Resident Evil Requiem is a blast, but after 30 years it's time the series' narrative let go of the past

Resident Evil Requiem is quite literally a game of two halves.

Its dual protagonists, newcomer Grace Ashcroft and series veteran Leon S. Kennedy, both represent disparate aspects of the long-running survival horror franchise brought together to appease fans of tense first-person exploration and resource management and bombastic third-person action, respectively.

An intriguing formula which, on paper, should offer something for all kinds of Resident Evil lover and this is certainly true throughout the game’s strong first half. Navigating wonderfully designed, interconnected environments filled with mysterious puzzles to scrounge for resources while dodging prowling horrors, as Grace is a consistent delight, punctuated by the refreshing moments where you can briefly let loose as Leon and tear through zombie hordes with an almost unlimited supply of guns and ammunition.

Unfortunately, this careful balance is upset by the overwhelming number of sequences in the action camp later on. They’re still a blast to fight through, even as the plot becomes increasingly bizarre, but I still found myself hoping for more of the serious scares experienced early on.

Spencer Mansion memories

It’s clear that Resident Evil Requiem is intended to be a celebration of the series, smartly blending elements from almost every entry thus far. Grace inherits not only the first-person perspective of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but also the classic puzzle-solving of the original Resident Evil and its immediate follow-ups. The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, the first section where you play as Grace, is a showstopping example of this formula at its best, with some of the greatest level design in Resident Evil history.

The whole area is an unsettling blend of tight corridors and small rooms, with objectives that require you to carefully scour your surroundings as you match keys with their respective locks, decipher secret codes, or collect other important items. Moving forward is always intuitive, and I never found myself scratching my head, wondering what to do next, in part because there are often multiple possible ways to progress with what you have on hand.

Rooms like the ornate banquet hall and the facility's expansive main foyer also echo the iconic design of the Spencer Mansion, a tasteful throwback for long-time fans, while a barrage of new enemy types keep things feeling fresh and prevent you from ever getting too comfortable. The new viral strain at the heart of this game's outbreak gives us some of the most intelligent zombies yet, repeating phrases that often hint at ways to counter their unique behaviours.

A zombie obsessed with turning off the lights, for example, can be lured out of your path by the flicking of a distant switch in order to preserve valuable ammo. Even if you do choose to go guns blazing, a handful of powerful horrors like the kitchen's huge, mutated chef can only be taken on with ample reserves of equipment. Successfully down them and you're treated to a deluge of goodies, namely collectible coins that can be spent on useful upgrades, appropriately rewarding those players prepared to take the risk.

Saving is restricted to set points where you can access a typewriter in dedicated safe rooms, adding an extra layer of tension even if, in reality, their plentiful nature means you're never really short of opportunities to use them.

Despite this safety blanket, as Grace, you're never really out of harm's way, as you’re perpetually on the run from an invincible foe. A terrifying, long-limbed woman, she appears in both scripted scares and more dynamic moments where she stalks you through the building.

She has a good range of possible behaviors, like suddenly reaching under tables to grab you if you make too much noise, or prowling towards your path after catching a whiff of your scent as you creep by. The creature is easy to outsmart if you make liberal use of distraction items like glass bottles, but the persistent dread that she might appear around any corner is hard to shake.

Your fear is reflected in Grace, who is an incredibly relatable protagonist compared to the emotional brick wall that was 7 and Village’s Ethan Winters.

Her trembling hands and haggard breaths are a brilliant contrast to Leon’s quippy confidence, and she’s endearingly awkward in the many stunningly animated cutscenes, too. Her desire to discover the truth of her mother’s grisly murder eight years ago is also a compelling hook that drives you to push on in spite of the horrors that you face.

Back in '98

It’s a shame, then, that she practically vanishes from the story at the halfway mark as the focus turns almost entirely towards Leon. Returning to the ruins of Raccoon City in some surprisingly hefty semi-open-world sections, it’s an unrelenting bombardment of combat gauntlets, boss fights, and cinematic action sequences.

Some moments, like a rocket launcher motorbike chase that extends up the side of a collapsed building, are certainly reminiscent of the much-derided over-the-top events of Resident Evil 6, while others feel like something you’d watch stone-faced in one of the franchise’s many terrible live action movies.

Throw in heaps of gratuitous fan service and an unsatisfying ending that leaves loads of unanswered questions (presumably for the sake of setting up future sequels or DLC), and it left me yearning for a tighter, more self-contained, and emotionally impactful experience.

That’s not to say that these moments are ever dull, though. To developer Capcom’s credit, while events may veer unapologetically into the camp and ridiculous, I was practically on the edge of my seat, wondering what on Earth could possibly happen next.

It definitely helps that Resident Evil Requiem is never boring to look at. This is a visually stunning game that really pushes the envelope with environmental fidelity, beautiful ray-traced reflections, fluid animation, and even subtle character details like strands of hair or droplets of blood and sweat. Yes, even on Nintendo Switch 2, despite some noticeable cutbacks to resolution and the odd framerate stutter.

I enjoyed my playthroughs thoroughly, but I can’t help but wish that Capcom was a little bolder with the plot. After more than 30 years, surely now is the time to be moving the series forward decisively rather than constantly harking back to the past?

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Accessibility features

Resident Evil Requiem has multiple difficulty levels, including a Casual mode that’s designed to be more forgiving as well as Standard (Modern) and Standard (Classic). Standard (Classic) restricts your ability to save during Grace sections, requiring a consumable ink ribbon item each time.

The game has a dedicated accessibility menu with a suite of available options geared towards visual, auditory, motion sickness, and physical accessibility. On the visual front, you can customize the HUD and text size, plus subtitle presentation and size.

For auditory needs, you can enable closed captions with optional speaker name display, while motion sickness settings allow you to adjust camera wobble, motion blur, and turn on a dot in the middle of the screen to focus on.

Physical accessibility options include the options to disable repeated inputs in favor of holding a button, turn of vibration, and configure your controller layout.

How I reviewed Resident Evil Requiem

I played more than 20 hours of Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2, my primary platform for review, in which time I completed the game and then began a second run. I tested it almost exclusively in handheld mode, relying on the Joy-Con 2 controllers and the system’s built-in speakers.

I then tested the PC version on my system from retailer Scan. It features a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I Gaming Wifi motherboard, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Nvidia 5070 Ti manufactured by Asus.

This proved more than capable of running the game on maximum graphics settings with full path tracing enabled at 1080p 60fps. On PC, I relied on my Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro mouse and Cherry XTRFY K5V2 keyboard, plus an Astro A20 X gaming headset for audio.

I’m a long-time Resident Evil fan and have played almost every entry (most on more than one occasion). Yes, I’ve even subjected myself to the likes of Operation Raccoon City and Umbrella Corps.

Throughout my time with Requiem, I compared my experience to the other games (particularly Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the remakes of 2, 3, and 4, Village, and the original three games) plus the wider survival horror and action horror genres.

First reviewed February 2026