On February 27, 2026, Capcom released Resident Evil Requiem. For the first time since 2012, fans got a fully-fledged, third-person title starring Leon. Expectations were high: promotional collaborations with Porsche and Hamilton, short films, and a top spot on Steam’s most anticipated games list. The game scored an 88 on Metacritic , with 96% of critics recommending it. I’ve completed Requiem in its entirety and am sharing my thoughts.
A quick word about the duration. There’s an achievement on Steam for completing the game in under four hours, but that’s with unlimited weapons and on Easy difficulty. The first full run takes 10-14 hours, depending on how thoroughly you explore the locations.
Content
- Two heroes, two genres
- Game plot (no spoilers)
- Surviving Grace
- Action for Leon
- Graphics and details
- Map and research
- Enemies
- What I didn’t like
- What the critics say
- What’s the bottom line?
Two heroes, two genres
Requiem’s main feature is its division into two full campaigns. Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst and Alyssa’s daughter from RE Outbreak, is responsible for the survival horror. Leon Kennedy, who is in his late fifties, handles the action.
Grace is timid by nature. Her hands shake when aiming, she stutters, and becomes flustered in stressful situations. Playing as her is first-person, and the camera transforms the game into a horror game in the vein of RE7.
You can switch to a third-person view, and then unique animations will appear: Grace stumbles and falls when running from monsters.Leon is at his best here. Hip-fire, rotary weapons, stylish reloads. He plays from a third-person perspective and feels like a RE4 remake on steroids. Nine guns, a close-quarters axe, and an aggressive style. After intense runs as Grace, switching to Leon feels like a release.
Game plot (no spoilers)
The events unfold almost three decades after the fall of Raccoon City. More viruses, more antidotes, more Leon saving someone. The formula is familiar, but it works. The story is told through the eyes of two characters, making the same events feel different.
Grace investigates mysterious deaths linked to Raccoon City. She is kidnapped and taken to a medical complex where a new antagonist, Dr. Gideon, is operating.
Leon arrives later and follows his own route. As he navigates through notes, documents, and plot twists, a picture gradually emerges. The heroes are searching for a certain Elpis, who is intended to become a new biological weapon.
If you’ve played the older games, you’ll notice more and enjoy the references. But even without knowing the series, the story will be clear. Both characters have independent story arcs.
The lore is still conveyed through notes and text documents on computers. There are rooms with three or four computers each containing files revealing details. At the end, the game delivers a 60-page report from the heroine, containing information never explicitly stated. This is typical for the series, but by industry standards in 2026, it already feels dated.
Surviving Grace
About 70% of your time playing as Grace is spent exploring the medical complex. It has a limited inventory, minimal ammo, and ammo pouches for expansion. A new mechanic: hemolytic injectors. Grace uses them to collect blood from infected people and craft ammo, first aid kits, and special supplies. Blood is limited and cannot be wasted. Rare monster blood unlocks unique recipes. The enormous revolver, the Requiem, borrowed from Leon, is a special case in itself. It can pierce four enemies with a single shot, but its ammo is crafted from rare components.
The Girl wanders the locations. That’s the name Capcom gave to a new, unkillable stalker who only stops in front of illuminated rooms. Initial encounters with her cause panic.
Action for Leon
Leon takes up most of the game’s mid-game. He arrives in a ruined Raccoon City and spends most of his time in open areas. He has a huge inventory, just like in RE4, with various types of ammo, crafting, and weapon upgrades. Instead of a knife, he now has an axe: it sharpens infinitely, and the sharpener doesn’t take up any space.
There’s plenty of fan service here for everyone. Leon peeks into the RE2 police station: the same typewriter, the same doors, the library. Even the spiders are back. Fans of the classics will constantly catch themselves recognizing them.
Graphics and details
The RE Engine has been pushed to its limits. On PS5, ray tracing delivers a truly cinematic experience: puddles glisten, reflections play, and shadows add atmosphere. Characters’ faces are meticulously detailed, and their body movements are convincing. The dismemberment is top-notch: a point-blank shotgun blast disintegrates zombies.
The abundance of small animation details is pleasing. Grace’s lighter has a realistic flame fade, and her hands shake when aiming. The 3D sound is also good: you can hear the enemy approaching from even with your eyes closed.
Map and research
The map is large and complex, with numerous secret passages and alternate routes. Exploring it is a delight: small raccoon figurines and various notes are scattered throughout. Some are cleverly hidden, making them easy to miss if you’re not looking carefully in the right place at the right time.
Enemies
The monster models are varied and interesting. Some were taken from rejected concepts from previous games. Some are fast and agile, others are slow but cause massive infestation.
People infected with the virus maintain their habits: the singer continues singing, the maid wipes the mirror. Such details disrupt the development of a standard approach and add to the eeriness.
Zombies can be annoyingly agile. When attacking, they quickly close the distance, making it impossible to dodge. Killing some of them completely requires some crafting, which adds tactical depth.
What I didn’t like
Bosses. Classic orange dots where you need to deal damage. There are no conceptually interesting battles.
Rhythm. The abrupt transitions from horror to action sometimes break the immersion.
Leon’s controls are sluggish, like in RE4. There’s a delay when changing direction.
nough fan service to last a couple of playthroughs.
Replayability. A second run is worth it for the insane difficulty or the encrypted “Final Riddle.” There are no additional modes like “Mercenaries.”
PC issues. FPS dips from 120 to 50-60 with intermittent spikes midway through the game. Changing graphics settings can cause crashes. The game runs smoothly on consoles.
Puzzles. There’s no real brain-teasing involved. Find the code, run to the safe. The series’ typical conventions are present: there are sharp objects all around, but you can’t proceed without a specific pair of scissors from the other end of the building.
What the critics say
The game scored 88 and 90 on Metacritic and OpenCritic , respectively, with 96% of reviewers recommending it. The range of scores is significant, however: from 100 for ComicBook to 60 for Region Free.
But the game is praised for roughly the same things: the atmosphere, the graphics, the combat system for Leon, and Grace as the best new character in the series in a long time. Metro GameCentral particularly highlighted the variety of locations and Leon’s signature lines. Wccftech called the first half of the game the scariest in RE history. VGC named the hospital one of the five best locations in the series.
The criticisms are similar: bland bosses, low replayability, and a lack of fresh ideas. Region Free believes Requiem relies too much on nostalgia and rates RE Village higher. Several reviewers were unhappy with the ending and its tonal dissonance: the game is mostly fun trash, but occasionally tries to be serious, and these moments are awkwardly juxtaposed.
What’s the bottom line?
Resident Evil Requiem combines the best of the series: the intimate horror of RE7, the action of RE4, and the nostalgia of RE2. Capcom took the safe route, but delivered on a high level. It boasts 10-14 hours of gameplay, two fully-fledged characters, excellent graphics, and a wealth of detail. It also features full Russian localization and stable performance on consoles.
Suitable for fans of the series, survival game enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a beautiful third-person action game. Don’t expect a deep plot with moral choices. But even if this is your first Resident Evil game, it’ll be fun. Fans will get enough fan service to last a couple of playthroughs.
