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Resident Evil was one of the first series I was fully invested in, when I picked up my first-ever game at the tender age of eight. I assumed it would be fine, but wasn’t ready for what would follow. That game was Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and it informed many of my tastes, including my penchant for horror. To think the series has been going for almost three decades is nothing short of astounding. Even more remarkable is that, despite having watched and consumed every piece of media available for Resident Evil Requiem, I still found a few surprises when I played it this week. And while Capcom is still coy about how the game will play outside of what I’ve played, it sets a good scene for where Requiem is headed.
The preview opens with newcomer Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from the Outbreak games, waking up to find herself suspended upside down in a gurney. Her blood is being collected for some reason, but she obviously doesn’t want to stick around to find out why. Letting herself free, Grace, armed with nothing but her fear, sets out to escape what appears to be a sanatorium. However, it’s not that simple, and things can become quite hectic quite quickly.
From the outset, while the demo is light on story details or even the combat the series is traditionally known for, it’s clear that Resident Evil Requiem is trying to do something different. While the idea of darkness in a horror game is hardly anything new, games haven’t played with the concept of light and dark like Requiem appears to be doing. The way the tension is built is masterfully done – I was genuinely worried to turn the light on in a room for fear of what I might see. Of course, the game uses statues and furniture to trick you into seeing things that aren’t actually there, too.
But no more does this become more evident than with the new creature that Requiem throws at you a few minutes into your exploration. This is a new type of enemy in the game, and it is unlike anything the games have thrown at me before. I tried my hardest to trick or outsmart the AI of this creature, which towers over Grace, but it feels pretty intelligent overall. It’s scared of light, which will presumably have some story explanation later, but it does everything it can to work out where you are when you’re hiding, and sometimes even removes hiding places too. It reminds me of Alien Isolation, though I am sure that as the game progresses, it will begin to resemble the games that came before it, like 7 and Village.
Grace herself moves rather slowly, however, which is an intentional design choice. Though interestingly, she moves differently depending on which viewpoint you are playing the game from. Requiem is a first for the series in that it allows you to play either first or third person at any point. First-person is a lot more tense and easier to get immersed in. The third-person perspective feels like more recent Resident Evil remakes, but it removes some of the tension. That tension is added back into the mix by making Grace a bit more trippy and fumbly when playing in third-person, but the horror is overall a lot milder, as you can see a lot more.
The actual demo itself was simple, reminding me a lot of the early demos for both Resident Evil 7 and Village. You explore a location, avoid a monster, and find some items that’ll help you escape. It’s not quite the management of inventory that you’d expect, but it’s evident that’s coming at some point after this demo ends anyway. There were also not many puzzles (actually, there weren’t any), but again, I am sure this will come once Grace is released from the sanatorium and left to her own devices.
It’s hard to comment on what else Requiem has in store, as the demo we played is intentionally vague. What I have played is really all I can comment on, and so far, I think that while the “stalker” enemy type is growing a bit long in the tooth, this does feel dynamic and different enough to separate itself from other pursuers like Lady Dimitrescu, Nemesis and Mr. X.
But there’s still a lot for Requiem to prove, and hopefully, Capcom will detail more soon to satiate a fanbase that is growing nothing short of ravenous. However, given how vague Resident Evil 7 was before its release, and how that game ultimately turned out, I have complete confidence in the team bringing this game to life. The way Requiem is already committed to evolving series staples is more than enough assurance that, as Capcom says, Resident Evil Requiem will scare us in new and exciting ways when it releases in February.
Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27th 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S.
The author travelled to Sydney, Australia, as a guest of Capcom and Five Star Distribution.