet forayed into the terror.
4. Standard
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The unlockable model you get for completing the game on Standard
Standard mode is the other of the two modes that are available to start the game. Once you complete this, you unlock Hardcore mode. This is the mode where everything is normalized. It is the way the game is intended to be played initially and the most balanced mode where the tide doesn’t swing too far in either the player or the enemies’ favor.
How Standard Mode Works:
Standard enemy health, aggression, and damage
No automatic health recovery
Drops and ammo normalized
Difficulty can be changed to Assisted after a certain amount of deaths
Choose this difficulty if:
You’re familiar with the series. It will provide mostly the same mechanics as the crop of newer games, making it feel natural and intuitive to play after a while.
You want balance. Neither you or the enemies are egregiously overpowered, so it’s all up to skill and wit to triumph.
You want decent game length. Resident Evil games are on the shorter side traditionally, so if you want to get a good number of hours out of the game (but don’t necessarily want to test your mettle), then this is the mode for you.
3. Hardcore
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The model of Nemesis you get for S-ranking the Hardcore difficulty
Hardcore mode is the first of the three unlockable difficulties in the game at the start. You have to complete Standard to unlock it. This is the mode where it starts to get hairy very quickly if you’re not decent at the game. It’s the first difficulty that tilts the game in the enemies’ favor (as opposed to Assisted tilting it in yours and Standard being neutral).
How Hardcore Mode Works:
Enemies are stronger
No health recovery
Items, drops, and ammunition are more scarce
Less ammo is made when crafting it
Difficulty can not be changed
Choose this difficulty if:
You want to test your skill. This is the perfect one-up from the easier modes if you want to have a go at seeing how good you are. It’s harder, but not unfair.
You want to train for the higher modes. Assisted and Standard don’t really do you much good, but this mode is great practice for the next two as several elements carry over (like ammunition scarcity and hard-hitting enemies), just turned up to 11.
You want to ace the lower modes. The next two modes after this make some pretty substantial changes, so they’re not the best for things like memorization of certain elements. Hardcore makes things harder, but doesn't remix the game.
2. Nightmare
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Jill having a literal nightmare in-game
Nightmare mode is the mode that you unlock after completing Hardcore. It is the 2nd most difficult mode in the game. This is where only the most skilled tread. Things become very dangerous very fast and stay like that the whole way through.
How Nightmare Mode Works:
Enemies will 1-shot you
Enemies are even more aggressive
Enemies and items appear in different places (stronger enemies and weapons appear earlier)
Choose this difficulty if:
Hardcore isn’t “hardcore” enough. This and the next mode change things up substantially (down to enemy and item placements) and will make it truly difficult to advance if you’re not up to the challenge.
You’re bored of the lower difficulties. Assisted-Hardcore offers the same pathway through the story at varying levels of difficulty, but Nightmare will switch it up and throw different looks at you.
You’re a Resident Evil veteran. Experienced players that crave a challenge will find this mode sufficient after at least two playthroughs (as you have to go through both Standard and Hardcore beforehand to unlock this mode).
1. Inferno
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Good luck… you’re gonna need it
Inferno mode is the last and most difficult mode of the game. It is unlocked after completing Nightmare. This is the hardest mode in the game bar none. Everything but you is tanky, everything but you hurts. You’re a small fish in a big pond.
How Inferno Mode Works:
Fewer Typewriters can be found (that means fewer savepoints)
Fewer Item Boxes can be found (that means less storage opportunities)
Autosave is disabled (if you die, you have to start ALL the way over from the start of the game if you don’t save the game manually)
Choose this difficulty if:
You want tension. Inferno is a frantic, fast-paced mode where you’re always one wrong turn away from death.
You’re an aspiring speedrunner. The skill required to get through this mode will translate into you being able to do it on the lower difficulties fairly quickly and without issue.
You’re using shop items. Shop items are tailor-made for subsequent playthroughs and the higher difficulties. They take some of the edge out of the mode and can make it feel more fair (or even make it easy full stop if you're using some of the more busted items).
Now you can choose whether you want your zombie apocalypse to be a nice stroll through the park or an Avengers level threat.
Writing for over a decade and gaming for twice that, I've poured countless hours into all things video games. Shooters, sports, fighters, you name it... just don't ask me to cook!
Gamer Since:
2001
Currently Playing:
Overwatch, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Remake
