The Resident Evil franchise has gone through its ups and downs throughout its lifespan, especially with the poor reception of Resident Evil 6 along with the Revelations spin-off games following it. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, directed by Koshi Nakanishi, was Capcom’s attempt to recapture the heart of the fans who spoke up against the previous games focus on action over atmosphere. With it’s release in 2017, Biohazard delivered just what the franchise needed and garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback. With the game leaning towards a more immersive and atmospheric environment, Koshi Nakanishi alongside visionary Tsuyoshi Kanda were able to reignite the fascination many fans originally held with the franchise, campy horror and corny one-liners and all. I’m more than happy to say that Resident Evil: Requiem doesn’t just continue the immersive horror formula, but Koshi and Tsuyoshi build on it to deliver an experience unlike any other.
Premise
With Ethan Winters’ story line concluding in the previous installment Resident Evil: Village, Requiem moves forward and shines another character on the spotlight. Grace Ashcroft, FBI analyst, is the new focus of the series and her investigation of several deaths occurring in the Wrenwood hotel. Taking place roughly 30 years after the events of Resident Evil 3, Racoon City is left destroyed but with mysteries still waiting to be uncovered. Tying loose ends by returning to a familiar area seems to be a goal Requiem wants to accomplish. No better than to uncover those mysteries with the daughter of late Alyssa Ashcroft (who appeared in a previous game, Resident Evil: Outbreak, as an investigative reporter).
The demo that Capcom was kind enough to let me get my hands on kicks off with a tied up Grace Ashcroft waking up in what seems to be a clinical room. After breaking through the restraints (which I’m sure she picked up from FBI training of some kind), Grace meekly makes her way through several dimly lit hallways to understand just what exactly got her in this situation. It’s not too long after you leave the clinic that you begin to realize you are far from alone. A tall and monstrous woman with dead grey skin makes an appearance and stands as an obstacle to Grace’s only way of escape. With the classic Resident Evil puzzle solving thrown in the mix, the 20 minute demo went by in an instant, leaving me with a craving for more.
Gameplay
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard debuted a different approach to the Resident Evil series by implementing a strict first-person gameplay experience to further push for immersion. The trend continued with Village and has made it’s way to Requiem. At the start of the demo however, I was given a choice to play either in the first or third person. Prior to Requiem a third-person option was available as additional content for both Biohazard and Village; getting the option to switch between the two from the get-go was a welcomed feature. I’m personally a big fan of the immersive experience so I went and opted for the first-person mode.
Resident Evil: Requiem delivers set pieces that pull you in and keep you in this state of terror that mirrors the fear that Grace is challenged with. Requiem attempts this sense of unity between player and character by adding mechanics with the different available playstyles. First-person mode induces a claustrophobic fear by using it’s “up close and personal” angle to it’s advantage. This envelops navigating dark hallways and turning every corner with another layer of anxiety as the game toys with your liminal view. The third person mode of Requiem takes a different jab at immersion by adding a tripping mechanic to Grace’s movement. With a third person view giving the player a wider scope of the area, the developers chose to add a tripping mechanic to capture a similar sense of anxiety you would with first-person. Every detail included in the demo felt catered to keep the player engaged, and in turn, mimic the fear and tension that builds throughout Grace’s investigation at Wrenwood Hotel.
Final Score (Five out of five stars)
Resident Evil: Requiem follows a formula that not only saved the Resident Evil franchise from Capcom’s “to be forgotten” vault, but took a step further in how horror games universally get approached. My personal favorite Resident Evil game is the critically acclaimed Biohazard. What I loved about that installment ended up being fine-tuned and perfected for Requiem. From the atmosphere that crawls under your skin, and scenes that don’t fall short from grotesque; Resident Evil: Requiem does everything I could’ve wished for in a horror game, and continues to prove the gaming industry of the franchises phenomenal comeback after the disappointment that was Resident Evil 6. All said and done, Resident Evil: Requiem has potential to by my favorite installment in the series and will be keeping my ear to the ground for further news until it’s upcoming release on Feb. 27, 2026.
Featured image: Sofi Beyen
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