Most of the time, it seems like a way better idea to just run away from Nemesis — the big ugly brute that’s constantly chasing you in Resident Evil 3. Sometimes discretion really is the safer part of valor, and sometimes it’s better to stand your ground and put the unstoppable lummox in his place. There are some great rewards waiting if you fight Nemesis — just remember to save some grenades.
Nemesis is a tough nut to crack, and if you’re struggling just to put this big guy down, I’ve got a few tips that make fighting Nemesis a lot easier. He’s a challenging foe that keeps you on your toes constantly. His tentacle whip can grab you from far away, and he can leap ahead of you to block your retreat. He can also infect nearby zombies, giving them a very weird mutant upgrade. You might think his head is his weak spot, but you’d be wrong. Here’s how to down Nemesis and how to collect some great rewards in the process.
More Resident Evil 3 Remake guides:
Walkthrough | Downtown Raccoon City [1/3] | Walkthrough | Police Station & Hospital [2/3] | Walkthrough | Underground Storage & NEST 2 [3/3] | How To Perfect Dodge & Cancel Zombie Grabs| All Weapon Upgrade Locations| All Hip Pouch Locations | How To Open Every Optional Lock & Safe | How To Solve Every Puzzle | All 20 Mr. Charlie Locations
How To Down Nemesis
Before talking about the fabulous prizes you can earn by defeating Nemesis (temporarily), let’s quickly cover the basics of beating this extremely tough enemy. I highly recommend saving your grenades for encounters with Nemesis. Don’t waste them on every encounter, but you can use them to down him in those rare occurrences when Nemesis will drop a reward.
Even if you down Nemesis, he’ll recover pretty quickly — he only stays stunned for a short while, giving you plenty of time to escape, but not enough time to mill around and search for items you might’ve missed. There are only a few times it’s worth fighting him, so save up your grenades for the encounters listed below.
- There are two ways to down Nemesis — shooting the heart container on his chest, or using grenades. Shooting the heart container is easy if you lure him toward a generator — generators recharge, so you can use them multiple times. Shock him, and then unleash a few bullets.
A single well-timed grenade can down Nemesis. You can either stun him with a generator shock, or run into a building and wait for him to squeeze inside. He slows down when going through a small doorway, making it much, much easier to land a successful grenade hit.
When You’ll Want To Fight Nemesis
At certain intervals, Nemesis will drop an Umbrella Case when he’s downed. Grab the large case and open it by examining in the menu. You’ll discover useful upgrades or handy items. It’s always worth the (relatively) small cost of downing him.
- Nemesis – First Appearance
- Down him when he’s chasing you unarmed. He drops the [Extended Magazine (Handgun)] upgrade.
- Nemesis – Parasite Zombies
- Take down Nemesis after he infects a zombie with a parasite to earn the [Moderator (Handgun)] upgrade.
- Nemesis – Rocket Launcher
- Later, during your escape from Downtown, Nemesis will acquire a Rocket Launcher. Down him to gain [x6 Flame Rounds] for the [MGL Grenade Launcher].
You can run from these encounters, or you can stand your ground and fight. You won’t get multiple rewards for downing him, so you just need to stun him once in these sequences to earn a prize.