Resident Evil Requiem Is Hooking Millions of Players – Here’s Why

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It was clear from the start that Resident Evil Requiem would be a hit, but its success has been incredible. The game launched last week to rave reviews – it currently has a Metascore of 88 based on 121 critic reviews – and quickly exceeded all expectations. On Steam, it reached a peak of 344,214 concurrent players, making it the most popular game in the Resident Evil series so far. That’s more than twice the number of players that Resident Evil 4 Remake saw, and over three times the peak for Resident Evil Village.

And there’s even more good news. This is a major update, though not quite as big as the peak performance of Monster Hunter Wilds. However, it’s important to look at how players are reacting. Monster Hunter Wilds has faced many problems since its release, which have impacted sales and reviews. In contrast, Resident Evil Requiem is currently receiving very positive feedback, with 96% of almost 22,000 players giving it a positive review.

The game is already a huge success, and now sales figures are in: it sold over five million copies in its first week! This breaks the previous record held by Resident Evil 6, which sold 4.5 million copies on its launch day – and these numbers are confirmed sales, which makes the achievement even more impressive.

On top of everything else, Requiem has an incredible user score of 9.5 on Metacritic. That’s higher than popular games like Clair Obscur, Metal Gear Solid, The Witcher 3, and even Silent Hill 2. It’s even surpassed Disney Cory in the House as the highest-rated game! It remains to be seen how long it will hold that title, but it’s another impressive achievement for the game.

What makes this game so captivating? It’s become incredibly popular, gaining over a million wishlists shortly after its first trailer. But beyond the appealing character design, what’s drawing so many people in and keeping them hooked?

Let’s start with the setting itself. It’s been a long time since we’ve revisited Raccoon City – the last time was in the Resident Evil 3 Remake, and even then, it wasn’t the city as it exists today. This new game finally shows us what Raccoon City is like in the present, and the developers haven’t held back. Instead of a straightforward, linear path, your initial experience is surprisingly open and allows for real exploration. While some areas are initially inaccessible, you’re free to roam after surviving the first challenge – though calling it a traditional ‘boss fight’ might be an overstatement.

Like traditional Resident Evil games, you’ll spend a lot of time finding items, but you have some choices in how you get them. The game’s environments, though bleak and unsettling – which fits the story – aren’t empty. Zombies still roam around and can even throw things at you from a distance. The levels are designed to create varied gameplay, letting you sneak and eliminate zombies in the parking garage, fight for your life against a new enemy in the Sewage Facility, or carefully climb a tower while avoiding dangerous falls.

And that’s before you even get to the highway. Or Raccoon Police Department.

Okay, so Requiem isn’t just about what happens in Raccoon City. The very first part, set in the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, is really cool because you switch between playing as Leon and Grace. It’s not like one section is classic, slow-burn horror and the other is just a crazy zombie-slaughter. Actually, with Grace, I found myself trying to avoid fights whenever possible. It’s a smart move because I knew Leon would eventually handle those same zombies, saving my ammo. But here’s the thing: Grace is the only one who can craft these Hemolytic Injectors that instantly take down zombies and stop them from mutating. That means when I played as Leon, I didn’t have to worry about as many enemies or waste as much ammo – it’s a really nice balance!

Similar to the thrilling experience of Raccoon City, this game delivers plenty of exciting moments. You’ll face off against a new enemy called The Girl, and explore the increasingly terrifying depths of the Care Center and water treatment plant. All of this ties into the central mystery surrounding Elpis and Grace’s connection to it. Just like Leon uncovering the secrets of Raccoon City while battling the Raccoon City Syndrome, you’ll feel compelled to keep playing to find out what happens next.

I could spend a long time talking about all the little details in the game – the hidden secrets, references to past games, and surprising reappearances of characters. But the main reason players are so hooked on Resident Evil Requiem is simple: like Village, Resident Evil 2 Remake, biohazard, and Resident Evil 4 Remake before it, the gameplay is just fantastic.

The new features, like gathering blood as Grace and using Leon’s hatchet for both defense and offense, fit seamlessly into the game. Beyond the satisfying gunplay and movement, the developers deserve praise for successfully integrating two distinct character perspectives. This wasn’t just a camera adjustment; each perspective required careful optimization for the character’s actions and the game’s levels.

Despite the effort involved, the game is highly rewarding and makes you want to play it again. It’s fascinating to experience the game entirely from Leon’s perspective in first-person, especially imagining the final scenes of Resident Evil Village. Would Raccoon City feel more real if you saw everything through his eyes? Similarly, playing as Grace in third-person allows for a deeper connection with her character. Seeing her frightened expressions and struggles firsthand makes her situation much more impactful and terrifying.

Okay, so like every Resident Evil game, this one has stuff you unlock as you play. We’re talking about things like an indestructible knife and these cool Charms. You can totally cheese the game if you want – I’m thinking unlimited ammo, or a Charm that makes handgun bullets go right through enemies. There’s even a Charm that boosts your damage the longer you hold onto it. But if you’re a masochist like me, you can mix and match these unlocks for some seriously tough challenge runs. Imagine beating the whole game with just Leon’s hatchet, but it never breaks? Yeah, I’m in.

You earn Challenge Points by completing different challenges, and these points are needed to unlock everything. This means revisiting the scary parts of the game repeatedly. Luckily, your initial playthrough will give you enough points to unlock some new weapons, so things don’t get stale.

If you’re looking for the original Resident Evil feel, complete with Ink Ribbons, you can always choose Standard Difficulty (Classic). For a real challenge that will test your abilities, try Insanity mode.

Like with any highly anticipated game release, excitement for the newest Resident Evil title will eventually fade as players move on to the next big thing, such as Crimson Desert, Saros, or Pragmata. However, truly great Resident Evil games stick with you, prompting questions that may remain unanswered for years. Requiem is one of those fantastic additions to the series – a memorable experience that, like the lingering effects of the Raccoon City incident, stays with you even when you’re not actively thinking about it (though thankfully without the horrifying symptoms!).

Please be aware that the opinions shared in this article belong solely to the author and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2026-03-09 22:13