Resident Evil Requiem is best described as an addictive nightmare - one where your fears are constantly stoked, your heart rate never quite settles, and your mind braces for the worst.
And yet, you can’t seem to turn it off.
Its ability to make the hairs on your neck stand to attention should be scientifically studied. With its relentless barrage of nightmarish challenges, the game pushes you to your limits. And with two playable characters, it strikes a seamless balance between immersive fear and unapologetic violence.
No amount of guesswork can predict the jump scares ahead. Those fleeting moments where you triumph over unimaginable evil are quickly replaced with sudden dread at the next herculean task.
Make no mistake: this game will test your mental fortitude and resilience.
As the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem proves that this iconic series still has plenty of devious scares left to deliver to millions of fans. This is Resident Evil at its best.
An evolving story that illuminates the franchise
As the ninth title in the mainline series, Requiem continues a calamitous storyline of apocalyptic proportions. Set 30 years after the destruction of Raccoon City - when the malignant T‑Virus outbreak forced the government to obliterate the city with missiles - the game builds on decades of RE lore.
We’re quickly introduced to newcomer Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst tasked with investigating a mysterious infection at an abandoned hotel. Players soon learn she has a unique - and tragic - history with the location.
Her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, a survivor of the Raccoon City incident, was murdered there eight years earlier. This not-insignificant detail explains why Grace becomes a nervous wreck the moment she’s assigned to the case.
And so begins the player's descent back into the terrifying world of Resident Evil, where they must survive horrors beyond imagination while uncovering the truth behind what really happened to Raccoon City all those years ago.
Without delving into spoilers, Requiem elevates the franchise’s narrative to surprising new heights. It reintroduces zombie‑slaying legend Leon Kennedy while cementing Grace as a pivotal protagonist. The online discourse that will follow is bound to dissect major revelations - and debate the many lingering questions left intentionally unanswered.
Fight or Flight? Grace Ashcroft is the queen of immersive gameplay
From the outset, Requiem recommends experiencing Grace’s campaign in first-person, warning players that doing so amplifies the terror she’s about to face. My heart sank reading that - and as the opening levels prove, this mode becomes a subtle test of your bravery.
Grace’s playstyle revolves around stealth and survival, keeping her in a near-constant state of escape. Her slow, cautious movement gives you a front-row seat to every grotesque detail. Nothing is left to the imagination.
Oozing substances drip off bloodied surfaces. Claw marks gouge concrete walls and furniture. Trails of blood crisscross in frantic directions. Growls echo behind distant doors.
Requiem is a celebration of everything that makes Resident Evil a titan of the horror genre.
No matter how hard you try, the dread refuses to loosen its grip. Corridors feel too narrow, forcing you to slink past mortal danger with half‑closed eyes. Lights flicker at just the right moment to conceal threats. And Grace doesn’t make it easier.
She shrieks and whimpers constantly. Her anxiety is contagious; her panic becomes your own. Surely she can run faster? At times, it feels like she’s doing everything in her power to make things worse.
This vulnerability, however, is what makes her levels so effective. She is a hero with no combat prowess - someone who has no business surviving the horrors she encounters. Yes, she has access to limited firearms, but ammunition is so scarce that every shot becomes a last resort.
As Grace, you’ll endure cat‑and‑mouse chases, not only against hordes of undead but also from malevolent beings that stalk you relentlessly. You are their plaything.
And just when you think you've cleared a path, previously defeated bodies begin to reanimate, showcasing the T‑Virus’s frightening evolution. Once-safe corridors transform into death traps, forcing you to decide whether to dispatch enemies permanently or conserve precious resources.
Just when Grace has drained nearly all your composure, Leon Kennedy bursts onto the scene - right on time - to reassure you that survival might still be possible.
The return of the zombie‑slayer extraordinaire
For many, Leon Kennedy is Resident Evil. He’s a legend destined to eradicate the Umbrella Corporation and its monstrosities. He brings a calming presence (along with overwhelming firepower) to a relentlessly intense experience.
Switching to a third-person perspective showcases his full capabilities. Whether sniping enemies from afar with an expanded arsenal, hacking creatures apart with a hatchet, or going full‑tilt with a chainsaw, Leon is a one‑man army and a thrill to control.
Environments become canvases for his feral combat style. And throughout, he wears his trademark smouldering grin, often followed by a questionable pun you can’t help but laugh at nervously.
But this Leon is different, as hinted in the game’s trailers. Decades after the events in Raccoon City, his weathered face bears the scars, both literal and emotional, of relentless survival. At times, there’s a desperation in his voice that adds weight to his alliance with Grace and his interest in researcher Victor Gideon.
Players switch regularly between Grace and Leon, sometimes replaying maps from alternate perspectives to fill in narrative gaps. Neither character overstays their welcome, giving you the full spectrum of psychological horror.
The creatures you ran screaming from as Grace? Leon might turn them into minced meat in a later mission, and vice versa.
Requiem is a multi‑sensory assault of immense proportions
Level design has always been central to Resident Evil’s success, and Requiem continues this legacy. Together with intricate puzzles, the environments force you to examine every detail to progress.
From the zombie‑ridden care facility with its blinking lights and isolation wards to the desolate remains of Raccoon City, players are in for unforgettable trials. Yet no matter where you are, there’s never enough light to feel safe. Clues offer only warnings of the horrors ahead. Quests often require you to sabotage your own safety to advance.
Some of the game’s most memorable moments aren’t the cinematic chases or cutscenes, but the quiet, agonising seconds spent staring into a dark corner, terrified of moving forward. The sudden bang behind you. The rustling curtain that makes you leap out of your chair. The torment of choosing between a valuable treasure or a few extra rounds of ammo.
Resident Evil Requiem heralds a new era of terror
Requiem is a celebration of everything that makes Resident Evil a titan of the horror genre. It cherry‑picks the best gameplay mechanics from the past 30 years and blends them into a terrifying, cohesive experience.
Two distinct playstyles deliver peak psychological horror, oscillating between slow‑paced first‑person survival and chaotic third‑person combat. Coupled with a gripping story and ever‑evolving threats, you’re always hungry for the next encounter. With flawless visuals, it’s a chilling, nightmarish ride sure to satisfy newcomers and veterans alike.
Resident Evil Requiem launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on February 27th
