You must be thinking… Is she talking about the same game? Resident Evil Requiem? The latest Capcom title featuring blood-thirsty zombies, unthinkable abominations, and so much blood, it could fill an entire ocean? Let me explain myself in today’s banter. Resident Evil has been a franchise staple for 30 years. It has had several ups and downs and endured rough patches and reinvigoration. With a touch over thirty games, how was Capcom going to tackle the next mainline title? They let the scares and gore fly; however, they also exercised impressive discipline with the pacing and structure — and without that bloat, Requiem is elevated to peak gaming experience.
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline title that also heralds the franchises’ 30th anniversary. Expectations were already high, and the bar seemed out of reach after the successes with Resident Evil VII, Resident Evil: Village, and the remakes of 2 and 4. Capcom was already running on some great momentum.
After rolling credits today, I had to physically close my mouth after it had been agape for who knows how long. I finished at about 12 hours, which is a bit longer than the average player (I’ve been seeing 9-10 hours). Requiem had scared the pants off me several times when I played as Grace, and I lived through the ultimate power fantasy as Leon, and yet, there was something else that left me more than satisfied after playing the game.
The first is balance. Capcom was deliberate in selecting both Grace and Leon as the two main protagonists. There is a balance in character familiarity, as Leon is a beloved veteran and Grace, although daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, is a fresh, new face. For a franchise as established as Resident Evil, there is a core fanbase that calls for the return of characters such as Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and Chris Redfield. At the same time, there’s also a risk of overuse of the same players. On the other hand, there’s a sizeable risk attaching a brand-new character to a well-known series. Grace became an immediate hit, thanks to good writing, an astounding performance by Angela Sant’Albano, and leverage of her background and personality for the more survival-horror gameplay style.
Capcom also intentionally chose to ensure players spent an equal amount of time with both Grace and Leon. This allows for a truly balanced experience between two sides the that same coin of why people flock to a Resident Evil game. Ask any fan, and you will hear one of two things: “I love to survival horror in the original, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 7” or “I’m 100% in for the insane action and madness in Resident Evil 4 and 5“. Somehow, Requiem blends the two formulas into a healthy mix that can satisfy as many people as possible.
With that said, Capcom doesn’t throw both types of gameplay haphazardly. That’s where I chose the word restraint. Again, I use restraint in terms that Resident Evil Requiem doesn’t suffer from what many modern AAA games do: bloat. The pacing between Grace and Leon and between each setting felt streamlined.
When I arrived at Raccoon City during the latter half of the game, I wondered how hard Capcom would lean into the past. Would Requiem rely too heavily on the successful tropes and set pieces from Resident Evil 2? Or worse, would the references be just TOO much without substance to stand on its own?
I was pleasantly surprised that Requiem leveraged the best of Resident Evil 2 and didn’t overdo it. We got to revisit RPD, but the exploration was kept to a brief but memorable visit. We see the return of several iconic enemies like Mr. X, Lickers, and those deadly plants. There are even references to other Resident Evil titles, like a “Nemesis” and a hand-to-hand combat segment akin to the show down with Krauser in RE4. In fact, the backend seems to fly by quickly, whereas prior Resident Evil games seem to drag. Each reference to prior titles were done with such discipline, it was refreshing to see Capcom not milking everything for what its worth.
It is because of great balance and restraint that I believe elevates Resident Evil Requiem higher than I had expected. Yes, it is gritty, scary, and VERY bloody. That’s part of Resident Evil‘s identity. Fans new and old love both the soul-chilling terror and the tongue-in-cheek campiness. Ripped off zombie heads with an axe? Yes, please. Injecting them with a blood compound and see them explode? Love it. BUT, it is the artful execution that makes the game shine and has people all over the internet talking about it. Resident Evil Requiem even unseated Grand Theft Auto 6 (finally) from the top spot on PlayStation’s trending page. I rest my case.
What do you think of Resident Evil Requiem? Did Capcom knock it out of the park? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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