Resident Evil Requiem review: Classic survival horror with modern action

The Resident Evil series returns triumphantly. While Resident Evil 6 was heavily criticized, the series returned to focusing on horror Resident Evil 7 in 2017. Since then, the series has seen another major entry (Resident Evil Village(and three new editions)Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4), with the majority of the games being highly praised by both fans and critics, a far cry from what the series was when it was just a struggling corpse in its own right.

Resident Evil Requiem It is the ninth game in the main series, and Capcom mixes some of the old with the new in this game. Experimenting with the formula was much needed as new entries reminded fans of the fun of fear, while new releases craved the fan base of their favorite heroes, who had barely been mentioned since Resident Evil 6. The result is a game that hits the right notes for fans while remaining friendly to non-hardcore players who haven’t consumed every scrap of regen content ever.

Requiem, like some previous Resident Evil games, has two protagonists: newcomer Grace Ashford and series mainstay Leon Kennedy. Grace is an FBI analyst sent to investigate mysterious murders at the hotel where her mother was murdered a decade ago. Meanwhile, Leon goes to where the bioweapons are, arriving just in time to meet Grace when everything explodes.

Throughout the game, players switch between controlling Grace and Leon – you’ll spend roughly the same amount of time as each character by the end of the game. Grace is the main character in the first part of the game, with Leon initially only playable briefly. But this changes in the second half, when Leon becomes the main character.

Mass in two parts

Playing as different characters is nothing new in RE games, but in Requiem, Grace and Leon don’t play remotely the same way, whereas in previous games, the two characters are relatively similar, aside from having access to a couple of weapons and an affinity for some weapons. Grace has access to a few weapons, while Leon has an entire arsenal at his disposal. In Grace’s sections, the focus is more on stealth, and to maintain the horror tone of Resident Evil 7 and Village, Capcom sets the default camera to first-person. This ramps up the tension and adds plenty of jump scares while controlling Grace, though she can be switched to third-person if it’s too much.

Leone’s default point of view is third-person, and his sections largely serve to relieve tension. You’re not constantly dealing with the same intense stress of terror. Instead, Leon is a complete badass. He has access to multiple pistols, a shotgun, a machine gun, grenades, and his special hand cannon, the Requiem. If that wasn’t enough, he also carries an ax for pulling off melee combos and beheadings, ensuring that even without ammo, he’s far from helpless.

This dichotomy between Grace and Leon is what the series needs. The previous two main games featured a protagonist with seemingly no combat experience and was resilient, while the previous entries starred highly trained professionals, members of the STARS team. Feeling helpless as Grace, then exacting brutal revenge during Leon’s sections, creates an experience that delivers the horror and powerful imagination that the series is known for.

It makes sense, because you can’t bring back some of the series’ mainstays – like Leon – and have them completely out of their depth. On the other hand, introducing new characters with minimal combat training may sideline the cast of fan favorites across games, films, and shows. The presence of both Grace and Leon keeps some segments scary while others provide the Resident Evil fun that fans crave, which helps explain the popularity of the remakes.

Take me to Raccoon City

One of the big selling points of Requiem is its return to Raccoon City where the series began. Although time in the now ruined city is limited, Requiem is the first time we see what the city looks like since it was destroyed in an attempt to contain the G-Virus outbreak.

As long-time fans of renewable energy, this new knowledge is exactly what many of us have been wanting. It provides more backstory on the events leading up to the original Resident Evil game’s outbreak and more details about the destruction of Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2. While it doesn’t answer everything and may raise additional questions, it’s refreshing to play a new RE game that acknowledges the events of the first three games rather than ignoring them. It’s also difficult to express the nostalgia I felt upon entering the remains of the Raccoon City Police Department. There’s a strange fondness that belies the obvious trauma Leon experiences when he returns to the place where he began his career as a monster fighter.

The gameplay in Requiem is basically the same as other modern RE games. There’s a lot of shooting and slashing at enemies, which will be familiar to anyone who’s played any of the previous games. The new twist comes with the Grace sections, where stealth is vital. She will have to routinely sneak around zombies and other monsters to avoid being attacked, as she cannot take as many hits as Leon. Grace has a few tools at her disposal to use with her gun, including glass to distract enemies when thrown and chemical concoctions that can cause zombies to explode.

The game’s visual presentation continues the high quality seen in recent games, including the remakes, all of which use the RE Engine to power the graphics. Detailed characters. The monsters are hideous. Some vast landscapes can be seen, but there’s only so much to explore, maintaining the tight, enclosed spaces typical of a survival horror game.

Evil is not enough

If there’s one glaring flaw in Requiem, it’s the lack of replay value. I finished the game in about 12 hours on my first playthrough, which can stretch to 15 hours if you explore every nook and cranny. This is on par with other RE games, but that’s about it.

There are two endings available: one good and one bad. The good ending seems to tease new modes or scenarios to play through, but once the credits roll, the only content that is unlocked is some new costumes and the highest possible difficulty, Madness Mode. The game automatically saves before you make the big decision about which ending to see, so seeing the other end only takes a few minutes of play after loading the previous save before you have to make the big decision. Capcom has confirmed that no new modes will be unlocked after beating Insanity mode, and all that remains is the self-satisfaction of completing the game at its most difficult level, where two or three zombie attacks can kill you, and each monster reacts to the slightest sound.

It’s a shame, because the game has a lot of potential for additional content, such as the Mercenaries mode found in previous RE releases, which is like an arcade game where you try to achieve a high score by killing as many enemies as possible. Capcom is Rumor to work on DLC for Requiem, but it will not be released until later in the year. The good ending raises many possibilities for adding to RE lore via DLC, which will make the DLC a must-have for die-hard fans when it releases.

Resident Evil Requiem is the perfect combination of both sides of survival horror created by Resident Evil. There’s the really scary survival horror, where you have to manage your stuff, and then the gritty action aspect, where you can vent your built-up aggression from fear. Requiem nails everything except providing a little more content to justify the $70 price. However, it is one of the best Resident Evil games that both hardcore and casual fans will enjoy.

Resident Evil Requiem will be released on February 27 for $70 on PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series