Resident Evil Requiem Review

A bloody symphony of horror and havoc.

It goes without saying that Resident Evil has cemented its legacy as the pinnacle of survival horror. The franchise has earned monumental praise from millions of gamers worldwide, and has completely transformed the gaming industry. Not only has it set the standards for an entire gaming genre while remaining relevant for over 30 years, but it continues to innovate with every new installment. Whether it be the scarce, resource scavenging nature of Resident Evil 1, or the revolutionary, over-the-shoulder gunplay of Resident Evil 4 (2005), the series is constantly raising the bar for what survival horror can be. So naturally when Resident Evil Requiem was announced back in Summer Fest of 2025, anticipation was through the roof. As a HUGE Resident Evil fan, I approached the game with ambitious expectations. The masterpiece that was Resident Evil 4 Remake set the bar so high for what a modern Resident Evil experience can be, I was worried that Resident Evil Requiem wouldn't be on that same level. But as more teasers, trailers, showcases, and leaks released, my excitement only grew.

After painstakingly counting down the days until release, I finally got my hands on the game and can proudly say, Resident Evil Requiem does not dissapoint. In this review, I'll go in depth into why Requiem has already earned its stripes as one of the best games in the series. From the dual-gameplay and story style approach, to its seamless integration of classic and new elements, Requiem is a masterful blend of horror and action.

A Confrontation with the Past

The story centers around new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, an introverted FBI analyst who is tasked with investigating a mysterious string of deaths tied to the Racoon City Incident. What begins as a mission to examine a newly discovered body at the Wrenwood Hotel, the very place where her mother was murdered, quickly spiral out of control as she is attacked and abducted. From there, Grace is pulled into a nightmare she can't wake up from, as she is forced to survive and face her past head on to make it out alive. At the same time, a returning fan-favorite character also steps into the spotlight. Bringing with him a strong sense of justice and an arsenal of weapons and one-liners, I can happily report that yes, Leon S. Kennedy is back, and he's more cool and confident than ever. With his own motivations and personal stake, Leon is drawn into yet another bioterrorism conspiracy, where battling relentless monsters and confronting buried trauma pushes him to the limit. As the game progresses, Grace and Leon's path collide, forcing them to rely on each other not just to survive the horrors around them, but to put their pasts to rest and discover the truth.

Requiem tells an gripping story that had me hooked from beginning to end. RE games usually keep the stories pretty straightforward to get characters where they need to be to set up the action, and while Requiem seems to follow suite in the opening sections, things quickly ramp up. The plotline is fundmentally based on Leon and Grace having to face their past, which allows for some great character growth we don't often see in the franchise. It's really refreshing to see a new protagonist start off frightened (rightfully so) and slowly grow into herself, while also having a veteran badass return, but giving him space to open up. The plot fully leans into shrouding itself in mystery and intrigue, but other than a few minor plotholes from a hardcore fan, it excelled at keeping me at the edge of my seat. Personally, I think Requiem stands out in the franchise for telling a more personal and character driven narrative. It feels a lot more like Capcom actually has something meaningful to say here, and paves the way forward, laying the Raccoon City and Umbrella storyline to rest.

Suffocating Terror

Resident Evil is primarily known for the scraping-for-supplies, puzzle-heavy, barely-making-it-out-alive gameplay that the original trilogy pioneered. Grace’s segments in Requiem expand on these ideas in novel ways that keep things fresh, while still feeling familiar to fans. As a result, her portions deliver some of the most tense and terrifying moments the series has to offer.

Grace is noticeably underpowered and unequipped from the start. She moves slowly, her inventory is extremely limited, and she’s forced to maneuver stealthily around threats instead of confronting them head-on. Resources are few and far between, so every shot fired and healing item used feels like a calculated decision rather than a casual input.

However, Grace isn’t completely defenseless. She can craft tools like ammo, first-aid items, permanent upgrades, and hemolytic injectors—instant-kill weapons used by sneaking up on an enemy. To craft these, Grace must collect blood, either found on the ground with her newly acquired blood collector, or extracted from fallen foes. This new mechanic forces you to approach encounters carefully, weighing whether it’s worth the risk of fighting and alerting nearby enemies or just avoiding them altogether.

This decision-making mentality also translates into the intricate and expansive level design. Every area is elaborately designed to start off as a puzzle-ridden maze you can easily get lost in, to gradually turning into a familiar territory you master the layout of. In my opinion, this is what really makes Grace's segments stand out. It's so satisfying to backtrack to unlock previously inaccessible areas, or to have that feeling of collecting an item and going, "Oh, I know where to use that!". The amount of thought and care put into every nook and cranny of this world makes it feel so purposeful.

Adding yet another layer of obstacles in Grace's way, Requiem goes all-in on creating grotesque creatures for the player to face-off against. Depending on who they were prior to infection, the zombies will talk, act, and wander certain areas accordingly. Whether it be a towering chef who mindlessly chops what I assume to be human flesh in the kitchen, or the singing lady whose blood-curdling screams haunt the bar & longue, every enemy is unique. This presents Grace with new opporunities, as by studying their different behaviours, you can use the environment to turn their habits against them. For example, throwing a glass bottle near a noise-sensitive, zombie patient, will cause them to violently sway their IV stand around, knocking down any other zombies in the vicinity. Behaviours like these give each zombie a unique personality, and respectively a unique way to deal with them.

Requiem also brings back a mechanic we haven't seen in the franchise since the very beginning - zombies that mutate after death, coming back more agressive than ever. This can only be prevented by using hemolytic injectors on zombie corpses as Grace, pressuring you into using your rare resources. I felt so stressed out knowing that if I didn't go back and dispose of a corpse, it may come back to bite me in the future, literally. Mechanics like these, combined with the constant threat of relentless stalker enemies, casted a suffocating dread over me that just never let up throughout the run time. Requiem is truly a next-level evolution into far more immersive and engaging style of survival-horror gameplay.

Pulse Pounding Action

Let's be honest: we were all excited for Resident Evil Requiem to release, but when Leon was revelaed, the deal was sealed. I remember jumping out of my chair watching his reveal trailer, knowing full-well his gameplay would cook up the head-crushing combat I've been craving since Resident Evil 4 Remake. Leon's gameplay is a night-and-day difference from Grace's. Unlike his dual-protagonist, Leon comes prepared ready to kick some serious zombie ass. He's equipped with a large inventory case to stock his diverse selection of weaponry and store the plenty of ammo, herbs, grenades, and ressources you find along the way.

One man army

As game progresses, Grace and Leon's path collide, forcing them to rely on each other not just to survive the horrors around them, but to put their pasts to rest and discover the truth. As game progresses, Grace and Leon's path collide, forcing them to rely on each other not just to survive the horrors around them, but to put their pasts to rest and discover the truth. As game progresses, Grace and Leon's path collide, forcing them to rely on each other not just to survive the horrors around them, but to put their pasts to rest and discover the truth.As game progresses, Grace and Leon's path collide, forcing them to rely on each other not just to survive the horrors around them, but to put their pasts to rest and discover the truth.

A Blood Bath Worth Soaking In

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Resident Evil Requiem Review

COMMENTS

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse