Resident Evil Requiem Is the Ultimate Culmination of the Franchise (Review)

Resident Evil has been a lot of things since its introduction in 1996. It started out as a survival-horror series with tank controls, evolved into more of a third-person action series, took that focus on action a bit too far (while also sprinkling in co-op), and then returned to its horror-centric roots, this time in first-person. Change has been as big a part of Resident Evil as its ever-expanding group of protagonists, which has made each new entry always stand out in its own unique way.

Rather than trying to do something entirely new, the ninth mainline installment in the saga, Resident Evil Requiem, finds a way to perfectly mesh all of the best aspects of the series so far. The result doesn’t just make Requiem one of the greatest Resident Evil games yet, but it stands as a perfect celebration of the franchise for its 30th anniversary.

Rating: 5/5

Pros	Cons
Expertly combines the horror and action elements of the series	Certain enemy types can get recycled too often and become stale
Leon and Grace are equally compelling as protagonists in a great narrative	Bosses aren’t as memorable as they could be
Longtime Resident Evil fans will feel deeply rewarded with plenty of surprises
One of the most impressive looking games this generation

Requiem’s Story Is Equal Parts Over the Top and More Personal

For a franchise that has been running for three decades, perhaps the most impressive aspect of Resident Evil Requiem is that its storyline is incredibly compelling. Rather than shy away from the wild twists and turns that Resident Evil has taken over the years, its narrative leans more directly into some of its craziest elements. This not only makes for a ton of fun, but Capcom does this while also keeping the story grounded around its two central characters.

Grace Ashcroft, the series newcomer in Requiem, is one of the more fascinating characters that Capcom has created. Much of her importance to the events of Requiem is shrouded in mystery, which keeps you constantly wanting to push forward and reach the next major cutscene to learn more about her. By its conclusion, some of the answers to these mysteries at the heart of Requiem didn’t end up being as interesting as I had hoped, but Grace herself ends up feeling more relatable and human than most other franchise protagonists. Grace’s actress, Angela Sant’Albano, also gives one of the best performances in Resident Evil history, which makes her character even more memorable.

Conversely, Leon is more or less the same version of himself that we’ve seen since Resident Evil 4. While he’s a bit older, Leon is as quippy as ever, with nearly 90% of his dialogue in the game being nothing more than one-liners. Despite this, Leon also has far more personal stakes in Requiem’s conflict than ever, as he has found himself infected by a mysterious virus that he’s trying to cure. In between the constant quips, this urgency sees Leon get more character growth than he has in any game since Resident Evil 2, which lets him feel like more than just a pretty boy, action hero. It’s a great dichotomy and is what I hoped to see when Leon was confirmed to return in Requiem.

There are also so many surprises throughout Resident Evil that had me actively shouting with excitement in my living room. Compared to the likes of Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, Requiem has a lot more touchstones with the franchise’s history. On more than one occasion, it introduces plot elements or brief references that stem directly from past entries. By no means do you have to play every game in the Resident Evil series to understand Requiem, but for those, like myself, who have done so, it makes the narrative feel all the more rewarding.

Familiar Ideas Combine to Create a Unique Experience

On a gameplay front, Resident Evil Requiem borrows a little bit of everything that has come before in the series. It’s a little bit like Resident Evil 4 (or even RE6) in its sequences with Leon, while Grace’s sections are more akin to RE2 or RE7. This diversity of playstyles makes Requiem constantly feel fresh, as it’s bouncing back and forth between horror and action while giving equal attention to both. Adding the option to play in either third-person or first-person was also a phenomenal one, as neither choice feels like it’s meant to be the default.

Shooting, kicking, and blowing up zombies with Leon is as fun (and as gory) as ever in Requiem, but what makes his aspects of the campaign even better are some of the setpiece moments that Capcom has crafted. These sequences feel more like moments ripped out of a Naughty Dog game rather than a Resident Evil title, and give Requiem a greater scope than almost any other game in the series. It’s in this manner that Capcom feels like it’s trying to change the perception of what a Resident Evil game can be, and it’s something I’d like to see the series do more of in the future as long as it can avoid getting too carried away.

What ends up being stellar throughout the entirety of Resident Evil Requiem is the level design. Capcom’s ability to craft tight, interconnected locations that can be backtracked through constantly is on full display here in Requiem. These areas are made all the better, especially in Grace’s campaign, by the addition of monsters that are constantly pursuing you throughout corridors. This keeps the tension heightened at all times while also trying to figure out the next major puzzle in your path. It’s not necessarily anything new to the Resident Evil formula, but Capcom again executes on this to a great degree.

Where Capcom does look to get a bit more experimental is with some of the mid-game locations that can be explored. While not “open-world” by any means, Requiem does blow up the scale by a sizable portion when compared to the game’s early hours. This makes the prospect of backtracking a bit more difficult, but it also leads to some more creativity when it comes to combat encounters. It makes for a great change of pace and helps Requiem never feel like it’s too much of one thing over its 10 to 12 hour runtime.

In terms of enemies, this is one area where Requiem is a bit of a letdown. Many of the game’s most common zombies pop up a lot throughout, which can make combat encounters feel stale every now and then. Bosses, without saying too much, also aren’t as creative as they could be, which makes them quite forgettable. Neither of these criticisms detracts from Resident Evil Requiem on the whole, but it’s definitely something that can be improved moving forward.

Resident Evil Requiem Is a Technical Marvel

It’s not a surprise at this point that the RE Engine, which is the game engine that Capcom has used for countless projects over the past decade, is an excellent one. What is a surprise, though, is that the developer keeps finding ways to get more out of it.

I played Resident Evil Requiem on a PS5 Pro and was left astonished by just how good the game looked. While there were a few visual oddities at times, the visual fidelity and lighting in Requiem are among the finest that have been seen in any game this generation. Ray Tracing, in particular, is also likely the best that I have ever seen in a video game and really helped me see the value in this feature more than ever.

I’m also pleased to say that I didn’t run into any major bugs or other problems while playing through Resident Evil Requiem. Those that I did see were mainly visual glitches tied to certain characters or weapons and would be resolved with a simple reloading of my most recent checkpoint. Capcom has been great about ensuring its games launch in a good state, and that’s no different with Requiem.

Resident Evil Requiem wants to be a lot of things at once. With so many ideas, genre styles, and characters (both new and old) from Resident Evil history being thrown into one game, there’s easily a scenario where Requiem could have been a total disaster. Instead, Capcom has found a way to borrow and refine all of the most pivotal components of the series in a manner that’s nearly flawless. Resident Evil Requiem doesn’t just honor everything that Resident Evil has been since its debut; it shows how much room there still is for growth in one of gaming’s most iconic properties.

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Resident Evil Requiem releases later this week on February 27th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. An early copy of the game on PS5 was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.