Resident Evil: Requiem

Written by Joseph Moorer on 4/6/2026 for PS5  

Resident Evil has officially been around 30 years. The original Resident Evil is to PlayStation is like Mega Man is to the Nintendo Entertainment System. Both games are genre-defining. Both are a challenge for most first-time players, and both are made by Capcom. My personal history with Resident Evil is pretty extensive. I may not know all the ins and outs like a Resident Evil wiki page would, but as far as prep for this title goes, if you know the series involves the Umbrella Corporation and zombies, you're starting off pretty good.

I have played through Resident Evil 1 and its GameCube remake, Resident Evil 2 and its remake, Code Veronica, the original Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 7 (Biohazard), Resident Evil 8 (Village), and now Resident Evil 9 (Requiem). I didn't play all the way through Resident Evil 0, I was told to skip 6, and I own the remake for 3. Don't even ask me about the RE Verse games or the Revelations games. I own them both, but I haven't touched them. I even watched all the live-action movies, so now you don't have to. You're welcome. But I digress. I'm here to tell you why I took so long to play this game, and why it's one of the best Resident Evil games ever. And I mean ever.

Grace Ashcroft is your main character. She is not part of S.T.A.R.S., Umbrella, or the BSAA from previous games. She's with the real-world FBI, investigating some strange deaths in the city under unusual circumstances. These deaths are happening in a place tied to her past — the last place she was with her mother. But why are these things happening? Why is action star Leon S. Kennedy here? I wanted answers right away, and I was going to get them.

The foremost reason this game is so good is that it blends both sides of what Resident Evil started as and what it's become. Resident Evil 1 and 2 were built on survival horror — jump scares, scarce ammo, and limited saves. Resident Evil 3 turned it up a notch, with the constant threat of being hunted, and all of that was still in play. When Resident Evil 4 arrived, it brought back Leon from RE2 as a full-blown action game. You were still taking down zombies, but the tank controls were gone, replaced by big guns and melee attacks.

As the story unfolds, you start with Grace. Her sections are the survival horror portion of the game, played entirely in first person. She starts with a single gun and is absolutely terrified — and because Grace is terrified, so was I. The game gives you a quick tutorial, and whatever I wanted Grace to do, she did. She can point and shoot, and she has a flashlight, which I kept on for most of the game. When the game teaches you to run, Grace has a little trot. That's what we'll call it.

To reiterate: Grace is scared, and that fear pulls you completely into the game. Whether it's that trot, her slow and deliberate movement, or her staggered breathing — like mine would be navigating a dark, fire-damaged, dimly lit hotel looking for someone who has very clearly invited me in — Grace makes sure you're as afraid as she is.

Enter Victor Gideon. A researcher who idolized Umbrella founder Oswell Spencer, Dr. Gideon tells Grace that she is the key to finding the ultimate bioweapon, something called Elpis. He is also suffering the effects of his own self-experimentation, and it shows. Grace immediately knows she's in over her head and tries to escape. It doesn't work.

Enter Leon Kennedy, who spots this hulking figure carrying a woman through the streets and immediately gives chase. You get your first taste of the game's action sequences here, and it's a full indication that they will be some of the most fun you'll ever have playing a Resident Evil game. Leon still has his melee attacks and finishers, but now he carries two new weapons: an axe and a gun called "Requiem."

Leon can use the axe to parry most enemies and follow up with an attack. It's a great way to conserve ammo — it takes a little longer to down enemies, but it's worth it. The Requiem is the one-hitter quitter. If you're having trouble with anyone in the game, use it. The last resort is the best resort. Leon takes off after Grace and follows her to the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, where things are about to get very real.

The game then switches back to Grace, and that's all the story I'll share for now. The internet was very good at keeping spoilers away from me for this late review, and I'd like to personally thank everyone involved. This game is so good. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time — so much so that I started streaming the first three hours, and my audience wanted the whole thing, so I gave it to them. A true masterpiece. There was one thing that felt a little forced, though.

Gideon reveals that newer research allows memories to be transferred through blood, and because of this, he believes Grace is the key to finding Elpis. The employees and patients at the care center are all infected by Gideon to stop Leon, but the blood mechanic also ties into Grace's crafting system. In previous games, you could craft ammunition and healing items from scrap and components like gunpowder or chemical agents. In this game, Grace eventually finds a blood collector. She can harvest blood from fallen enemies, buckets of blood, or blood mounds — it's very weird.

