Resident Evil 3 Remake: Here's Why You Should Fight Nemesis At These Key Moments

The Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 Remake is nigh unstoppable, and you'll spend a lot of the game fleeing as he stalks you relentlessly. Like Mr. X in Resident Evil 2 Remake, you can't kill him--but you can slow him down, if you're willing to fight. Running away is usually the better option, though, and it can be tempting to just bail on the Nemesis and conserve your ammo. But there are two moments in Resident Evil 3 Remake when you want to stop and hold your ground, even though you don't have to, in order to snag some big rewards.

As in the original Resident Evil 3, if you hit the Nemesis with enough firepower or explosives as he's sprinting after you through the streets of Raccoon City, you can knock him out for a few moments. Do that, and he'll drop a Supply Case. There are two important handgun upgrades you can only get by fighting the Nemesis at key moments, and if you miss your chance at them, you'll never receive those items. Here's what you need to beat the Nemesis, what you'll get for doing it, and most importantly, when to take him on.

Nemesis Fight No. 1: The Power Substation

Resident Evil 3 Remake introduces you to the Nemesis right away, but you'll slip away for him for a good chunk of your time in the game's first big area, Raccoon City Downtown. That changes once you turn on the power to the subway in the Power Substation. As you leave, the Nemesis will come after you, and from here on, he'll chase you around Downtown.

This is your first opportunity to fight the Nemesis in an open area, so knock him down here, either with an explosive like a grenade or exploding red barrel, or by firing away at the black mechanical heart on his chest. Do enough damage and the Nemesis should writhe in pain and drop a supply box. Add it to your inventory, then Examine it to open it.

Note that you must down the Nemesis once before you head to the Kite Bros Subway Office, or you'll miss your chance.

Reward: Handgun Extended Magazine upgrade

Nemesis Fight No. 2: After The Mutated Zombie Cutscene

The second time you can down the Nemesis for a big reward is almost immediately after the first. Once you've programmed the subway route at the Kite Bros Subway Office, you can leave and head back toward the subway by traveling through the Donut Shop. When you exit on the other side, however, you'll see the Nemesis again, using his tentacle to mutate a nearby zombie.

This cutscene serves to separate your first encounter with the Nemesis from this one--if you downed the Nemesis more than once after encountering him at the Power Substation, you would only have received one drop. The cutscene resets the drop, allowing you to down him again to get another item.

To knock the Nemesis out here, shoot the sparking generator left of him, or throw a grenade his way. There's also a red barrel at the top of the stairs beyond the Donut Shop, if you didn't already use it to kill zombies there.

Be sure to down the Nemesis for this item drop before you enter the subway, or you won't be able to get this item.

Reward: Handgun Moderator upgrade

Other Item Drops: In The Subway And After The Demolition Site

There are two other opportunities to knock out the Nemesis for benefits, but they're way less useful than the first two--you'll only get ammo for your trouble, so you can skip these.

Running In The Subway

Right after you reach the subway after restoring the power and programming the train route, Jill will distract the creature so Carlos can escape. The Nemesis will chase you down a concrete hallway underground, which will lead you to a yellow vent cover you can pry off so Jill can get away. Look nearby for a couple of explosive barrels you can use against the Nemesis. Knock him down and he'll drop a case containing shotgun ammo.

After The Demolition Site

Later, you'll face the Nemesis again, only this time he'll have a rocket launcher. Flee from him until you get past the Power Substation and back into the more familiar Downtown area, near the Donut Shop and Toy Shop. When you reach the stairs up to the Toy Shop, you can down the Nemesis to get him to drop a case with grenade launcher flame rounds.

If you need more Resident Evil 3 content, we've got you covered. Check out our full Resident Evil 3 Remake walkthrough for help on everything. We've also got a complete list of Resident Evil 3 lockpick locks, as well as safe locations and codes, a guide to finding every Hip Pouch, a full rundown of weapon upgrades and where to find them, and a guide to finding the jewels for the Kite Road Railway Monument puzzle.