Resident Evil Requiem once again revitalizes the RE formula in ways I didn’t think it needed; bigger, bolder, and more confident about letting horror breathe in such a way that rivals the best of them. It’s also the rare mainline entry that finally understands something crucial: Resident Evil can most definitely have multiple lanes, and work (*cough’cough* RE6). It terrifies and empowers in the same package, and from a design standpoint, the developers knew when to tighten the screws and when to let you kick the door down. Capcom’s core hook this time is simple and smart: two protagonists, two tones, one converging nightmare—with Grace Ashcroft carrying the survival-horror heart and Leon S. Kennedy delivering the veteran-forward intensity.

T-Virus’ Origin

Requiem opens with a premise that hits fast and personal. Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst, is pulled into a case tied to a death at the Wrenwood Hotel, the same place connected to her mother’s murder years prior. As the investigation escalates, Leon S. Kennedy enters the fold, and the story starts pulling on the franchise’s oldest exposed nerve: the shadow of Raccoon City and everything the world tried to bury after the outbreak.

What surprised me is how well Requiem balances personal horror and series legacy without turning into a lore lecture. Grace’s arc is the emotional anchor. Leon’s presence gives the story teeth. When their paths converge, the payoff feels earned rather than forced. My one big letdown—and minor spoiler here—is Chris Redfield. Once again, he’s positioned like a looming silhouette rather than a real participant in the mainline spotlight. The game hints at him, teases that influence, then keeps him on the edges. I’m tired of the franchise treating Chris like a background instrument when the series is at its strongest when its legacy characters are allowed to actually matter in the present.

Dual Perspectives

Grace’s sections are the closest Requiem gets to the classic “I shouldn’t be here” feeling. Her encounters lean into fear, scarcity, and decision-making under pressure. The game wants you thinking like prey. It succeeds more often than not. That said, I need to call out one thing plainly: Grace’s voice performance didn’t land for me. Her stuttering often feels forced and unnatural, like it’s being performed instead of lived. It clashes with how well the visuals sell emotional strain. It’s not to say the actor was bad, quite the opposite, especially when she was hanging upside down—but still, underwhelming in that department.

Leon plays like a seasoned operator dropped into a situation that keeps getting worse. The combat is snappy, reliable, and satisfying. The pacing is also cleaner here, which helps Requiem avoid drowning in slow burn for too long.

Requiem supports first-person and third-person, and I genuinely appreciate that Capcom didn’t treat this like a gimmick.

My gripe is specifically with first-person:

• It’s too slow in moment-to-moment movement and camera response
• The FOV feels restrictive, which dampens awareness and makes the best horror beats less effective than they should be

Third-person ends up being the more comfortable way to play for longer stretches, even when the game clearly wants you to feel first-person dread with grace. I finished the entire experience, both Leon and Grace in first.

Graphics: RE Engine + Path Tracing Excellence

Capcom’s RE Engine continues to be an absolute monster, and Requiem is one of those games where lighting and material detail do a lot of storytelling before anything even attacks you. Environments have that too-real texture density, character models hold up under harsh lighting, and the atmosphere is consistently oppressive in the best way.

I played on PC first and doing all trophy related stuff on PS5 Pro atm, and the path tracing option on PC is the kind of flex that makes certain spaces look downright unreal, but it comes with a cost. It’s the most demanding visual setting in the game. I have a strong PC, a RTX4090 rig that allowed me to push it all to ultra at 60fps, but you’ll want to tune around it depending on your hardware, because it can punish frame rates hard if you push it without the headroom.

When everything is dialed in, Requiem’s presentation is elite. It’s one of the most technically impressive horror games Capcom has shipped.

REVIEW SCORE: 9/10

Resident Evil Requiem earns its place because it understands the modern audience and respects the franchise’s roots. Grace brings genuine survival-horror tension. Leon delivers sharp pacing and satisfying combat. The story taps into legacy without being trapped by it. The visuals are exceptional, and the lighting work is among Capcom’s best—even with minor setbacks in terms of accessibility and settings.

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