Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem integrates two distinct design philosophies, featuring two main characters and two horror styles. The game emphasizes player engagement in its horror elements, incorporating jump scares and unpredictable enemy behaviors designed to create a tense atmosphere. It also includes classic Resident Evil puzzle elements and features the return of an iconic character.

Resident Evil Requiem blends two distinct design philosophies, two main characters, and two horror styles to create its immersive experience.

Characters and Gameplay Styles

Grace Ashcroft: Tense Horror and Escape

New character Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent with a mysterious past, finds herself abducted by a doctor interested in her genetic properties. Grace's gameplay mirrors the style of Resident Evil Biohazard and Village, focusing on tense horror, limited weaponry, and escape. Her sections involve navigating a gothic intensive care center, emphasizing resource management, crafting, and stealth.

The audio design and limited visibility enhance the atmosphere of dread within the facility, which includes various detailed environments. Players will also encounter large enemy encounters with unsettling enemy designs during Grace's segments.

Grace's sections prioritize resource management, crafting, and stealth within a gothic intensive care center, creating an atmosphere of dread.

Leon S. Kennedy: Action and Overwhelming Combat

Fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy returns as an aged secret agent, grappling with a mysterious infection. His sections are action-focused, involving numerous enemies and dynamic combat situations, emphasizing the risk of being overwhelmed. Leon's primary section takes place in the ruins of Raccoon City, utilizing an over-the-shoulder camera for action sequences, including a collapsing office tower. His gameplay specifically focuses on combat against multiple enemies in dynamic environments.

While Grace's resource management includes crafting, item storage, and developing counter-measures, Leon carries a full arsenal with specific combat abilities, allowing for a contrasting combat-heavy approach.

Reviewer Observations

While both distinct gameplay styles are prominently featured, the reviewer noted that neither fully matched the depth of previous titles in the series. For Grace's sections, resource progression was observed to be affected by scenario transitions, impacting the overall flow. For Leon's sections, despite featuring callbacks and action, the number of distinct set-piece moments was limited compared to some predecessors.

The narrative becomes increasingly complex and expansive, integrating Grace's past, Leon's storyline, and three decades of series lore.

The plot’s tendency towards convoluted elements was a noted characteristic, which aligns with aspects of the Resident Evil series' established narrative style. This complexity integrates Grace's past, Leon's storyline, and three decades of series lore into an expansive storyline.

Core Mechanics and Overall Design

The game effectively balances intense horror with moments of calm for puzzle-solving, item crafting (including healing injections), and route planning. The zombies in the game are depicted as more varied and dangerous due to a modified virus, retaining some human memories and behaviors. This requires players to engage in careful resource management and strategic combat.

The distinct gameplay styles of Grace and Leon are connected by a cohesive reverence for the series, despite their individual approaches. The narrative, despite its complexities and expansive scope, ultimately concludes in a manner the reviewer found satisfying.