Resident Evil Requiem Review: Capcom’s best survival horror to date

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A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Resident Evil is one of the longest-running series in gaming, and it’s seen a lot of changes over the years – from sequels and spin-offs to bold new ideas. Despite everything, it’s remained popular thanks to its compelling story, memorable characters, and consistent ability to deliver scares.

Thirty years after the original, Resident Evil Requiem is following a similar path, cleverly connecting the game’s origins with its future direction. Like Leon Kennedy, it’s taking risks and mixing up gameplay by switching between first-person and third-person perspectives.

From the very beginning, we were thrilled to see what Capcom had planned, especially after they hinted at a fully explorable, infection-free noir city. We were also intrigued by the tense horror elements in a mansion reminiscent of the original Resident Evil’s Spencer Mansion, and of course, the return of the beloved Leon S. Kennedy.

We were really pleased with Resident Evil Requiem. It successfully combines everything great about the series into a single experience. While it occasionally feels a bit overloaded with ideas, it avoids the pitfalls of Resident Evil 6.

The story is complex and full of surprises, keeping us guessing about the mystery of Elpis and its connection to Grace and Leon’s severe skin problems. We won’t reveal much detail, though, and don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t experienced it yet.

Resident Evil Requiem starts with a particularly strong opening. Players take on the role of Grace Ashcroft, investigating a series of murders by examining a local crime scene. The game creates a unique atmosphere right away, with a slow, suspenseful build as Grace walks through a rainy, busy city street before entering an abandoned hotel – hinting at the horror to come.

The story takes an exciting turn when Grace is kidnapped by a mysterious masked villain, prompting Leon to rush to her rescue. This marks the first time we see the action from Leon’s point of view, and the game quickly ramps up the intensity. You’ll fight off hordes of infected enemies with a variety of moves, including kicks, slams, and powerful axe attacks. Visually, this sequence is stunning – the rain-soaked streets gleam under car headlights as you chase after Grace, and enemies cleverly blend into the panicked crowds.

Both characters eventually end up at the Rhodes Hill Clinic, where they have to team up to escape and uncover the plans of the masked villain, Victor. This is when the core gameplay truly begins, and you start to understand Grace as a playable character. Despite being a trained FBI agent, she’s noticeably anxious and unskilled in combat, which is reflected in the weapons she carries.

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Armed with a pistol and whatever knives she can find, she’ll need to be careful with ammo, as it’s limited. In Requiem, many of the infected still seem to remember parts of their old lives, and will sometimes repeat familiar routines like cleaning, turning off lights, or even trying to cook, even though the places they’re in are falling apart.

This clever detail feels inspired by the Siren games and adds a strategic element to playing as Grace. You can use it to your advantage by, for example, turning off lights to mislead infected enemies or using sound to divert the attention of patients who are bothered by headaches.

In Requiem, crafting plays a surprisingly large role. When you defeat enemies, they leave behind blood, and you can find even more scattered throughout the world. Grace can collect this blood and combine it with salvaged materials to create useful items like upgrades and ammunition, but the real highlight is crafting Hemolytic Injectors. Sneak up on an infected enemy and inject them with one of these, and they’ll violently explode into a messy pile of goo.

Okay, collecting blood for crafting is definitely strange. But honestly, didn’t we all secretly love turning infected enemies into gooey messes? Absolutely!

The contrast is striking: Grace, vulnerable and barely able to defend herself while crawling through the large hospital, immediately followed by Leon, fully prepared to fight with brute force and weaponry. It’s a big shift in perspective.

Switching between characters offers a refreshing change of pace. Playing as Grace focuses on careful, deliberate choices where every action feels significant – deciding whether to use limited resources to fight zombies, or cleverly avoid them. It’s rewarding and fun, but all that tension needs an outlet, which Leon provides with his over-the-top action and energetic combat.

The game features a new enemy type, Blister Heads, that are similar to the Crimson Heads from the original Resident Evil remake. If you don’t completely destroy a Blister Head, it will revive with a swollen head and become faster and stronger. These enemies can be a real threat, even when you’re prepared for them, and they’ll quickly deplete your limited supplies. This is a clever callback to a unique concept from previous games, and it’s a mechanic the game uses consistently.

The game is full of nods to classic titles, both obvious and subtle, drawing on familiar settings, gameplay elements, enemies, and sounds. For devoted fans, hearing the iconic piano theme from the original Resident Evil – which appears throughout the game – is a strangely comforting yet eerie experience.

Requiem definitely leans into nostalgia, but it still feels exciting and manages to strike a balance between grand spectacle and keeping you engaged with every moment.

This story reimagines established details from the Resident Evil universe and sheds new light on the series’ ongoing focus on biological experimentation. It’s essentially clearing the way for a fresh start and a new direction for the franchise.

Most excitingly, Leon Kennedy returns with plenty of new witty lines. Combined with incredibly suspenseful and unsettling exploration, Resident Evil Requiem shows Capcom at its best, delivering a top-tier survival horror experience.

Resident Evil Requiem will be available on February 27, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Authors

Ben Rayner

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2026-02-25 18:39