Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits

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Did you have fun solving all the puzzles in the police station of Resident Evil 2? And did you find the change to a first-person perspective in Resident Evil 7 to be creepy and effective?

Did you like performing Leon’s powerful kicks in Resident Evil 4? And did you find the chase sequences with the large creature in Resident Evil 8 exciting?

Man, I loved escorting Ashley through all those Ganados in Resident Evil 4 – it was stressful but awesome protecting her while fighting off waves of enemies. And let’s be real, who didn’t appreciate seeing Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil 8? She was a seriously memorable character!

If you responded with ‘yes’ to any—or even all—of those questions, then Resident Evil Requiem definitely has something you’ll enjoy!

The game increasingly feels like a collection of the best moments from previous installments, constantly revisiting familiar and beloved elements.

RE9 definitely comes with a lot of history and isn’t afraid to let you explore it and take what you need.

I recently played the game for three hours at a preview event, and by the time I finished, my right arm was aching – I was practically pointing at the screen like Leonardo DiCaprio spotting something familiar!

The demo started with Leon S. Kennedy, the popular hero from Resident Evil 2 and 4, entering a hospital. Predictably, the alarms quickly sounded, and zombies began attacking.

We quickly discovered how action-packed Leon’s part of the game would be. The combat is so over-the-top that Leon can even deflect a chainsaw attack using just a knife!

That’s right – this game features zombies with chainsaws! What’s really cool is that when a zombie drops a chainsaw, either you or another enemy can grab it.

The game felt a lot like Resident Evil 4, so it was a bit surprising when the gameplay switched from Leon to Grace, the other main character featured in the demo.

So, Capcom told us that Leon’s parts of the game are really meant to be played over-the-shoulder in third-person, and Grace’s sections are built for a first-person view. You can switch between them whenever you want, and apparently there are some cool extra animations if you play the entire game in third-person. But honestly, we decided to follow the developer’s intention and played Grace’s sections as they were designed – in first-person. It just felt right!

The game switched from playing as Leon to Grace through a cut-scene, and you couldn’t go back to the other character once the switch happened. It appeared you’d be playing one chapter as Leon, then the next as Grace, and so on – there wasn’t free switching between them.

During Grace’s part of the demonstration, she found herself alone in the medical facility. She only had a small handgun and wasn’t as well-equipped or skilled as Leon. Unfortunately, the facility was overrun with zombies.

Just like the original Resident Evil 2 police station, Grace will need to rely on her intelligence – and your patience – to investigate the area, discover hints, overcome challenges, and ultimately figure out a way to get out.

Okay, so this level was a real puzzle! I had to get through two security doors, and hunt down three wristbands – each one unlocked different areas. There were tons of blocked doors I had to figure out, and a bunch of symbol puzzles to solve. The goal? Three glass quartz crystals. Once I finally grabbed those, then the last door opened and the game switched back to playing as Leon. It was a lot, but finally getting those crystals felt amazing!

This part of the game, featuring Grace, felt both familiar and surprisingly new. One interesting detail is that some zombies seem to be repeating simple human actions. For instance, you might find a zombie fixated on switching lights off, which you can use to your advantage by luring them to a specific location with a light switch.

Grace’s limited ammunition is balanced by clever strategies. For example, remember that the large baby seen in the recent gameplay demo can’t fit through standard doorways. Use this to your advantage – you can guide it away from your route when necessary.

Grace has a unique and interesting ability: she can gather blood from defeated zombies and use it to create items. It takes some effort, though – you’ll need to collect blood from zombie bodies with a special device, then use a 3D printer and assemble the parts to make things like ammunition and other useful gear.

Leon’s character focuses on exciting, action-packed gameplay, while Grace’s is more about challenging puzzles. Solving one puzzle often affects others, and figuring it all out can be really rewarding. However, players might encounter frustrating moments, particularly if they approach a puzzle incorrectly and get stuck.

We finally returned to playing as Leon, and the change felt sudden. Immediately, we were thrown into a boss fight, finding useful items like grenades and shotgun shells – things that would have been incredibly helpful just a few minutes earlier while Grace was in danger.

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I found it a bit frustrating that during Grace’s parts of the game, she encounters wardrobes she can’t open. It’s strange because when Leon revisits those same spots, he can use an axe to break them open and find great weapons and lots of ammunition inside.

This feels unfair to Grace, and it’s pushing players to adopt different playstyles for each character instead of letting them tackle challenges how they prefer.

Okay, so even with that one small issue, I genuinely enjoyed my three hours with Resident Evil Requiem. It’s clear they were trying to make something for everyone, and honestly, it mostly works! There were a few moments where things felt a little disconnected, but overall, it held together pretty well. It feels like a lot is going on, but it’s not a bad thing.

Resident Evil Requiem will be available on February 27th for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Pre-orders are available now.

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Authors

Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane leads gaming coverage at TopMob, managing news and reviews for games on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile, and VR. He creates content for TopMob’s website, social media, and video platforms, and also writes the weekly gaming newsletter. Before joining TopMob, Rob worked for Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing.

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2026-01-26 20:05