Resident Evil Requiem relies too much on nostalgia. While it’s filled with appearances and references to previous games, these ultimately overshadow the story and diminish the stronger aspects of the experience. Surprisingly, despite its focus on the past, Requiem omits some series mainstays, like The Mercenaries mode, which has been a popular feature since Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. It’s a shame this mode isn’t included, particularly given how well the combat plays.
The campaign in Requiem doesn’t effectively showcase Leon Kennedy’s strengths. His sections are structured in a way that minimizes his action-focused gameplay. Players are given short bursts – about 10 minutes – to fight zombies before moving on, and these quick cuts prevent them from truly experiencing his capabilities. We only get glimpses of what he can do.
Resident Evil Requiem‘s Unannounced Mercenaries Mode Would Add Some Much-Needed Replayability
Honestly, one of the biggest letdowns was the way upgrades worked. For a long time, you’re stuck with the weapons you find, and that really kills the feeling of getting stronger – something Resident Evil games usually do so well. Then, when you finally can start upgrading stuff, it doesn’t take long – maybe two hours – to max everything out. And to top it off, there’s no real New Game Plus where you keep all your progress, so you can’t even enjoy your fully upgraded gear for very long. The whole system felt crammed into one part of the game and just wasn’t handled well. Even the way you got the upgrades was lame – just a boring crate spitting out buffs. They couldn’t even bother with a cool shopkeeper to make it interesting!
The combat in Requiem is most engaging up close. The excitement comes from the frantic action of zombies emerging or wielding chainsaws. While chaining headshots and parrying isn’t quite as fluid as in the Resident Evil 4 remake – often due to having weaker, unupgraded gear – it’s still very satisfying when successful. Despite Leon’s age and declining condition throughout the story, he remains incredibly effective at defeating the undead.
Including the wave-based survival maps from The Mercenaries in Requiem would be a great way to showcase the game’s strengths and offer players a more open experience than the main campaign. Focusing solely on combat, without awkward cutscenes or weak weapons, could give players a lot of enjoyable freedom if done well.
Resident Evil’s Mercenaries Mode Has Been a Staple For a Reason
Honestly, how they add a challenge mode is going to make or break it. Just throwing a ton of enemies at me with a timer, like they did in the Resident Evil 4 remake, feels like the very least they could do. But even that would be awesome! Imagine a pure, uninterrupted playground where I can just blast away and really put all the extra guns through their paces. That formula’s worked so well in past Resident Evil games, and I have a feeling it would kill here too.
Capcom could improve the game by adding elements similar to the Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil Village. That mode encouraged players to quickly explore levels, collect bonuses, and spend their earnings on upgrades between rounds. This added a fun layer to the gameplay, expanded the combat options, and seamlessly connected upgrades to the overall game experience, much like the main campaign.
Capcom might benefit from combining different design approaches. They could structure Grace’s sections like those in Village, and design Leon’s parts after the fast-paced, action-packed Mercenaries mode from the Resident Evil 4 remake. This would create a more diverse experience and let both styles shine.
Whether Capcom eventually includes a Mercenaries mode isn’t as important as that they include one. They surprised players with it in the Resident Evil 4 remake on launch day, but haven’t said if Requiem will get the same treatment. Now that Requiem is out, it’s not too late to add it. The game would really benefit from a fast-paced, action-focused mode like Mercenaries, as the main story doesn’t quite allow players to fully showcase their skills. The game’s design holds it back from reaching its full potential, and The Mercenaries could be a great way to fix that.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Read More
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Survivor’s Colby Donaldson Admits He Almost Backed Out of Season 50
- Where Winds Meet: How To Defeat Shadow Puppeteer (Boss Guide)
- How to Get the Bloodfeather Set in Enshrouded
- How to Build a Waterfall in Enshrouded
- Meet the cast of Mighty Nein: Every Critical Role character explained
- EA Sports FC 25: Best Players for Aim Assist Evolution
- Caput Mortum now available for PS5, Xbox Series
- 23 Years Later, Matthew McConaughey Reveals His Worst On-Set Injury Was From a Forgotten Sci-fi Flop
2026-03-03 17:11