Scary fun and action "Resident Evil Requiem" is like a best-of from 30 years of cult horror
To mark the anniversary of the cult series, Capcom presents a technically mature, atmospherically dense series installment with "Resident Evil Requiem". Behind the glossy horror lies a game that consistently relies on the tried and tested - and does almost everything right.
Since 1996, the T-virus has been turning people into zombies, corporations like Umbrella have gone under and cities like Raccoon City have been wiped out by nuclear weapons. And yet "Resident Evil" always finds new reasons for the next outbreak. With "Requiem", the ninth main part of the series is now being released.
The premise follows the familiar dramaturgy: mysterious deaths, an abandoned hotel with a past, a research scandal that spirals out of control. The fact that the logic regularly takes a back seat to the staging has always been part of the series' brand essence. "Resident Evil" was never a narrative feuilleton project, but a precisely constructed ghost train.
FBI agent in a nightmare
FBI agent Grace Ashcroft takes center stage. She is assigned to investigate a series of deaths in an old hotel. The very place where her mother was murdered. The building is officially closed and burnt out. Why people are still disappearing there remains a secondary issue.
The action quickly shifts to an abandoned sanatorium. This is where Capcom relies on its greatest strength - the power of staging. Narrow corridors, creaking floors, the echo of distant footsteps. A four-meter tall mutated patient chases Grace through the corridors, silently emerging from openings in the ceiling, forcing the character into hiding places.
The camera remains close, the field of vision restricted. Grace is controlled from a first-person perspective. A trick that reinforces the character's vulnerability. Her fear is not heroically exaggerated, but palpable. Ammunition is scarce, escape is often the better option.
The familiar fight for survival
In terms of gameplay, "Requiem" remains close to the DNA of the series. Solve puzzles, find key items, open doors. The game is saved on typewriters in the safe room, a relic from the nineties that has been deliberately preserved.
Progress follows a clear loop: New weapons, crafting recipes, permanent bonuses. Cartridges and injectables are created from contaminated blood and metal parts. The internal logic of the universe remains flexible. The decisive factor is not plausibility, but tension through scarcity management.
Capcom deliberately avoids modernization. The inventory is small, movements seem sluggish, gunplay is slow and imprecise. Every shot should be a decision. These design principles seem out of date and that is exactly the intention.
Leon takes over - and the pace increases
The antithesis to Grace is series veteran Leon Kennedy. Since 'Resident Evil 2', he has been the reliable constant in the fight against the undead. In his sections, the game switches to a third-person perspective. The overview increases, as does the pace.
Leon uses his pistol, shotgun and axe to efficiently decimate his opponents. The passages are clearly reminiscent of "Resident Evil 4", the part that many consider to be the highlight of the series. While Grace stands for powerlessness and uncertainty, Leon embodies routine and control.
This change of perspective is more than just a technical trick. It restructures the game rhythmically and stages "Requiem" as a playable best-of - first-person perspective as in part 7, action dynamics as in part 4.
Anniversary without a new beginning
As convincing as the balancing act between horror and action is, the enemy design remains conservative. Several zombie variants, one type with glowing weak spots, large bosses - much of this has been familiar to the series for decades.
Graphically, Capcom once again relies on the RE Engine. The game runs smoothly and stably on the PC, without any noticeable lag. The lighting atmosphere is one of the game's greatest strengths. Shadows, fog and reflections create a dense atmosphere. The engine shows weaknesses in the faces. Many figures appear unnaturally smooth, almost as if molded from wax.
"Resident Evil Requiem" is not a radical step forward. It is a carefully curated retrospective in game form. Capcom bundles together the most successful mechanics of the past 30 years, polishes them up technically and refrains from experimenting.
