The promotional campaign for Resident Evil Requiem has heavily emphasized nostalgia. Trailers assured fans that Japanese game developer Capcom was reintroducing beloved character Leon Kennedy, who would revisit Raccoon City, the fictional Midwest setting of the series’ origins. In its ninth main installment, Requiem, Capcom has honed its gameplay to near-perfection, delivering bone-chilling scares and exhilarating action sequences. However, the amalgamation of horror and action elements occasionally creates a disjointed experience, as the game hesitates to explore new territory while revisiting familiar themes.
The narrative of Requiem commences with Grace Ashcroft, a young FBI agent investigating peculiar deaths at a condemned hotel where she had witnessed her mother’s murder eight years earlier in the 2003 spinoff Resident Evil Outbreak. Meanwhile, protagonist Leon is grappling with a mysterious illness and pursues the villainous Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella employee conducting sinister experiments at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. As the characters navigate the eerie facility reminiscent of classic Resident Evil locales, they encounter a diverse array of zombies retaining traits from their past lives.
Grace’s sections focus on evading threats with limited resources, creating a tense and strategic gameplay experience, while Leon’s segments offer intense, action-packed sequences reminiscent of Resident Evil 4. The game’s midpoint at the Care Center stands out for its intricate design and atmosphere, although later sections, such as sewers and labs, feel somewhat derivative. The introduction of the dusty ruins of Raccoon City offers a fresh setting, albeit one that may seem familiar to seasoned players.
While Resident Evil games prioritize atmospheric environments and thrilling moments over a coherent narrative, Requiem follows suit with a plot involving a mysterious entity called Elpis. The game’s strengths lie in Grace’s character development and Leon’s introspective moments, yet the central antagonist, Gideon, falls short compared to past iconic foes. Despite minor flaws, Requiem shines as a compelling addition to the series, focusing on concluding existing storylines rather than forging new paths.
Resident Evil Requiem launches on various platforms and is recommended for mature audiences.
