How Resident Evil Requiem Uses Grace to Finally Bring Horror Back to the Series (Not Even Village Did That)

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For thirty years, Resident Evil has consistently aimed to be a frightening game series. While introducing many characters and delving into the mysteries of the Umbrella Corporation from different perspectives, the franchise has sometimes struggled with consistency in its overall tone, shifting between entries.

As a long-time fan, I’ve noticed the Resident Evil series can really swing between ridiculous action and truly disturbing horror. The best games, in my opinion, are the ones that really commit to one of those styles and nail it – like how over-the-top Resident Evil 4 is, or how genuinely scary Resident Evil 7 was. But I think bringing in a new character like Grace in Resident Evil Requiem, especially alongside someone as established as Leon, is a really smart move. It feels like it could bring the series back to its horror roots without losing what we love about the main storyline and characters. It’s a way to scare us again, but still feel connected to everything that’s come before.

Grace Turns Resident Evil Into A Pure Horror Game Again

When playing Resident Evil Requiem, it’s remarkable how much suspense and fear the game builds around Grace’s story, especially considering the series also delivers plenty of action. The demo shows Leon and Grace meeting after becoming trapped in the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. While Leon’s sections feature the over-the-top action players anticipate – like powerful kicks and chainsaw attacks – Grace is presented as a much more realistic and down-to-earth character.

Grace is understandably scared and overwhelmed by the terrifying events unfolding around her, especially the monsters in the hospital. Unlike many protagonists in previous Resident Evil games, she feels like a very ordinary person. This immediately connects her to Ethan Winters, the seemingly average man from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village. However, even compared to Ethan, Grace is much more clearly defined by the sheer danger she faces. Despite some basic training as an FBI analyst, she’s completely unprepared for what she encounters, often struggling to breathe, panicking easily, and even having trouble keeping her gun steady during intense moments.

This design choice creates a truly terrifying gameplay experience, directly affecting how players control her. Grace’s fear manifests as shaky aim, making precise shooting difficult. While running away is usually the best option, she’s limited in how she does it – she can’t take shortcuts like jumping over railings and must use stairs to escape. Even with health packs, a single powerful attack can instantly kill her, forcing players to be careful and strategic. This approach makes Resident Evil feel genuinely scary again.

Requiem Proves Capcom Has Learned From Village

A consistent challenge for the Resident Evil series has been finding the right balance between creating a frightening atmosphere and delivering intense action. The games originally aimed for a mix of both, but over time, they shifted more towards action. The popularity of titles like Resident Evil 4 cemented this change, effectively turning the series from a survival-horror experience into an action-horror one. While both genres feature zombies and monsters, they offer very different gameplay experiences.

With Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the series took a new direction, replacing powerful heroes with an ordinary person and focusing on creating genuinely terrifying moments instead of over-the-top action. This resulted in one of the strongest entries in the Resident Evil franchise and a standout title in the survival horror genre. Resident Evil: Village attempted to blend the styles of both games, giving the protagonist, Ethan, diverse challenges in each location. However, while some horror elements remained, the game quickly prioritized action and equipping Ethan with weapons. The section focused on Donna Beneviento best captured the original horror-survival feel and was widely considered the highlight of the game. Resident Evil Requiem appears to have taken lessons from Village, achieving a more effective balance between action and horror.

Okay, so playing Resident Evil Requiem, they really know how to switch things up. After creeping through the hospital with Grace, constantly on edge, they throw you into these huge, action-packed fights with Leon where you just blast through hordes of zombies. It’s a fantastic breather and honestly, super satisfying! It makes the scary parts even scarier because you know it won’t be like that all the time. Village kind of struggled with this, but Requiem gets it right from the start. It’s seriously one of the best things about the game – it feels like they’re really bringing back the classic horror vibe of the series. I’m hoping they can keep this balance throughout the whole game, and not turn Grace into some unstoppable fighter too quickly. If Capcom keeps nailing this, we could be looking at one of the best Resident Evil games ever.

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2026-01-29 01:40