If you’re as enthusiastic about survival-horror games as I am, the announcement of Resident Evil Requiem by Capcom during Summer Game Fest 2025 was a major highlight. This ninth mainline installment promises to revert back to its horror roots, while also delivering pulse-pounding action.
I experienced the initial part of the promise during my attendance at a Capcom theater presentation, where I witnessed a 20-minute demonstration of non-interactive gameplay featuring FBI agent Grace Ashcroft being plunged into a terrifying ordeal.
In the initial presentation, I found myself thrust into an unfamiliar scenario without much prior information beyond what was shown in the introductory trailer. The scene opens with a character named Grace, suspended upside-down within a decaying structure, seemingly clueless about her location and connected to something that gradually depleted her blood supply.
Initially, it’s evident that this game aspires for breathtaking graphical excellence. Since its inception, Capcom’s remarkable RE Engine has been responsible for stunning visuals, particularly in Resident Evil titles. However, in this instance, the graphics reach a whole new dimension. Droplets of sweat cascade down Grace’s neck, and the dim lights cast an incredibly realistic ambiance throughout the room.
Once liberated, the action shifts to a first-person perspective. The environment is shrouded in darkness and melancholy, with just a few intermittent sources of light casting a feeble glow. Long corridors are momentarily revealed when bolts of lightning flash during a tempest outside.
Grace moves cautiously, delicately pushing open doors in search of a way out. At the moment, it appears there are no weapons available, leaving Grace to rely solely on her lighter. In an intriguing development for the Resident Evil series, Grace is able to collect bottles and use them as a diversion against adversaries.
Grace seems to desperately require them, as it becomes evident over time that the building isn’t completely deserted. Something appears to be following Grace, a horrifying entity with enormous, clawed hands. It’s drenched in blood and bandages, looming over everything else, nearly filling a room as it lurches about.
In the absence of any defensive tools, Grace can merely dodge or divert this entity for a short while, as its ability to scale ceilings, tunnel through structures, and move unpredictably within the building makes pinpointing its exact location quite challenging at times.
As Capcom strategically jumps from scene to scene to maintain surprise about the solutions, it’s also evident that Grace’s gameplay will primarily focus on solving puzzles. Various doors require distinct keys, she may have to figure out how to access high shelves, and other such challenges.
In traditional Resident Evil style, but with an increased sense of urgency due to her initial lack of weapons.
Towards the end of the demonstration, Capcom surprised everyone with an unexpected twist that I’ve rarely seen before. Just as the terrifying creature was about to pounce on Grace, the gameplay froze. The team then switched the view from first-person to third-person mode in a flash, causing a thunderous applause in the room.
In the realm of Resident Evil, I find myself in a unique position where I can compare. While Resident Evil Village introduced the ability to switch between first and third-person perspectives through its Winter Expansion DLC, it wasn’t the original concept for that game. However, Resident Evil Requiem stands out as the inaugural title designed with this dual perspective at its core from the very beginning. I’m eager to witness the choice players will make, though I personally lean towards the immersive first-person viewpoint.
I was greatly impressed by the presentation, and I’m already convinced by the chilling survival-horror atmosphere Capcom is developing for their return to Raccoon City. Yet, it’s hard to ignore a significant point: Capcom is also pledging intense action for this game.
In the demonstration, that particular action wasn’t evident, and although Grace has shown her abilities, I believe it would feel out of character or thematically incongruous if she were to suddenly resort to heavy gunfire.
Maybe there’s another, more familiar co-lead currently being hidden?
Instead of having to wait for several years, the highly-anticipated game “Resident Evil Requiem” will be released on February 27, 2026, simultaneously on platforms like the Xbox Series X|S, Steam for Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.
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2025-06-11 18:12