Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Mar 232020
 

All right, it’s time to talk about the Resident Evil 3 remake demo, which became available to download last week.

I went into the demo looking for one thing: evidence of a survival horror gameplay structure.

And I got it! Although the demo is pretty short, I encountered some locked doors (including a type of a lock I couldn’t get through in the demo) and the majority of the demo involved searching for the fire hose to unlock the path forward. It felt a lot like the Resident Evil 2 remake in its setup, so I have confidence the full game will too.

So in general, I’m pleased with the demo.

Nemesis also seems like he’s going to be terrifying. He’s like Mr. X, except much faster and with more abilities, including tentacles that can drag you back toward him and a jump that sends him sailing through the air to land in front of you and cut off your path.

One of the things I liked about Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake was that by the time he appears, you have enough doors open that it becomes a game of picking the most efficient path to throw him off your trail and return to where you were. It didn’t feel like that here. However, Jill also has more capabilities, such as a dodge, so maybe it will all balance out.

The only thing that left me uncertain was Jill’s attitude.

And yes, I know this is a point of controversy among fans right now, and yes I know she has good reason to mistrust mercenaries working for Umbrella. It was mainly her sarcasm that rubbed me the wrong way. Hearing Jill respond with a sarcastic, “Right. How’s that going for you?” when Mikhail says they’re there to rescue civilians made me do a double take, because it didn’t sound to me like something Jill would say.

On the other hand, it’s been a long time since I played the original Resident Evil 3, and this demo is just a small slice of the game, so maybe I’m overthinking it. At least I know the gameplay is looking good.

Have you played the Resident Evil 3 remake demo? What did you think of it? Am I crazy for being bothered by Jill’s sarcasm? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Mar 202020
 

Five years after its unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, the 3D platformer Clive ‘N’ Wrench is finally coming out!

Clive ‘N’ Wrench is a 3D platformer inspired by games like Jak & Daxter and Spyro. It stars a rabbit and monkey duo on a time-traveling journey through 11 worlds (and a hub world) to stop the evil Dr. Daucus.

It will be released not only on the PC but also the Switch sometime in winter 2020. (I’ve seen people arguing that winter 2020 just ended, but I think it’s safe to say the developers mean Q4 2020.)

Last year, I played the public alpha demo and found it to be quite promising despite some rough spots and a frustrating camera. Hopefully those issues have been ironed out for the final build.

According to publisher Numskull Games, Clive ‘N’ Wrench will be available both physically and digitally. A new trailer is out now.

After all this time, I’m thrilled to see Clive ‘N’ Wrench being completed. I’m still disappointed over the cancellation of Fiona Frightening. It looks like Lobodestroyo came back from the dead, however. And another 3D platformer we discussed around the same time, Happy Hell, got a new demo last month!

Speaking of demos, I enjoyed the demos for both Trials of Mana and the Resident Evil 3 remake, and I intended to blog about them until I saw the news about Clive ‘N’ Wrench. Since we’ve been following Clive ‘N’ Wrench for so long, I wanted to highlight that first.

What do you think of Clive ‘N’ Wrench? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Mar 182020
 

A week ago we talked about the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo, but that isn’t the only one of April’s big-name releases giving fans an early taste of the gameplay.

The Trials of Mana remake, which is due out on April 24, has a demo available now from Steam, PSN, and the eShop.

I have the Switch version of the demo downloading even as I write this. I’ve only played one Mana game, Sword of Mana on the GBA, although I did get the recent collection of the original trilogy. The Trials of Mana remake looks pretty good, so I’m excited to give the demo a try and see how it feels.

Meanwhile, Resident Evil 3 is also getting a demo tonight/tomorrow. It looks like the PSN and Xbox release of the demo will be earlier than the PC version, and it’s already available in New Zealand and Australia.

Unlike the Resident Evil 2 remake demo, it doesn’t appear this one is limited in any way. I’m even more excited to try this demo once it’s available. RE2make got me hyped for this remake, but I’m still a little nervous that Resident Evil 3’s greater focus on action might come on too strong. Here’s hoping the demo feels like a survival horror game. I’m hoping for some locked doors and puzzles.

(Now that I think about it, it’s interesting that April has 3 high-profile remakes coming out, all with demos.)

Are you planning to play either the Trials of Mana demo or the Resident Evil 3 remake demo (or both)? Have you already played them? Share your thoughts in the comments!