Having replayed the majority of the Resident Evil franchise recently for my ranking article, it has become very clear to me just how invested I am in this franchise. Its strange overarching narrative that does not always make sense, its daft but lovable characters, and franchise entries of vastly varying quality make it very special, and it is one of the most beloved game series ever for good reason. Holding the proverbial torch (or perhaps flashlight in this case) for survival horror and shooters as a whole, it is hard to emphasise how important it is as well. With some of the best horror and action experiences money can buy, it is no wonder many people, including me, love this franchise so much. Now I went through all this praising and brown-nosing for the franchise in my ranking article, so why would I do the same again here? Well, the latest entry to the franchise, Resident Evil Requiem, is essentially all that praise and confidence the series has honed, put into game form. This game takes everything you love about Resident Evil and amps it up to eleven, whether that be toe-curling horror sequences or blood-soaked action. Full of goofiness, charm, and a hefty meal of lore to feast on, this is a wonderful game that is Capcom showing their oozing confidence in this franchise, showing they know exactly what makes these games really shine, and allowing themselves a victory lap to show off.

Resident Evil Requiem is the 9th mainline entry to the series, and it leaves behind the Winters’ saga that was explored in 7 and 8. We follow Grace Ashcroft, an FBI Analyst and the daughter of the notorious reporter Alyssa Ashcroft, the protagonist of the Resident Evil: Outbreak games. After a series of infected bodies turn up, all connected to survivors of the Raccoon City incident from Resident Evil 2 & 3, Grace is sent to investigate one of them in the very hotel where her mother was murdered. Also on the case is franchise sweetheart and action hero icon, Leon S. Kennedy, now old and jaded, but also infected by some bizarre virus. Grace’s capture by the mysterious Victor Gideon leads to an infected outbreak, which Leon has to fight through to eventually discover that Grace has been taken to the Rhodes Hill Care Center, eerily close to the ruined Raccoon City. What does Gideon want with Grace, and how does it connect to this new wave of a virus that Leon is experiencing? To find out, you will play as both Grace and Leon through the course of the game, switching when the story sees fit. As Grace, you do not have much, relying on flight response and fighting conservatively to save ammo and avoid the many horrors that await. Leon, however, has come prepared, allowing you to fully utilise his insane arsenal of weapons and destroy the infected like he does best.

The story is never really what you come to a Resident Evil game for, or at least not the story central to the game you are playing. In Requiem, the story is hardly the main point of appraisal, but it perfectly suits the franchise for its weirdness and its self-referential nature. The mystery of this dormant infection in Raccoon City survivors coming to life is a riveting one, as it puts Leon in a position of weakness that he has not been in since his first appearance. Though it may not reflect in gameplay, he is slowly dying, and the only place he can get answers is where it all started. It is no secret that Leon returns to Raccoon City thanks to the trailers, but I really wish they had not revealed this. Though it is still incredibly impactful and well-crafted, playing a medley of music from the 90s games being just one example, imagine seeing the RPD building from 2 again, without knowing you were going back there. There are still plenty of other nice surprises, but it would have been better if they all were. Still, it is handled immensely well, and though some of its moments may seem like fan service, it is the rare case where it is mostly all earned, due to the competence of what comes prior that stands on its own two feet. Everybody will be talking about Leon’s story and all the different revelations relating to the existing lore, but Grace’s story is also great and should not be overshadowed. Having the bulk of her story before Leon’s feels like eating a luscious main meal, knowing you have a gorgeous dessert waiting for you afterwards. Her story is what you are there for, what has been marketed, and her connection to the overall narrative is interesting enough that I hope she returns in later entries. She is also very likable, feeling like a fish out of water in this horrific situation that eventually grows into her own and has a lot of agency in the narrative. She is the perfect middle ground between the constant scared patheticism of Ethan Winters and the unending fearlessness of most of the franchise’s heroes, feeling much more human and relatable. When you have someone like Leon, who is larger than life, churning out action-film one-liners like rent is due, whilst roundhouse-kicking zombies in the face, it is nice to have a character like Grace that you can live vicariously through, experiencing all that horror from a less fantastical point of view.

Gampelay shares the same sentiment as how the characters are framed, split down the middle to suit the character you are playing as. Grace’s gameplay is slow and more evocative of Resident Evil 7 than anything else, particularly due to the recommended first-person perspective. Having tried both camera perspectives, first-person is the definitive Grace experience, the opposite being true of Leon. This first-person perspective is so important to the vibe being put across with Grace, being trapped in these complex locations in a rather claustrophobic fashion. Skulking about the halls, avoiding fights when possible, and trying to get the items you need to progress is a fantastic gameplay model that the franchise has mastered for years, and it is no different here. I have seen many liken this model to a puzzle box recently, and that is the perfect term to describe it. As you traverse the care centre, there are an overwhelming number of pathways to go, and working your way through it in the right way, completing puzzles as you go, is so much fun. There is such a sense of progression, completing the puzzles but also getting to grips with the area, remembering the enemies you left, and letting you plan your route accordingly. Grace herself does not get many new weapons to progress, but the ability to extract blood and create what she needs from scrap is a fitting system that keeps the tension consistent without ever making you too powerful. Speaking of powerful, Leon is absolutely that, and you really feel that through his gameplay. With lots of different weapon options and customisation abilities, you can make Leon a zombie-killing machine suited to you. Unlike the more incremental weapon upgrades of 8, it actually feels like you have options that you can tailor to your own experience. If you want a high-damaging bolt-action rifle to pop heads rather than a fast firing semi-auotmatic rifle, you can do that, but neither is necessarily more powerful than the other. There are plenty of fearsome enemies and insane bosses to give you enough friction to keep it interesting, but the reality is that playing as Leon makes you feel like a true badass. The pacing of the Leon sections interspliced with long stretches of Grace’s gameplay is genius, allowing for some reprieve from the horror to crack some skulls like he does best. His one-liners never get old either, and he emits the confidence that could only come from one of the faces of the series.

Resident Evil Requiem is excellent, especially if you love the series as much as I do. The fact that I have completed this game twice at the time of reviewing, and very much on my way to a third, says it all really. A good Resident Evil game is separated from a great one when it comes to its replayability. For example, I enjoy 3 Remake, but it does not offer me nearly as much as replaying 2 Remake, whether that be due to its malleable gameplay systems, its many secrets, or just its overwhelming fun factor. Requiem fits into the latter, and I can definitely see myself replaying this multiple times, and I may even go for the platinum trophy. The only other Resident Evil platinum I have is 2 Remake‘s, so that goes to show how rare it is that I would even feel that impulse with one of these games! Truthfully, this is just everything I wanted out of a Resident Evil game, combining the gameplay styles of some of my favourite entries, full to the brim with camp and charm, and just letting me kick ass as Leon again, to be frank. This reaches the highest heights of the series for me, and it was definitely worth the wait, which just feels so good to be able to say. If you are not quite familiar with the series, do yourself a favour and play other entries before this one, as it becomes a very rewarding experience if you do. If you do love the series and are curious about the next entry, do not hesitate to pick this up because I guarantee you will love it.