Resident Evil Requiem Makes Leon Feel Stronger Than Ever

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It’s interesting how our memories change the way we see characters over time. While things evolve, our recollections of the past often stay with us. When I think back to playing Resident Evil 2 for the first time, I remember Leon as a much more hesitant, inexperienced, and easily frightened character. Now, looking back, I see him as a rookie overwhelmed by the situation, desperately trying to be a hero despite his obvious vulnerabilities – exactly as the developers intended.

No matter what I was thinking about – the past or the present – one thought always surfaced: “He’s definitely gone.” But living in a city overrun by zombies tends to lead to those kinds of conclusions.

Years later, Grace is lost and scared, clearly overwhelmed and trying to avoid a dangerously unstable Victor Gideon – and it’s understandable why. Meanwhile, Leon unexpectedly appears after months of speculation. He walks straight into the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center without a second thought, his gaze focused and showing no fear. He confidently protects Grace from the Stalker pursuing her, seems a little surprised to see an FBI agent involved, and efficiently eliminates several infected individuals using a tomahawk.

“Oh, there you are,” I thought. And that was before he used a chainsaw to slaughter an enemy.

We’ve often described Leon’s strong presence and captivating personality, and while it’s been present in past games, it feels especially powerful here. He typically comes across as a courageous, if somewhat innocent, character who always seeks peaceful solutions. He consistently prioritizes de-escalation over violence, always striving to be the hero.

The recent gameplay reveal shows a shift in Leon’s character. He still makes jokes – like double-checking with someone before facing a doctor with a chainsaw, or sarcastically denying any intention of acting foolish. However, his usual confident swagger is missing, and he now comes across as much more stoic. Even in a dangerous situation, like blocking a chainsaw with his axe, he doesn’t seem particularly worried.

The most amusing moment is when he needs to sharpen his tomahawk – it looks like the ‘repair’ feature is gone. He calmly pulls out a whetstone and starts sharpening it, which is funny, but also unsettling. It’s as if Leon knows exactly what he’s doing and handles it with cold, precise skill.

You can really get a sense of Leon’s character from how the director, Koshi Nakanishi, talks about him. In an interview, Nakanishi described Leon as handsome, not just physically, but also in terms of his personality. He explained that Leon is willing to make sacrifices to save others, and doesn’t boast about it. While he initially appears laid-back, this perfectly matches what we’ve seen in the gameplay: Leon is a character with no obvious weaknesses. This version of Leon seems to be the strongest we’ve ever seen. He’s a seasoned agent who’s faced and overcome countless biological outbreaks and disasters, often working alone. It’s as if he’s starting a new game with all his past experience, and his age doesn’t seem to matter.

The combat is brutally satisfying, even when you’re facing multiple enemies. Taking down opponents with a quick shot to the knees followed by a head kick is simple, but more gruesome options are available. Really getting into it means using the environment – like smashing someone’s head against a bed frame – or landing precise shots that allow for a finishing move, like embedding a tomahawk in their skull. These additions add a new level of depth to the gameplay, encouraging players to find creative and violent ways to defeat enemies. You can see this attention to detail in the close-up executions, especially when Leon delivers a devastating shotgun blast to an enemy’s face.

Some fans are calling this the most intense Resident Evil game yet. While the improved graphics and realism definitely contribute to that feeling, it’s hard to ignore how quickly and violently Leon dispatches enemies – even those who seem to retain some humanity. The gore is shocking; for example, when Grace uses a special injector to make an enemy explode, she’s visibly disturbed – and so are we.

Okay, so even with the Requiem – that new, super powerful revolver – you really need to use both hands and focus to get a good shot. But Leon? He’s out there shooting chainsaws out of people’s hands and then just smoothly spins around to finish them off. It’s ridiculous, but awesome.

Although it seems like Leon became this way through years of facing dangerous situations, something specific clearly changed him. Nakanishi explained that a key part of the story, Requiem, focuses on Leon’s condition in 2026, after he’s lived a long life and survived many fights.

Leon is constantly battling his desire to rescue others, but he often faces setbacks. The threat of bioterrorism is always present, even after a long time has passed. Nakanishi explained that these experiences will force Leon to confront his deepest struggles and change who he is, pushing him into a more desperate situation than ever before.

Given how many times he’s almost died, and the clues suggesting he’s a selfless person, it’s likely someone he cares about is in danger. Could he be involved in Alyssa’s death, Grace’s mother, and perhaps feels responsible? He also seems to be hiding something about Elpis. Is he carrying the infection, and is that why he’s acting so impulsively?

This version of Leon is noticeably different from what we’ve seen before. He’s rougher around the edges and seems weary of fighting biological threats, yet he still jumps into action. It makes you wonder if this dangerous life is all he has left – stuck in a repeating pattern, unable to let go and risk the world falling apart.

It makes you wonder if Resident Evil Requiem will be the last time we see this character, and if he’ll have a memorable exit. There are clues suggesting this might be the case, but it’s unclear if the developers will actually go through with it, especially considering how few major characters have permanently died in the series.

The game Requiem comes out on February 27th for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and we can’t wait to play it! It promises to reveal the secrets behind Raccoon City and Elpis, explore Gideon’s past, and uncover the truth about Alyssa’s murder. Plus, characters from previous games might return, and it will be interesting to see how time has changed them. Playing as Leon is sure to be a lot of fun, and we’ll find out all the answers soon enough.

Just so you know, this article shares my personal opinions – it’s how I see things, and doesn’t necessarily reflect what GamingBolt as a whole thinks. It’s all me!

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2026-01-19 16:17