She can then use this blood to craft bullets and other weapons. She also has to learn how through an in-game tutorial. I could go on about using the blood collector in some truly odd places, but I'll move on — because while it is a gripe, it is my only gripe.

As I mentioned, the game alternates between survival horror segments with Grace and action-packed sequences with Leon. As Grace grows more confident, so did I. As Leon tore through swarms of enemies, I cheered every jump and every one-liner. The action sequences work as a genuine palate cleanser. It really does feel like two games in one. I took my time in every room, hunting for files, solving puzzles, and either dodging or killing everything that moved. It was too much fun.

The zombies in this game have so many distinct characteristics, thanks to that blood memory mechanic. They actually utter phrases as they creep toward you. The maid zombies mutter things about getting things done. The doctor zombies say things like "cut out" and "not my fault." It's a creepy, effective touch. I never knew I liked brutalizing zombies while they talked trash until now. My personal favorites, by far, are the zombie singers. I might be biased.

You'll also find yourself running from larger-than-life enemies. There's one called Chunk, who screams at you to stop making fun of him as he barrels toward you trying to take a bite. There's the Chef, who sprints around waving a butcher knife and shouting "next." The boss fights offer solid variety too, and if you've managed your ammo and healing items well, they go down without too much resistance — which is fine by me, because I still have flashbacks to fighting a tarantula in Resident Evil 1.

The enemies also get a second wind if you leave them for dead. The crimson heads have returned, now called blister heads, and they're faster and more dangerous than ever. Grace handles the puzzle-solving, running, and hiding; Leon handles cleanup. A simple strategy, but it's the only one that works.

Safe rooms with save points are scattered throughout. Grace gets an additional item storage box, while Leon gets access to a digital store to buy weapons and ammo. Do not be afraid to use these. My final save count was 61. On harder difficulties, you'll need ink ribbons for limited saves, haunting you just like Resident Evil 1 did. If you ever forget where the safe room is, the map is your best tool. It shows you where you've been, where you can go, and where you can't. Use that map like it's your job. On-screen indicators also flag key points and will note if you discovered something but moved past it. I tracked all the way back across the map to retrieve some shotgun shells I'd left behind. No regrets. Check every locker, drawer, and shelf you come across — you'll need whatever you find.

I could gush about this game indefinitely. It feels like a love letter to longtime fans of the mainline series, with an extra bonus for those who played the spinoffs too. The controls feel the best they ever have, for both Grace and Leon. If you prefer not to play Grace in first person, you can change that. You can also remap controls, toggle aim assist, adjust sensitivity, and customize the HUD. There's an accessibility module as well. What's notably absent is a performance or graphics mode toggle — and honestly, it doesn't matter.

The attention to detail is impressive. Both characters show visible wear and tear as the game progresses. When Leon reloads, he glances around for threats. I didn't run into a single bug or wall clip. I even caught a lucky break with a certain familiar enemy near the end that showed just how much care Capcom put into this one. Some areas are intentionally dark, but I was fine with it. The sound design is excellent — you can hear zombies shuffling in adjacent rooms, and singers echoing from a floor above. I had my headphones on a surround sound setting, and that probably deepened how immersive the whole thing felt. Load times are nearly nonexistent. Jump scares, moments where stealth was the smarter play, and plenty of genuine surprises make this one of my favorite Resident Evil games. I'm just sorry I couldn't tell you sooner.

That said, if you haven't played at least RE 1, 2, Code Veronica, 4, and maybe 7, you won't appreciate this the way I did. I wouldn't recommend this as anyone's first Resident Evil — and that's the challenge with long-running series like this one. While RE7 worked as a standalone, it did tie back into the larger story by the end. Resident Evil 9 let me be scared and have a blast, across 13 hours. Apparently you can finish it in four. I don't know if I can, but it would be fun to try.

The story eases you in well. You can read all the files and dig into the lore, but the game will hold your hand — and your attention — as you root for both Grace and Leon. The dots connect back to older games without requiring a PhD in RE lore. There are familiar enemies and familiar faces, but the game has only been out a month and I'm still not going to spoil anything. It was so much fun. So cool to play. There's plenty of post-game content to unlock and carry into your next playthrough — because of course you want those achievements. And obviously, be ready to die. Die again. But save. Always save.

Hands down, one of the coolest gaming experiences I've had in my many years of playing. The ending got to me, and I was shouting my rating before the credits even rolled. How can it get any better than this? To quote myself: this was some good-ass Resident Evil.