Resident Evil Requiem was arguably the most exciting announcement and biggest highlight from Summer Game Fest last June. I attended a behind-closed-doors preview event before spending hands-on time with the game at PAX West a few months later. Even though the demo was short, I walked away convinced that Capcom might have another bone-chilling blockbuster on the horizon.
After spending last week playing through Resident Evil Requiem and rolling credits, I would describe this entry as nothing short of a survival horror masterpiece. It’s not just the embodiment of everything fans know and love about this series. It’s also an undeniable early GOTY contender in what promises to be a stacked year of releases across various genres and platforms. So without further ado, here are my spoiler-free thoughts on why Resident Evil Requiem is survival horror perfection and 1000% worth checking out.
A Pulse-Pounding Adrenaline Rush
Resident Evil Requiem is a single-player survival horror action game developed and published by Capcom. Directed by Koshi Nakanishi, this ninth main series entry takes place 30 years after the infamous Raccoon City outbreak and bombing. The story follows two main protagonists: FBI Analyst Grace Ashcroft and series icon/certified badass Leon S. Kennedy.
Grace is asked to investigate several mysterious deaths at the Wrenwood hotel, the same place where her mom died 8 years ago. Her investigation coincides with Leon’s own mission, ultimately leading the pair down a dangerous rabbit hole filled with surprising revelations, clever puzzles, pulse-pounding moments, and plenty of horrifying encounters at every turn.
Requiem offers fans a perfect balance between scary moments and intense action setpieces from start to finish. Grace is a newcomer to this series, and you can genuinely feel her fear as she reacts to all the crazy things happening to and around her. Leon, who has gone through a lot since his debut in Resident Evil 2, still carries his heroic demeanor and slick one-liners, which add fun, comedic moments to the game.
Even with these playful jokes, the overall tone remains consistently dark, engaging, and entertaining throughout. To put it simply, this game proves that Capcom has a winning formula for creating intriguing stories set within this world. Diehard fans can expect plenty of memorable moments that will remind them just how cool these games are.
Another Impressive RE Engine Showcase
Switching gears to graphics, Resident Evil Requiem is visually impressive, and dare I say, the best-looking RE engine game to date. The addition of both first-person and third-person camera perspectives really elevates this entry to a new level. By default, Grace’s gameplay sequences are in first-person, while Leon’s experiences are in third-person, and you can switch between these viewpoints at any time.
These options pull you even further into this immersive world and highlight just how much blood, sweat, and tears the developers put into this project. Every character model, down to the grotesque horrors that you’ll face, is presented in painstaking detail.
The gameplay and cutscene animation sequences run smoothly and effortlessly. The indoor and outdoor environments you explore feel appropriately gritty, which matches the game’s overall tone. All of these aspects make the survival horror elements feel more authentic by placing players in a hopeless, chaotic world begging to be explored.
I reviewed this game on a base PlayStation 5 console. While using Performance mode, I didn’t encounter any issues, crashes, or glitches. Requiem‘s Quality mode settings run at 4K 30 fps, while Performance mode upscales to 4K 60 fps. If you own a PlayStation 5 Pro console, you’ll get bonus features, including full 4K native resolution support, the ability to toggle Ray Tracing on and off, and up to 120 FPS on compatible 120Hz displays.
I’m not sure how this game runs on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. I would recommend checking out Digital Foundry for more specific details on this topic. Regardless of where you decide to play, I can confirm that the game looks phenomenal and you won’t be disappointed.
An Addictive Gameplay Loop
The overall gameplay mechanics feature the same core pillars that make every Resident Evil game great. Players can expect to use a limited light source to explore dark and unsettling environments, find hidden clues to solve puzzles, manage and craft resources in their inventory, and face unrelenting obstacles and infected creatures until the very end.
Requiem moves the series forward in exciting ways thanks to Capcom’s creative approach to changing how different zombies are represented. Every person carries a piece of their life or occupation into the afterlife, meaning that their zombie counterparts will have the same mannerisms and mindsets. While this approach might not be the norm in most zombie movies and TV shows today, it was fascinating to see them dive deeper into this theme and give these creatures deeper personalities and meanings.
Requiem also greatly benefits from how dynamic gameplay shifts between Grace and Leon. For Grace, Capcom does a phenomenal job evolving this character into a scared but resilient force ready to face her fears head-on. While you do gain access to a few makeshift knives and guns during her play sessions, Grace’s greatest tools are revealed once she uses infected blood against her enemies.
These results are not only effective, but highly explosive to say the least, and make sneaking up on creatures and taking them out even more fun. I personally love how they implemented this because it reinforces the idea of using advanced science techniques and weapons to eliminate threats. When I played as Grace, I was low on ammo and had to hide, sneak, or run past zombies often to reach my objective. This made every moment feel crucial and scary, which is exactly how the player should feel when playing a survival horror video game.
Playing as Leon is incredibly satisfying, and the equivalent of experiencing a high-octane action thriller as your favorite hero. He gains access to the most devastating weapons, including a huge gun named Requiem and a versatile heavy-duty hatchet used to break open blocked doorways, parry oncoming attacks, and decapitate enemies with brute force. I never got tired of hearing Leon say a witty one-liner after defeating a barrage of enemies or a tough boss. I also love that zombies can use weapons like explosive canisters and chainsaws against you, which keeps you on your toes when retaliating.
Even though Leon is rightfully portrayed as the badass he is, the character also has his fair share of scary moments throughout the story. In the most recent trailer, Capcom suggested that Leon is infected, and the answers to these questions add more intrigue to his story. Many challenging combat scenarios are also introduced, pushing Leon to sharpen his hatchet and manage ammo accordingly mid-fight to survive. Once again, these encounters add a lot of tension to the game and prove that even the toughest protagonist of the two isn’t safe.
A Hauntingly Good Soundtrack And Voice Cast
Speaking briefly on the music and casting, Composer Akiyuki Morimoto and the entire crew did a phenomenal job. The soundtrack perfectly conveys the horrific events as they unfold and blends effortlessly with the emotional highs and lows you’ll feel while playing the game. The voice acting and memorable performances by the cast and supporting characters shine brightly, making this a solid production through and through.
Resident Evil Requiem took me approximately 16 hours, 44 minutes, and 32 seconds to beat on standard difficulty. I fully intend to go back to find every collectible that I missed and see how much harder the game gets on the higher difficulty mode. If you’re a completist like me, it could easily take you another 10 hours to unlock everything, and I promise it’s totally worth it because the overall experience is a ton of fun to play through.
Final Verdict
If you can’t tell by now, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Resident Evil Requiem, and I’m convinced you will too. This entry feels like the perfect next step forward in a franchise that has been around since 1996, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
This review was based on a review copy of Resident Evil Requiem for PlayStation 5 provided by Capcom.
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