Part 2

Learn the classic tank controls, button mappings, and advanced maneuvers for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis to survive the zombie-infested Raccoon City.

Reviewing the basic controls before diving into any new game is a good idea, especially when you're talking about the survival horror genre. It's worth mentioning that RE3 uses the classic "tank controls" setup established in the original game. In other words, movement is relative to the direction that your character is facing, as opposed to a more modern camera-relative movement system. Additionally, the left/right directional buttons pivot your character in place instead of strafing side-to-side.

Tank controls can be very awkward for players not used to this admittedly dated control scheme, so patience is recommended when starting out on a fresh playthrough. "They take some getting used to" would be a massive understatement; for anyone who didn't grow up with games like this (or perhaps even those of us who did), tank controls can be straight-up obnoxious, and they are a huge roadblock preventing many people from otherwise enjoying the early RE titles.

For newcomers to tank controls: be prepared to practice basic movement in the early game, and try not to get frustrated if you get eaten a few times along the way.

CONTROLS

Here's a handy reference diagram for RE3's default controls:

L1: Switch between targets (while aiming)
L2: View Map screen
R1: Aim at enemy only (hold), Dodge enemy attack (press)
R2: Aim at any object (hold), Dodge enemy attack (press)

SELECT: View Game Config screen, display Map menu (while in Map), skip cutscene
START: Pause game

D-PAD: Move forward/backward, turn left/right (digital mode)
LEFT ANALOG STICK: Move forward/backward, turn left/right (analog mode)

▲: Cancel
●: View Status screen
■: Run
X: Confirm, Action, Attack (while aiming), Open door, Zoom in/out (Map screen), Dodge (while aiming)

ADVANCED CONTROLS

R1/R2+UP: Aim weapon up (hold)
R1/R2+DOWN: Aim weapon down (hold)
DOWN+■: Quick 180° turn

As with many other PS1 titles, the X button has a variety of uses in this game, including confirmation of menu choices and performing context-sensitive actions in the game world. Pressing X near certain objects will cause Jill to examine and/or interact with the object; this is most commonly used to pick up items, open doors, or interact with the many puzzles throughout the campaign that must be solved to progress. However, there are other special interactions performed with the X button, such as climbing over objects (like the dumpster in front of Jill's apartment building). When in doubt, start pressing that X button!

Additionally, be sure to take note of the aiming up and down controls; you will need to use them to successfully attack enemies outside the normal range of most weapons, which tend to fire in a horizontal trajectory roughly positioned around your character's eye level. Enemies that usually require up/down aiming to score hits include prone/fallen Zombies, crawling Drain Deimoses at close range, and hanging Giant Spiders.

Finally, don't forget to mash the face buttons to escape when an enemy grabs you! Failure to escape an enemy's grab attack means they will continue to inflict additional damage, so you need to push the enemy off as quickly as possible before making some distance and/or counter-attacking.