Resident Evil Requiem Review

Resident Evil is a series that has come to players in a lot of different forms, and not all of them were stellar. The most recent games have all been pretty good, so many fans will be wondering if the latest instalment will continue this trend or make a misstep. 

Resident Evil Requiem has you taking on the role of two characters: fan favourite Leon Kennedy and the newly introduced FBI Analyst Grace Ashcroft. The latter is stuck with memories of the horrific murder of her mother and her own strange past, while Leon will have to confront his. Throughout the story, you’ll be swapping between these characters as they explore the mystery of what really happened at Racoon City.

The plot of Requiem might have a slow start, but it soon ramps up the horror and mystery with strange new characters, monsters, and intrigue. While it might be a bit confusing at first, that’s actually in the game's favour as you end up being as interested in finding answers as the characters are. I won’t spoil anything here, but know that everything you thought you knew about the Racoon City incident will be turned on its head. 

All of this is helped by the two leads, with both Grace and Leon giving pretty stellar performances. Leon remains as charming and witty as ever, but there’s an edge to it that shows how tired he really is. Meanwhile, Grace reacts as you would expect to some truly terrifying situations and grows in her own to cope with all that she discovers. Both characters’ journeys are fascinating to see, and a real rollercoaster at times. 

One of the big questions people had was what kind of game this would be: would it follow the more horror-based new entries in the series, or the more action-oriented Resident Evil 4 (2023)? The answer is all of them, to some degree, because Resident Evil Requiem takes its cues from nearly every title in the series.

For a large part of the game, you take on the role of Grace, whose initial missions play a lot like RESIDENT EVIL 7, including using the simpler storage system from that game. Ideally, you play her sections in first-person, with an emphasis on puzzle solving and avoiding combat where you can. 

Grace does have weapons, but the infected and larger enemies can be a challenge to take down, and ammo is very scarce at first. Plus, any that you do kill can mutate after death, becoming much tougher. You can prevent this with a chemical cocktail, but it’s limited and hard to find and craft.

The puzzles themselves are interesting, although not really challenging. Like many other Resident Evil titles, these aren’t really brain teasers, instead you need to look around for the right items and clues to find upgrades and the keys to locks and blocked paths. Requiem wants you to explore its map, and you have good reason to do so. Thankfully, most of the zombie stand-ins in the game are easy to dodge and move around, and you’ll need to as Grace has the means to parry attacks.  

Meanwhile, in the opening sections, Leon is more combat-oriented, often revisiting the locations you just got through as Grace. In terms of gameplay, it’s more like Resident Evil 4 (including the same briefcase-style storage system) with parrying, shooting, and sweet kicks. Thankfully, you no longer have to deal with carrying several knives, as the hatchet Leon carries can be sharpened on the fly. However, all this changes a few hours into the game. You can also grab weapons dropped by the infected, including a chainsaw, and use them against the hordes, which is honestly a lot of fun. 

See, when you play as Leon, you start to notice that, unlike Grace, you have no means of upgrading your equipment. Grace can do this, with a new mechanic having you mix infected blood with scraps to craft ammo and even upgrades to your health and damage. This is because, at a certain point, you end up taking control of Leon in a more exploratory fashion, where you can buy weapons and upgrades using points gained from killing enemies. While this change is certainly a bit of a shock, it helps to break up the gameplay from just having Leon be relegated to small combat sections. 

There are also boss fights and mini bosses, all of which are interestingly varied, including fights where speed is of the essence, tense sneaking missions where you have to use the light to your advantage, and more. Each one is entertaining and cinematic, making them some of the high points. 

Graphically, Resident Evil Requiem is a visually stunning game, featuring some impressive character designs. The fact that Leon was designed to be hot is already a much-debated topic, but special mention should be made of the infected. See, the first foes you have to deal with aren’t your classic zombies, instead they wander around screaming their obsessions. It’s unsettling when you’re sneaking around as Grace, and utterly irrelevant when you’re Leon.

However, no game is perfect, and Resident Evil Requiem has a couple of issues worth mentioning. Arguably, the biggest problem I had was with some of the choices for sound design. See, while the lack of music in Grace's sections is thematic and helps to accentuate the noises of the infected, it also means you constantly hear Grace’s breathing in your ear. It’s distracting, and her constant panicked breaths start to break the immersion more than anything. 

I also came across some pathing issues, primarily around the enemies that you need to avoid. This included the foes not walking through the door they were meant to and just standing there. Add to this the fact that these enemies were an auto-kill if they caught me, and it became very frustrating. Also, you do get bottles to throw to distract foes and allow Grace to sneak past, but I don’t think it ever worked. 

Finally, while the puzzles are essentially fine, some of them can be a bit of pain, and you spend ages hunting for the one clue. The map isn’t all that helpful at pointing stuff out either, and I really miss the colour codes that the other games used to show you which rooms still had secrets and items to find. I also had some issues with Grace’s crafting mechanic, not the concept (which is novel), but that you have to carry the extractor with you, and it takes up an item slot. The same is true for the charms she has access to, while Leon removes them from the briefcase and attaches them to his gun.

Even with that, Resident Evil Requiem stands as a love letter to the series and fans, offering something for everyone. The combination of the different styles, atmosphere and story all come together to make an almost perfect package for both new and old players alike.