The Night Diver

For the first horror game review on my blog, I am starting with one of the best ones I’ve played in a very long time. My history with the Resident Evil series has been an interesting one. I never really got into the original ones, because the fixed camera angles would infuriate my younger self. However, I decided to get into Resident Evil and Survival Horror around the time Resident Evil 7 came out. This was an interesting time to get in, because this was right when the series had started to reinvent itself after a string of very action-heavy games that were met with mixed or even negative reception. Resident Evil 7 was one of my most favorite Survival Horror games, with its oppressive Texas Chainsaw-esque flavor, and a sense of true white-knuckle tension with its seemingly everyman protagonist. This was something I wanted more of.

However, I could sense a bit of an identity crisis lingering in the franchise. On the one hand, people want beloved characters like Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield, as well as some kind of progress of closure within this story that has been built with them. On the other hand, people wanted Survival Horror, and this becomes quite hard with the nigh-demigod status these familiar characters have in the series. I even felt that Resident Evil 8 had a slight bend towards action with its higher enemy and ammo counts, as well as more rewards for fighting. The Resident Evil 4 Remake, while an amazing game, still kept its action-horror vibe. I wondered if Requiem would scratch the true survival horror itch.

I am pleased to say that somehow, Resident Evil has threaded the proverbial needle of Action and Horror, creating this near perfect harmony of tension and release that I have never really seen before. It is an amazing survival horror game, and still a masterful action horror game, all wrapped up in a compelling story within the Resident Evil Universe

A Perfect Roller Coaster

The best way to describe this game is a masterfully crafted roller coaster, with the tension being built to agonizing levels, and being let go with satisfying abandon. It really is the experience that made the game for me. Requiem does this with weaving two character stories together: Grace the newcomer, and Leon the grizzled veteran. Grace’s sections are pure survival horror, with limited inventory, ammo, and fighting strength. Every encounter feels like a brush with death, trying to find the best way to escape a situation without losing resources or your life. It is a deeply immersive experience, especially when playing in the recommended First Person mode. Reveling wouldn’t be quite the right word, but I really did enjoy the tension in solving puzzles while avoiding or barely fighting the threats around every corner of the Care Center. I honestly would have liked to spend more time as Grace in such a setting, and I couldn’t help but miss it when the game switched over to Leon.

But as we know, a roller coaster isn’t just the tension. It needs release, and Requiem does it in the best way. Leon is the exact opposite of Grace, with his wide arsenal of weapons and one-liners. Playing as him is the perfect reward for braving the threats in Grace’s playthrough, where fear melts away and gives way to a well-deserved beatdown. That isn’t to say that Leon is an absolutely immortal power-fantasy. His sections have a different type of tension, where you’re trying to figure out how to take out larger and stronger groups of the undead without taking too much damage. He has more tools at his disposal, and certainly has more resistance to damage, but his enemies follow a similar trend as well.

Character Mastery

One thing that really makes this game stand apart is the improved storytelling and character work. Grace Ashcroft is a relatable character, as she is an FBI analyst thrust into the truly horrific part of the Resident Evil world. Much like any person, she is a nervous wreck in the beginning of the game, stuttering in disbelief, or struggling to aim with a gun. But she isn’t just a blank slate for a player to insert themselves into. This was a typical criticism of Resident Evil 7 and its protagonist Ethan Winters. He had a mostly nondescript personality and backstory, operating more as a bland “self-insert” for anyone playing. While I enjoyed these games, it was a indeed a glaring flaw. Grace’s character is a near perfect answer to this problem. She is her own character with her convictions, but she is also relatable in her reactions to the situation around her. Her character is also absolutely elevated by the performance of her VA, Angela Sant’Albano, solidifying her as one of the most compelling and beloved new protagonists in the Resident Evil Universe.

But the Old Guard also gets some love here too. Under the wise-cracking and action hero hijinks, there is a real character of Leon Kennedy. His return to Raccoon City is a brilliant piece of fan service, but it also shows more depth to his character than we’ve seen before. We see the place where he first triumphed against the horrors, but also the place where he dealt with his greatest regrets. Requiem really did a great job on digging deeper with his character, and illustrating the emotional state he’s been in ever since Resident Evil 2, as well as providing this part of his character a sense of closure. I really enjoyed his interactions with Grace Ashcroft as well, which makes me very excited about how the future for these characters will unfold.

Funny enough, it’s not just the named characters that get this kind of attention. One of the most interesting parts of the Care Center section was the detail put into the different enemies. A lot of these zombies retain certain behaviors and actions from their past lives, such as a zombie that loves singing due to their past personality being that of a “main character”, or another one that keeps turning off the lights due to them formerly being a hotel manager. Seeing this attention to detail throughout the game is always a treat, and I really would like to see more of it in the future.

Final Thoughts

I really think Resident Evil Requiem is the definitive answer to the series’ longstanding questions about its identity. Instead of focusing on one identity over the other, it has smartly merged them together in a horrific harmony that will stand the test of time. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves horror, both survival and action. I only have a few minor complaints for the game. Firstly, that I want more. I know that Resident Evil is a game series that encourages subsequent replays, but I would really have loved more of the game in general, especially the Grace Sections. In addition, the Leon gameplay also seems well-primed for an action-based side game like the Mercenaries or Raid modes from past games. It makes me a little bit confused as to why they don’t have it with such a polished implementation of the Action Horror gameplay. Secondly, it is a game I absolutely want to recommend to other people, but it is very much for longstanding fans. There are characters and story details that require prior understanding of the world, so they might not have the same impact for newcomers. However, if that is something you can deal with, I would strongly recommend this game for a masterful horror experience.

All of this put together, this really is an amazing horror experience, and I am now eagerly awaiting what Capcom has planned next for this Franchise.

My final rating is 5/5 stars.