Resident Evil Requiem Review – The Best of Both Worlds in the Modern RE Era

As one of the lucky few to experience Resident Evil Requiem before release, I wasted no time blasting through the game. As a long-time fan of the series, I’ve seen all the game design shifts in the main series, and it seems like they have perfected the formula for the RE franchise with Resident Evil Requiem.

The story puts Leon S. Kennedy at center stage, along with a panicky yet gritty, inexperienced but lovable co-protagonist, Grace Ashcroft.

The Polarizing Dynamic of Leon and Grace Steals the Show

The setting starts with Grace, new to the series, slowly but beautifully developing throughout the playthrough. She comes off as an inexperienced, frail, and frightful FBI agent, trying to uncover the truth of her mother’s brutal passing.

When forced to confront her fears and trauma, she goes through almost all the most terrifying parts of the entry, showing how masterfully Capcom has perfected creating a horrifying atmosphere in any given situation.

As the story alternates between Leon and Grace, the other side of the spectrum shows Leon, a veteran and expert who has been doing this for far too long. Each section of Leon’s playthrough feels like an action movie, offering more creative freedom.

The two protagonists are polar opposites who work well together, showcasing the franchise’s best iterations of the main series, RE4R and RE7, in the modern era. Grace endures hell, solving puzzles under the most terrifying conditions, and managing with as few resources as possible. Leon finds unique ways to deal with enemies, solves puzzles, and enjoys the freedom to experiment with an arsenal of weapons.

The Sound Design, Attention to Detail, Voice Work, and Writing Was Exceptional

It is hard to go into detail about these aspects without spoiling any crucial parts of the story or the jump scares, so most of these may sound vague.

One of RE9’s biggest strengths is its sound design. They curated immersive background music for each part to either set the atmosphere or mislead in a good way, creating a different experience for each protagonist. 

Apart from the background music, all the tiny added sound details, such as flushing a meaningless toilet, opening an empty locker, floorboards creaking, objects dropping randomly, enemies suddenly bursting out, and a lot more, all add to the immersion, getting the player more tense throughout their playthrough.

Somewhat adjacent to the sound design is the game’s talented voice team. Nick Apostolides reprises his role as Leon S. Kennedy, who did an amazing job nailing Leon’s “almost too old for this” phase. However, Angela Sant’Albano, who did her first project as a voice actress with RE9, deserves a standing ovation for her performance.

Her shivers, stutters, and inflections molded Grace into this frightful but gritty FBI agent, just trying to uncover the truth and find purpose. You really feel the panic and pressure throughout Grace’s playthroughs, emphasized by the sound and game design, and Angela’s masterful work.

The gameplay design follows the same formula as your typical modern Resident Evil game. Explore, solve puzzles, face challenges (sometimes all at the same time), all while having two dynamic protagonists with different playstyles. The difficulty balancing is better than most, providing a real challenge even to horror veterans. They also have a lot of variety when it comes to enemies, introducing some new and old ones to the mix.

The writing feels like it was trying to capitalize more on nostalgia, but it was surprisingly astounding. As someone who has played all Resident Evil games since the beginning, I always found the stories hovering around average and mediocre in most parts because of all the potential plot holes.

I have always accepted that the horror genre allows characters to make bad decisions to aid tension and drama. So I’ve always done my best to avoid thinking things like “why would you even go there” or “why wouldn’t you just do this instead.”

In Resident Evil Requiem, it felt similar, but the narrative carefully weaves everything together as you attain more answers throughout. Only until you get a few revelations from the cutscenes will you start making sense of things. Without giving too much away, I would say Capcom went very bold with their direction here.

Verdict

Resident Evil Requiem stands as a triumphant evolution of the franchise—one that respects its survival horror roots while confidently embracing what has worked for them in recent years. By pairing a seasoned veteran like Leon S. Kennedy with the vulnerable yet resolute Grace Ashcroft, Capcom delivers a dynamic that not only reinvigorates the series but also deepens its emotional core.

From its meticulously crafted sound design and environmental details to its exceptional performances, Requiem thrives on immersion and atmosphere. The writing effectively balances nostalgia with bold narrative choices, pushing the franchise into daring new territory.

In essence, Resident Evil Requiem isn’t just another entry in the series—it’s the culmination of decades of experimentation, refinement, and passion. Both longtime fans and newcomers alike will find it a hauntingly rewarding experience that captures everything Resident Evil has always aimed to be: terrifying, tense, and unforgettable.