If You Only Play One Resident Evil Before Requiem, Make It This One

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The new Resident Evil game, Requiem, is almost here, and many think it will have the most compelling story in a main Resident Evil title since Resident Evil 6. While Resident Evil 7 and Village both had good stories, particularly with the Ethan Winters twist, Requiem’s story directly addresses questions that have lingered since the original Raccoon City incident and its aftermath.

The new installment features the return of Leon S. Kennedy, the popular hero from the Resident Evil series. Still a skilled zombie fighter as a member of the security team, whatever troubles Leon faces will likely be central to the story of Resident Evil Requiem. The game will also bring him back to Raccoon City, revisiting the location three decades after the original events.

If you only have time to play one Resident Evil game before Resident Evil Requiem comes out at the end of February, Resident Evil 2 (or its updated version) is probably the best way to prepare for the new ninth game in the series.

“September 30, 1998…”

The Resident Evil series started in 1996 with Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield investigating a mansion in the Arklay Mountains, but many believe the second game is where the story really took off. The destruction of Raccoon City—essentially, the entire city being wiped out—had a lasting impact on later games, as it marked the point when bio-organic threats began spreading worldwide.

Raccoon City serves as the main location for four different Resident Evil games: Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil Outbreak, and Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2. While Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles also take place in the city, the former isn’t considered part of the main storyline, and the latter mostly revisits and expands upon the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3.

The story of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, especially how it depicts the complete destruction of Raccoon City, could be just as important as the events in Resident Evil Requiem. However, since Leon is the main character in Resident Evil Requiem, his personal experiences and understanding of Raccoon City will likely be more central to the game’s story.

Don’t count out Resident Evil 6 either. Its multiple storylines have strong connections to Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, revolving around the President’s attempt to expose the U.S. government’s secret bioweapons dealings with Umbrella. While Resident Evil 6‘s recent release might heavily influence the story of Resident Evil Requiem, it would be surprising if Requiem didn’t also look back fondly at players’ original experience in Raccoon City.

Most fans of the newer Resident Evil games know the Raccoon City from the Resident Evil 2 remake well. So, it would be amazing if the game recognized players’ familiarity with the RPD police station and offered a similar map layout, but with unexpected changes due to the city’s destruction.

“The Cop Inside Me Died That Day.”

Leon Kennedy undergoes a significant transformation throughout the Resident Evil series. He starts as a naive and eager rookie police officer in Resident Evil 2, but by Resident Evil 4, he’s become a seasoned, confident, and skilled government agent. The events of that first fateful day clearly had a lasting impact, and it will be interesting to see how those experiences have shaped him in Resident Evil Requiem.

It’s become clear that Leon appears to be infected with a virus in Resident Evil Requiem, shown by a dark mark on his neck. This same mark was previously seen on a screen, and it’s probably why he wears gloves throughout the game. Whether he was infected at the start of Resident Evil Requiem or earlier isn’t known, but it’s possible his previous infection with the Plaga in Resident Evil 4 wasn’t completely healed.

It’s very likely Leon is at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center because of the same reason Grace Ashcroft from Resident Evil Requiem is there, and that’s probably why he’s going back to Raccoon City. This could eventually lead him back to the city even after their paths separate, and hopefully, allow players to explore the RPD building once more.

Leon’s consistent desire to help others makes him one of the most likable characters in the entire Resident Evil series. However, his fate in Resident Evil Requiem is uncertain. Whether he lives or dies will likely depend on if a death would serve the story well, or if the series isn’t ready to let go of such a popular character.

Losing Leon would be a real loss, because his impressive fighting skills prove age isn’t a limitation. He, along with other returning characters like Jill, Chris, and even Chris’s sister Claire, could easily carry the Resident Evil series forward for years to come.

“This Time, It Can Be Different. It Has To.”

Given how important Resident Evil 2 seems to be to Resident Evil Requiem, it would be particularly exciting to see Ada Wong, Sherry Birkin, and Claire Redfield appear. All three characters have strong ties to Raccoon City and the events of Resident Evil 2, and they each share a meaningful history with Leon.

Ada Wong is arguably the best complex character in the Resident Evil series, appearing in every game alongside Leon S. Kennedy, and a potential romance between them may finally develop in Resident Evil Requiem. Sherry Birkin was a child rescued by Leon and Claire in Raccoon City and has since grown into a DSO agent working with Leon. Claire Redfield and Leon rescued each other in Raccoon City (depending on which version of Resident Evil 2 you play first), and they both escaped with Sherry before the city was destroyed.

A satisfying conclusion to Resident Evil Requiem would be happy endings for both Leon and Grace, and a respectful acknowledgment of all the deaths that have occurred throughout the series – a true ‘requiem’ for the fallen. Hopefully, Resident Evil Requiem will finally resolve the story of Raccoon City, while still leaving room for future adventures in the Resident Evil universe.

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2026-02-01 20:11