Capcom takes us back to Raccoon City for the franchise’s 30th Anniversary.
It’s been 5 years since Resident Evil: Village. On February 27th, 2026, Capcom released Resident Evil Requiem, the 9th mainline game in the franchise. The game introduces a new protagonist, Grace Ashcraft, the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, an investigative journalist from the Resident Evil: Outbreak series. Grace is sent by her superior at the FBI to investigate the Wrenwood Hotel, the location of her mother’s murder, to learn more about reports of missing people in the area.
Longtime franchise hero, Leon S. Kennedy, also makes a return. It’s the first time Leon is in a mainline RE game since Resident Evil 6. We can’t say he’s battle-hardened, because the sort of things he’s seen would make that an understatement, but you can see the toll life has taken on him. Resident Evil Requiem takes place in October 2026, thus making Leon 49 years old.
Gameplay – 10
Resident Evil Requiem allows players to play the game in either first-person or third-person view. The previous two mainline Resident Evil games were created as first-person experiences, with third-person mode officially added to Resident Evil: Village as part of the Winters’ Expansion DLC released a year and a half later.
The game is designed to be played in first-person when controlling Grace, and third-person when controlling Leon. However, you can change between the two for both characters, and it does both extremely well. Requiem, the name of the magnum that the game is named after, plays a major role in how you deal with enemies throughout the game. Its incredible firepower can kill multiple zombies in one shot and is extremely effective against bosses.
Grace
Playing as Grace feels great. You truly get a sense of claustrophobia when controlling her. This is mostly due to the way her sections are designed. You start at the Wrenwood Hotel, and it’s an incredible setting to get things started.
You take control of Grace with limited inventory space, and as you progress, you can find hip pouches to expand it. During the first few hours, you’ll need to use the Item Box to store items to make space for others in your inventory. Classic Resident Evil backtracking.
Also, Grace is no combat expert, so stealth is required. You won’t be able to cause fatal damage to enemies with prompted melee attacks. Eventually, you’ll be able to craft a Hemolytic Injector. I don’t want to tell you too much about what it can do, but when controlling Grace, it’s a lifesaver. Grace uses her Blood Collector to store Blood Specimens she finds throughout the game.
She’ll use these specimens, along with other bases, to craft ammo, ink ribbons, med injectors, and more.
Leon
Leon is exactly what you would expect of a Resident Evil icon. He keeps his inventory space from Resident Evil 4 Remake. He gets all the cool weapons. He can kill zombies with his axe. He’s Leon S. Kennedy, and he’s here to put an end to Umbrella, once and for all.
Taking control of Leon is a lot of fun, and it’s a great change of pace from Grace’s sections. It results in a well-coordinated balance that rewards players who get through the grueling Grace sections. Her sections aren’t bad or hard, but they slow the game down enough to cause those tense moments we love about Resident Evil.
As Leon, the game improves the Resident Evil third-person experience that started back in OG RE4, and I would say it sets a new bar for how third-person games should work. The controls are tight and responsive. I enjoyed how Capcom handled third-person gameplay, and I think it’ll influence future games just like OG RE4 did. When you play the game and think about this, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
As with Grace, Leon can also craft items. He can purchase them, too. Capcom really went all out for him.
Sound – 10
It’s not Resident Evil if the score and sound effects don’t raise goosegumps at one point or another. The atmospheric sound effects are incredible. The groans, the weapons, the environment, the voice acting, it’s all top-notch. The score is great, too.
Raccoon City will hit your nostalgia. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I heard some references to previous RE games in the score. If you bought the Deluxe Edition, you can enable the Raccoon City Classic Audio Pack. Save rooms will now play the classic RE2 save room theme. You know, this one.
Presentation – 10
It goes without saying that Resident Evil Requiem is the best-looking Resident Evil game ever made. It’s the third mainline Resident Evil game to run on the RE Engine (excluding the remakes), and the second to release at launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game also runs on the Nintendo Switch 2, which is a treat for those users.
The PC version is great. It’s a beautiful game to look at, even on a mid-level GPU. I can only imagine what path tracing at 2160p on max settings is like. That’s how impressive this game looks. I can only speak for what I see, and since I own a 3060 Ti, I can say the game looks amazing.
For those who own a PlayStation 5 Pro, Resident Evil Requiem is the first game to implement PSSR2 (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution). I own a base PS5, which is why I chose to get the game on PC, but had I owned a PS5 Pro, I would’ve played Resident Evil Requiem on it instead to take advantage of this new feature.
The environments in this game are incredible. The level of scaling and detail is the best I can remember in a RE game. Each location brings a unique vibe. Wrenwood Hotel is straight out of a horror movie. It’s dark. It’s condemned. It’s creepy, and it’s a great way to start an RE game.
The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center is desolate. It looks like it could be a mansion. The lobby reminded me a lot of the Spencer Mansion from the original Resident Evil, and it gives RE2R RPD vibes. It gave a sense of hopelessness since you start there with barely anything in your inventory. The Center Care Basement is nerve-wracking. It’s dark, and it’s super narrow practically everywhere. Think of the Sewers in RE2R and RE3R.
Then, you have Raccoon City.
It was incredible.
A city that tells a story just by hearing its name. We all remember it. I remember the first time I saw it on the original PlayStation. The assets used from RE2R, transformed to give us the RPD in RE9, were used exceptionally.
Seeing the RPD for the first time, destroyed, yet oddly still standing, was like a time warp to 1998. It’s surreal, and the way Leon reacts to seeing it and opening its doors for the first time will give you this effect if you’re old enough to remember the original RE2. The Raccoon City section felt like the longest in the game.
Capcom created new music for the RPD section. It’s beautiful and fits perfectly in Resident Evil Requiem.
Oh, and wait until you go back to the Raccoon City Orphanage. Creepy.
Bonuses
If you pre-ordered Resident Evil: Requiem, you received Grace’s Apocalypse skin at launch. If you pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition, you received Grace’s Apocalypse skin, plus the following:
- Grace’s Costume: Dimitrescu
- Grace’s Costume: Film Noir
- Leon’s Costume: RE4
- Leon’s Costume: Apocalypse
- Leon’s Costume: Film Noir
- Screen Filter: Apocalypse
- Screen Filter: Film Noir
- Four weapon skins, including S&S M232 Weapon Skin: Apocalypse
- Mr. Raccoon Charm
- DSO Emblem Charm
- Audio Pack: Raccoon City Classic
- Files: Letters from 1998
The Deluxe Kit can be purchased separately, too.
What about end-game bonuses?
Yes, as customary with RE games, you can unlock weapons and infinite ammo once you’ve completed the game. You’ll need enough Completion Points to buy these unlocks—complete challenges while playing the story to accumulate them.
Story – 10
I won’t discuss what does and doesn’t happen in Resident Evil Requiem. All I’ll say is that it brings the franchise full circle, and if you’ve been a RE fan for 30 years like I have, you’re going to be happy with how Capcom brought it all together. Even if you haven’t been a fan of RE for that long, as someone who enjoys video games and wants to see how well the RE Engine brings Resident Evil Requiem to life, you should absolutely play this game. There are a lot of moments that will shock you, and if you’re an old RE fan, moments that will make you reminisce. My first playthrough took about 12.5 hours. Be ready for surprises. Some are boss battles, some are scenic.
The addition of Grace into the Resident Evil lore helps tell a story that will attract new fans and satisfy series vets. With Leon, we get the hero’s homecoming. We get to see what 28 years of combating BOWs can and will do to you. Possibly for the last time?
