Resident Evil 3 Demo And RE Resistance Beta Now Available For Download

Resident Evil 3 won't release until April 3, but you'll be able to try out the game's action-oriented horror a few weeks early. An official demo is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC on March 19, and a beta for the new Resident Evil Resistance game (which comes with Resident Evil 3) arrives later this month. You can check out a new trailer below. [Update: The RE3 demo has arrived, and the Resistance beta is available to download though the servers won't go live until March 27.]

The Resident Evil 3 demo features Jill Valentine as she tries to escape from a panicked Raccoon City which has quickly become overrun with the infected. She teams up with Carlos Oliveira as they work to save civilians, but the terrifying Nemesis monster stands in her way. If you want an extra challenge in the demo, you can find 20 Mr. Charlie statues strewn throughout the playable area.

Resident Evil 3 takes the formula established in the Resident Evil 2 remake and injects more action elements into it. Jill has a dodge-counter move for dealing with aggressive enemies, as well as explosive barrels to help her out in stick situations. However, it's still a horror game at its core.

On March 27, the Resident Evil Resistance beta begins. It will let you play as one of four survivors or as the villainous Mastermind. You'll either escape or be setting up enemies and traps, and only one side can come out on top. Resident Evil Resistance comes as a free bonus with all Resident Evil 3 purchases rather than as its own release, and the beta will be available until the game's official launch.

The Resident Evil 3 demo will launch March 18 at 9 PM PT / March 19 12 AM ET on Xbox One, and one hour later on PlayStation 4 and Steam. Once it's completed, you'll get to see an exclusive trailer for the full game. Make sure you have a fresh pair of pants ready.