(IDG) -- Fans of survival horror games have been waiting to re-enter the world of Resident Evil. Now, after more than a year or so of wanna-bes like Silent Hill and Echo Night, the monster-makers at Capcom bring your fears back to life with Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.

Can you survive the horror?

Get it through your head -- Resident Evil 2 hasn't happened yet. Nemesis begins with the match on the powder keg, the events of the 24 hours leading up to when Claire and Leon meet in the flaming wreckage of Raccoon City.

You're Jill Valentine, the "Master of Unlocking" and member of the Raccoon Police's elite STARS unit (and star of the first Resident Evil), and you have to escape the city of the dead. That might sound easy, but there are legions of the dead out to turn you into a "Jill sandwich" -- not to mention the mercenary forces of the evil Umbrella Corporation, who've been sent out for "damage control."

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Luckily, Jill's learned a few things since the first Resident Evil. Besides a few lessons in fashion, she's also learned a new dodge maneuver, she can push zombies away before they grab her, or she turns completely around when retreating.

And you'll be doing a whole lot of retreating, as you never know when you'll bump into Nemesis, a hulking pile of exposed muscle who's basically just there to make Jill dead. The fun never stops here in sunny Raccoon City.

Cast your dreams someplace else!

Nemesis boasts some of the best graphics you'll see on the aging PSX, with frighteningly real polygonal characters running about on horrific detailed pre-rendered backgrounds. The zombies and other creatures stand up well to close inspection, and Nemesis itself looks like a true machine of death as it plods along behind you. The static backgrounds make it difficult to see enemies just offscreen, but the stellar sound helps cover for that.

Speaking of which, the sound in Nemesis is the PSX at its bloodcurdling best. Shambling corpses, crying crows, the pitter-patter of little undead dog feet, and even far-off gunfights as the other survivors fight for their lives.

Music plays constantly on an almost subconscious level, but it pipes in with violence when things get hot. In all, Nemesis keeps the action hot by hiding what you shouldn't see, but telling you about it through the audio.

Resident Evil's nemesis has always been control, and that's the same for this one. The control scheme works well for exploration and skirmishes, but in fights where twitching helps more than careful aiming, the controls fall flat. The first time or two you meet Nemesis, expect the big lug to kill you, or at least maim you horribly. You'll get used to the controls, but they'll never be more than just adequate, especially against bosses.

Pro Tips

When those zombies burst through the barrier, step backward to a safe distance and shoot the red barrel with your shotgun, and the explosion will kill most, if not all, of the zombies.

Always carry two weapons and ammo. Your inventory is very limited, so you can't go about being a walking one-woman army - but you don't want to be killed for lack of shootin' back.

Don't even bother trying to shoot the black crows when they arrive. You're usually much better off just dodging them.

RE veterans will remember that Jill Valentine is the "Master of Unlocking." If you see a door or locked that is secured with a "simple lock," chances are Jill can get through it -- with the lock picks she'll find in the STARS room in the police station.

Wait for approaching zombies to get close. When their gait becomes slightly faster with their arms extended, aim upward and pull the trigger. A good head shot with the shotgun will cook up a full plate of zombie-brain casserole.

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