5 Racoon City Callbacks We Want in Resident Evil Requiem

Now that Capcom has confirmed the worst-kept secret in video game history and officially revealed that Leon S. Kennedy is coming back for Resident Evil: Requiem, it’s clearer than ever that this game is going to be filled with callbacks to previous games in the series. We know that players will play as Leon and Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Resident Evil: Outbreak star Alyssa, and that they’ll be going back to Racoon City to observe all of the damage done to the city after the events of Resident Evil 3. Knowing how much Requiem is going to be looking to the past, it’s safe to assume that we’re in for several callbacks to the series’ history.

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Here are five nods to the past we’d love to see in Resident Evil: Requiem.

5) Is The Clock Tower Still Standing?

One thing that Resident Evil: Requiem leakers have mentioned is that Capcom has internally acknowledged receiving complaints about the Resident Evil 3 Remake. Unfortunately, a significant amount of content was cut for the remake, making it feel more like DLC than a full-fledged game. Going back to Racoon City means Capcom could directly address some of those issues.

The Clock Tower section got the largest axe in the RE3 remake, with it hardly featuring outside of the boss fight with Nemesis. We’ve seen several shots of the bombed-out city, but plenty of places are still standing. It’d be a fun wink to fans for Leon or Grace to return to the Clock Tower and see if it’s stood up to the blast.

4) What’s Going On With The Burtons?

Barry Burton’s tale went far beyond the confines of Racoon City, but it’s where his story began. And for what it’s worth, he was another unfortunate loss in all the cuts that happened with the Resident Evil 3 Remake. It’s also worth noting that he hasn’t working with Leon too much, so it might be tough to force him and his family into this story.

That said, we haven’t seen much from Barry in years. Last we knew, he had adopted a young girl named Natalia, who just so happened to have Alex Wesker’s personality lurking inside of her. I don’t know about you, but that seems like a massive detail for Capcom to leave dangling for all these years.

Sure, it happened in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, so a large chunk of the audience has no idea, but we need some payoff at some point. With Leon returning to where it all began, it would feel weird if there wasn’t a Wesker involved. Short of resurrecting Albert, bringing Bary back into the fold might be our best shot.

3) Let’s Get The Outbreak Gang Back Together

Outbreak‘s Alyssa Ashcroft plays a major role in Requiem as the mother of protagonist Grace, but what about the rest of the cast? We don’t need them all to return, but if this is going to be a homecoming for the series, why not bring back a few of the people Grace fought alongside in Outbreak?

We probably don’t need Kevin the cop, given Leon’s involved, but it’d be fun to see someone like Mark, Yoko, or George show up. I also wouldn’t be opposed to going back to a few Outbreak locations. Why not visit good old Racoon University one last time?

2) We Need to See The Spencer Mansion Ruins

Speaking of locations that need to return, it would be downright silly to come back to Racoon City and not have at least one scene of the characters exploring the Spencer Mansion ruins. Sure, Leon and Grace don’t have any real connection to the place, but the mansion is one of the series’ iconic locations. Not going back would be a wild choice.

Similarly, we’ll almost certainly be returning to the Police Station. After all, Leon knows that location well, and it is almost as famous as the mansion, especially with the success of Resident Evil 2 Remake. Regardless, if Requiem is taking us to Racoon City, Capcom has to give us a tour of all our favorite destroyed haunts.

1) The Women in Leon’s Life

I didn’t want to make a list only featuring all the women characters that need to come back, so I’m grouping them as one. From Leon’s first trailer, it sounds like his handler, Hunnigan, is back in the fold in a similar role in Requiem. That’s a great first step, but we need to hear about what the rest of Resident Evil‘s women are up to.

Ada Wong, Claire Redfield, Sherry Birkin, and even Ashley Graham deserve another appearance. Of the four, Wong seems like the most obvious inclusion, though a return to Racoon that doesn’t somehow involve Claire and Sherry would feel weird. Ashley isn’t as big a deal, but not mentioning her this close to the release of Resident Evil 4 Remake would feel strange.

And then there’s the Jill-sized elephant in the room. Jill Valentine is one of the most important characters in Resident Evil history, but for whatever reason, Capcom has kept her on the sidelines for the last decade or so. Hopefully, that changes, but I wouldn’t get hopes up too much. Maybe Capcom will finally come to its senses with RE10 and give Jill the center-stage spot she deserves.

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