MIDVALE, UT – On February 27th, the newest Resident Evil game, Resident Evil Requiem, released to acclaim from both critics and users alike. The game, which was released on practically every modern console- the Switch 2 included- managed to sell incredibly quickly, being a major success for the developers.
The game itself is fairly similar to other Resident Evil games, with a focus on both Survival Horror and Action. Unlike other games, however, it is split into two distinct styles: the more survival-horror focused style that was introduced in the seventh game, and a style of gameplay that more closely resembles the remake of the fourth game. This creates an interesting dichotomy between the two main characters, as the game will have you alternating between the two frequently, meaning that neither gets too stale.
Perhaps the most surprising fact about the two gameplay styles, however, is that they both feel incredible to play. In particular, the action sequences that occur while playing as a certain returning character feel both tense and incredibly satisfying at the same time. As mentioned earlier, they call back to the more “action-focused” games in the series such as 4, 5, and 6, while also improving the combat in many ways. This is most notable when comparing it to 4 and 6- the biggest flaws in those two games (which are more prominent in the latter) have been “fixed,” without removing the core elements that made those two games good.
On the other hand, the new character, Grace Ashcroft, is also surprisingly fun to play when compared to the other survival-horror games in the series. The sections where you play as her are both nearly as tense and disturbing as entries in the series such as 2 and 7, while also making the combat much less frustrating. One notable difference in particular was that the game does not tend to give you boss-fights during her sections- those are reserved for the other character’s gameplay sections. Where the boss fights in the previous survival-horror games were typically the weakest parts of the game, here being delegated to the action sequences makes the game both more fun and scarier.
There being two separate characters, however, does lead to one big issue that applies to both characters. Since the game is still an average length for a Resident Evil game (even if it is on the longer side,) it can often feel as though you did not get enough time with the character you played in the previous section. This does keep the game fresh – after all, the later sections in most Resident Evil games tend to dip in quality, which does not occur in Requiem – it still feels as though the game could have been slightly longer without compromising the quality of the gameplay. However, as of the time in which this article is being written, they have announced both an upcoming minigame and DLC that (hopefully) will mitigate these issues.
Furthermore, the game is also somewhat unique among horror games as there are several locations and enemies that return from previous entries in the series. The most prominent of these was shown in the trailers for the game, with the Raccoon City Police Department (R.P.D.) being accessible alongside other parts of the city. While the most cynical of players might feel that the game is relying on nostalgia in order to get sales, as much of the advertising did focus on these returning elements, the game also has a large amount of entirely new content. Notably, the vast majority of the game takes place in new locations which, while similar to places from previous games, are entirely unique in their appearance, layout, enemies, and lore.
Interestingly, the story seems to be of a higher quality than may be expected from a Resident Evil game. While the action sequences and one-liners during one character’s sections may make it harder to take the game seriously, Requiem does include many fascinating story elements, including both fascinating realizations about the new locations and revelations about older plot-elements. In this sense, it also serves almost as a conclusion to story threads that emerged even as early as the original trilogy of games on the original Playstation, inspiring the tagline for the game- “Requiem for the dead, nightmare for the living.” The game is not, however, going to be the last game in the franchise- the game sets up multiple directions that Capcom could continue the series in going forwards, all of which seem like exciting avenues to go down.
One important factor in whether or not a prospective player should purchase the game, however, lies within the fact that this is the ninth main game in the series. Despite being the ninth game, however, you do not necessarily need to play through the entire series before reaching Requiem. In fact, you only really need to play the first four or five games to understand the story- while there are some minor references to games past Resident Evil 5, they are minor and missing them will not hinder your enjoyment of the game.
Another important thing to mention about the game is how it performs on PC. While fans may be wary after the infamously poor performance of the last few RE Engine titles on PC, Requiem runs amazingly, even at the minimum required specifications. The game is incredibly well optimized, blowing other titles from recent years (such as the vast majority of Fromsoftware’s output) out of the water, despite the large filesize and recent release date. However, it is slightly more demanding than the previous titles, so anyone who is unsure about how well it will perform should look at the recommended specifications before purchasing.
Overall, Resident Evil Requiem is one of the best games in the Resident Evil franchise, if not of all time. Throughout playing the game, it often felt as though the developers had learned from missteps in previous games, which led to the entire playtime feeling entertaining and fun. If you are able to play this game (and are willing to play a game that has some pretty intense violence,) Resident Evil Requiem is absolutely worth your time
