Resident Evil Requiem review: An almost perfect new cornerstone for the franchise

Resident Evil Requiem is the long-awaited 9th entry for Capcom’s 30-year-old survival and action horror franchise.

Ahead of its launch, Esports Insider Italy got the chance to try it in its entirety to share some thoughts on the new game. As such, here is a completely spoiler-free review for veterans of the franchise and newcomers alike. The game comes out February 27th on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

Resident Evil Requiem could be remembered as a cult entry in the franchise, partly because Capcom has incorporated virtually every element that made the video game series so iconic. There’s horror, gore, splatter, action, mystery, corruption, and that exuberant, almost cringe-worthy, style that is synonymous with some of the best Resident Evil games.

However, the game isn’t perfect. The gameplay sometimes becomes more akin to using a shopping list than a quest to save one’s life. But, for every moment of downtime or banal section, Capcom rewards players with five or six memorable sequences of tension, action, or extraordinary exuberance.

For Resident Evil fans, Requiem is unmissable. For those new to the franchise, however, this zombie epic could be a good starting point, provided you appreciate the horror genre in all its facets.

Resident Evil Requiem’s ​​greatest strength is its two protagonists, Grace Ashford and Leon Kennedy, whose individual levels feel like they’re part of two different games. 

Grace is the main character in a survival horror game where bullets are scarce and even the smallest zombies are lethal. On the other hand, Leon, with his arsenal of weapons, is the hero of an action horror franchise.

Still, whilst these character changes are engaging, this decision does have its faults. What Resident Evil Requiem could have been better at is the structural positioning of each level, because in the first half of the game, Leon is rarely seen and is playable for a short time.

The same is true for Grace in the second half, when the action shifts to Raccoon City. There was a point in the game (which takes roughly 8-9 hours to complete in its entirety) where boredom from the repetitiveness of some puzzles and combat scenarios with Grace became almost unbearable. However, then came a section with Leon and an overabundance of bullets and enemies to slay.

Each character also has a progression system that reflects the horror genre they represent. Grace has a crafting system based on recipes and the blood of the infected, while Leon has a surprise in store for completionists and enthusiasts once players reach Raccoon City. Each of the macro-scenarios has a series of novelties and unique mechanics, although after a few hours, some dynamics begin to become too repetitive. 

Moreover, in a couple of sections, players will potentially feel that Resident Evil Requiem wants to tire or frustrate users just enough to maximise some of the most memorable and shocking revelations. 

Ultimately, whether it was playing as Leon or Grace, this writer was hit with peaks of pure action/survival horror entertainment as well as valleys of formulaic and repetitive game design. Nevertheless, the best moments outnumber the worst, and the heights of bombastic action and tension are more than enough to compensate for the dull or tedious moments.

Few will catch all the many ​​references to past games within Resident Evil Requiem, but many horror fans will experience deeply satisfying moments in this cinematic adventure. 

The story, which Esports Insider won’t reveal at all to avoid spoilers, picks up where four of the eight previous instalments of the franchise left off. Moreover, the game revolves around the mysterious Elpis, a word you’ll hear often and that will leave you speechless by the end.

Those who experience Requiem and are completely unfamiliar with the Resident Evil world might struggle for the first two or three hours, as the protagonists’ actions are often veiled in mystery. As such, Capcom has placed a lot of trust in new players to follow its narrative style.

Moreover, both Grace and Leon are heavily anchored to horror genre narrative stereotypes, which have perks and faults.

These stereotypes persist partly because they work: Grace’s fragility makes the moments where you have to avoid a monster even more dangerous and tense. Meanwhile, Leon’s tough-guy attitude (complete with dad jokes) makes the action sequences feel like fans are being transported back to the early 2000s or the ’80s (depending on the size of the explosion).

In the long run, both of these structures could be very cliché. But the game does showcase character development that will leave players satisfied. Moreover, the story structure highlights that Capcom is not anchored by just nostalgia and knows how to bring a series that turns 30 in 2026 into the present day.

Resident Evil Requiem is an enjoyable play for a fan of the series, who will find in this instalment a literal ‘best of’ from previous iterations. 

The psychological horror/survival sections featuring Grace are truly scary and keep the tension high. The action moments featuring Leon are a splatter-filled delight for fans and have relative tactical depth. The story starts slowly but is filled with references, and the ending will leave you satisfied.

If you’re a horror fan and haven’t played anything from the Resident Evil series before, Requiem is also a good entry point. But you’ll have to accept a few moments where you won’t understand the implications of what just happened until almost the final act.

Despite the downtime and a few repetitive sections, Resident Evil Requiem manages to entertain, amuse, scare, and thrill: everything we could ask for from such an important chapter in the saga.