Requiem for the dead. Nightmare for the living. That’s how Capcom describes its ninth installment of the company’s best-selling horror game franchise that culminated with the official release of Resident Evil: Requiem. 

This new installment bridges classic survival horror with modern action elements, creating a unified and terrifying experience that coincides with the 30th anniversary of the original Resident Evil’s 1996 release.

Before you read this, be aware that there are SPOILERS, so play the game first.

That was quite a wait!

Resident Evil Requiem proved to be a historic commercial success for Capcom, directly fulfilling the immense anticipation leading up to its release. This launch wasn’t just a hit; it was a highlight for the survival horror franchise, completely shattering all previous sales records. Within its debut week alone, Capcom announced that it had surpassed 5 million units sold worldwide.

Something new and much nostalgia

Resident Evil: Requiem shows what classic survival-horror DNA becomes when combined with modern action. While the last two games show another character in a different location, this time it’s back in Raccoon City, where it all started. The same location, but new discoveries await in this 30-year-old ghost town.

The story begins with Grace Ashcroft, an FBI Intelligence Analyst tasked to investigate the string of deaths that had just surfaced at the Wrenwood Hotel, the very place where her mother died eight years prior. Former R.P.D. Officer Leon S. Kennedy returns as a DSO agent, a Raccoon City survivor from 28 years ago, who was also tasked to investigate the death of a police officer.

The narrative alternates between these two agents, each with their own demons. Grace faces the shadows of her past, and her fear and vulnerability make her journey a careful but heart-stopping survival.

Leon, on the other hand, was thrown into chaos on his first day with the R.P.D. His approach is pure action-horror—fast, brutal, and bloody. Both protagonists are haunted by memories they’d rather leave behind, but fate drags them back into the darkness.

Players will explore four distinct locations: the eerie Wrenwood Hotel, the mysterious Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, the infamous Raccoon City, and ARK, a clandestine underground lab reminiscent of the Hive from the films.

Players can choose between Casual and Standard difficulties at the start. Standard offers both modern and classic Resident Evil experiences, varying resource and enemy placement. Ink ribbons are crafted and used for saving in both difficulties while playing as Grace.

Relentless Tension and Brutal Survival Unleashed

You unlock Insanity mode after finishing the game, and it stands as Requiem’s pinnacle. Attacks kill in one hit, enemies spawn much faster, encounters remain constant, and the game severely limits saves for both Grace and Leon. The game warns players of the high risk.

From the start, Requiem instills a sense of unease and vulnerability. The opening sequence, especially in Wrenwood Hotel, is dread-filled, demanding careful, nerve-wracking exploration in every trap-like hallway and room. This relentless tension pervades every location.

Requiem’s environmental progression is nothing short of masterful. The shift from tight corridors and dark underground tunnels to sudden, unused open spaces delivers a jolt of awe and relief.

Pixel Peepers, Arise!

Capcom’s RE Engine short for Reach for the Moon has come a long way since its debut in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. In 2017, it redefined photorealism, plunging players into a world so detailed and textured it felt almost too real.

Now with Requiem, the engine’s latest upgrades push current hardware to its limits (literally). The new Path Tracing option makes every scene in lifelike light, casting realistic shadows and reflections that gives every environment genuinely creepy.

In my personal experience, the game’s visuals are much appreciated with at least Ray Tracing turned on, compared to traditional rendering of scenes and the results are a night-and-day difference.

Should you “bite” the bullet?

One word, YES.

Having cut my teeth on the original Resident Evil 4 up until Village, Requiem was a genuinely exciting mix of intense action with straight-up, scary horror. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it delivers that signature cocktail of dread and adrenaline, complete with fan-favorite heroes and monstrous new threats.

Sure, the ₱3,090 price tag might sting, but if you’ve set aside a gaming budget (and planned for an upgrade), it’s a price that pays off in chills and thrills.

Once again, Capcom reinvents what a survival-horror game can be.

A word of advice, this game is not for the faint-hearted. Heed the warning.

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Photos courtesy of Capcom Co., Ltd. and Steam.