Resident Evil Requiem

What a ride. That's the best possible way that I can begin this review. Capcom has once again proved why Resident Evil continues to be a fan-favourite and acclaimed series, perhaps the video game horror series by which all others must be judged. For this sake of this review, I don't intend to beat around the bush; the latest and ninth mainline chapter, Resident Evil Requiem, is a fantastic example of why this series continues to thrive, it's a truly great experience that will have you smiling with glee, quivering with fear, and pumping a fist in the air out of thrill. But just because it hits all of these core tenets doesn't mean that Requiem is an unfaltering chapter, as it does have its vices and cracks. Yet, if fun is how you judge a video game, this game offers that in droves.

You see, I don't actually envy Capcom and the task they have of making new Resident Evil games. I say this because there are effectively two schools of thought for the series, with one revolving around fear and being at the mercy of deadly monsters often driven by a love of Resident Evil 2, and then the desire to kickass and fight these monsters as a fearless 80s-like action star, mostly driven by a love of Resident Evil 4. It's with this in mind that making a Resident Evil game is never a simple feat, as the series must continue to cater to these two audiences, something very, very apparent in Requiem too.

The opening phase of this game, the first couple of levels in the Wrenwood Hotel and the Clinic offer some of the finest horror-themed moments the series has ever delivered. Grace Ashcroft is a fine vessel of a protagonist, but it's the atmosphere, level design, tight ammo economy, enemy types, and overwhelming sense of danger that make these portions of the wider game stand out. During the first few hours, I started to develop an impression that Capcom had designed Requiem as more of a tribute to Resident Evil 2 (something that connects with me deeply), prioritising horror and fear above action, despite having Leon S. Kennedy as a playable protagonist too. This part of the wider game is exceptionally well put together, hitting all of the trademark series beats and elements, be that compact inventory and limited resource management, backtracking and Metroidvania-like progression, compelling but never overtly hard puzzles that offer worthwhile rewards, all while that niggling fear follows you around and makes you concerned about what every corner, crack, and crevice may hide. This part of Requiem is vintage Resident Evil at its finest, showing that when it's at its best, there are very few series that can match what this titan can achieve.

But then things change as the story progresses as Leon takes the wheel from Grace. Whether it's wandering the halls of the Clinic or even the dilapidated streets of Raccoon City, perhaps your favourite Resident Evil hero returns as fans of Resident Evil 4 know and love him, slaying zombies and monsters without remorse and roundhouse kicking anything that disagrees with him. It's a huge departure from the gut-wrenching horror stages as Grace, as Leon is actively encouraged to slay anything remotely villainous, serving up action scenes and set pieces that rival even what some of the more action-oriented chapters of the series offered. If you prefer the more horror-styled approach, this might rub you the wrong way, but it actually works really effectively, both as a reprieve from the crushing fear sections but also because Leon remains a timeless and excellent character all these years later. His action hero quips and jokes, his indomitable drive and fearless nature, his neverending battle to protect those who need his strength, Leon is a hugely admirable hero and one that you can't help but love being reunited with.

Granted, there are moments where I think Capcom goes a bit too far, in the same way that Resident Evil 4 has scenes that come across as too ridiculous for even Resident Evil. As much as I love fighting chainsaw zombies and mutated blobs of flesh as Leon, seeing our action hero engage in a high-speed motorcycle chase that most closely resembles Cloud's first battle with Roche in Final Fantasy VII, it comes across as a bit too polarising for what Requiem otherwise wants to be.

Likewise, from a gameplay perspective, there are always a few kinks that you'd like to see ironed out, be that certain puzzles that feel too obscure for even their own good, item economy that can sometimes make you wildly run through areas out of sheer desperation due to lack of tools, plus the boss fights in Requiem do leave a bit to be desired compared to former chapters. I know stalkers can be suffocating, but there were times where it felt like this game lacked that oppressive force making me rush and do things I otherwise would delicately plot out. Ultimately, a lot of these criticisms are fairly trivial, and I can appreciate what Capcom wanted to achieve with the action-horror split too, but I also can't help but think it should have been more of one or the other all the way through.

On a more positive note, time must be spent highlighting the RE Engine once again, as this continues to be one of the gaming world's most impressive pieces of tech. Capcom can make this engine work in all manner of different series and the end result is mostly always stunning and effective with Requiem being just the latest example. This game is astoundingly pretty and plays like a dream on PS5. The visuals and performance are top of the line and I only ever encountered one noticeable bug, with this being a very, very minor visual mishap where a shotgun sling effectively T-posed and stood erect. Otherwise, my experience with Requiem was flawless.

Long story short, Requiem is nothing but an excellent horror video game but just how much you love it may depend on what school of thought you fit into for Resident Evil games as a whole. I adore Leon as a hero, but I would have liked to see Grace get a bit more of the spotlight and for Capcom to give us a little extra of the vintage Metroidvania-like levels that require you to solve puzzles and find creative ways to progress. More of a 60-40 split between Grace and Leon would have suited me perfectly, but I do also understand that there will be many RE4 fans out there that appreciate exactly how Requiem is set up and how it caters to what they regard as the perfect way to put together a title in this series. Again, these are trivial criticisms in the grand scheme of things.

Regardless of where you stand on this spectrum, regardless of how picky you can be about the Resident Evil formula, it's very, very clear that Resident Evil Requiem is a brilliant and memorable horror game, a well put together latest chapter that will have fans eager for whatever Capcom has in store for the next adventure. It's only February and we already have a couple of excellent horror games to appreciate, and with Capcom's latest offering, there's a very high chance that we'll be talking about Grace and Leon's adventure once more later this year when the awards cycle begins, as this is a wonderful title and one that you shouldn't and cannot miss. Bravo, Capcom, bravo.