BIOHAZARD THE REAL 3

BIOHAZARD THE REAL 3 (バイオハザード・ザ・リアル3, Baiohazādo za Riaru 3^?) was a scream park attraction at Universal Studios Japan, that opened from July 3 to November 8, 2015.^[1]

Plot[]

"Raccoon City has been devastated by the t-Virus that turns living things into zombies. Guests must follow the instructions of U.B.C.S. members and escape from this town as soon as possible."
— Official description^{[note 1]}

It is the height of the 1998 Raccoon City Destruction Incident, and Umbrella has sent in its dedicated anti-BOW force, the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service, out to rescue civilians trapped within the city. Using the Kendo Gun Shop as a rendezvous point, the UBCS leads refugees through the streets of Raccoon City in search of the escape train.

Gameplay[]

BIOHAZARD THE REAL 3 entrance — The main entrance to the screampark.

As with previous The Real events, players were expected to navigate a maze, going from one part of Raccoon City to the next before their virus gauge reaches 100%, at which point they would have lost the game. Zombies would be hiding in various parts of the maze ready to jump out at players. For added effect, The Real 3 made heavy use of VR and sensors, with digital health items and ammunition for the machinegun hidden around the maze for them to collect. The goggles would also display signs of injury if attacked by a Zombie.^[2] Players had a coloured health meter on their arm which indicated how good they were doing at the game, determined based on health points, and the flashing or lack thereof of different colour lights.


HP	Colour	Meaning
30	Solid green	Full health and uninfected
	Flashing green	Strong vitality, infected
	Solid orange	Injured
	Flashing orange	Seriously injured
	Flashing red	Dying
0	Red	Game over

Navigation of Raccoon City changes depending on the player's progress. Starting from the Kendo Gun Shop players would be directed to Stage 1 or Stage 2, representing the Raccoon Police Station and Raccoon General Hospital respectively. After completing either stage, they would be subject to an "Infection Level Check" - in lore this would be to determine the progression of the disease while for the game it would be to check player health. Those in good condition would be taken to the escape train in Stage 3, and those dying or who have game overed to the Umbrella lab at Stage 4. In either case, they would be mobbed by Zombies.^[3] In the case of Stage 3 this would be virtual monsters appearing on the train with the player forced to fight them as they continue along the train, akin to an on-rails shooter.^[4]

Development[]

The event was led by Capcom producer Masachika Kawata and event manager James Vance. The Real 3's design was based on responding to reviews to the previous event as well as looking for ways to modernise it. Universal was particularly interested in using projection goggles for their events, which Vance had to determine its implementation of. The story was slightly re-worked from The Real 2, with the addition of another character.^[2] To market the promotion, six commercials were filmed with actress Alice Hirose.

Other attractions[]

Finnegan's Bar & Grill once again provided themed food, featuring the "Umbrella Survival Plate", which was described as UBCS rations, along with a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.^[2]

Reception[]

USJ took great pride in the low success rate of THE REAL 3, using it as part of its advertising to date potential audiences to prove themselves. Day 55 of operation, 26 August, marked the first successful run through the maze after 240,000 visitors had already tried it. USJ celebrated this by declaring their game to have a 0.003% survival rate and interviewing the winners, a group of eight.^[5]