Any game series is going to need to adapt and reinvent itself after a few entries, but few have been quite so transformative as Resident Evil. Through its many sequels and spin-offs, this horror series always keeps you on your toes and the edge of your seat.
A big part of horror is building up the anticipation and the scares, to not reveal everything about the monstrosities that are terrifying our protagonists. Capcom took that to heart for the Resident Evil Requiem’s announcement as well.
At its reveal, there was plenty of mystery about the new leading lady that Capcom had featured. Grace Ashcroft might be an FBI agent, but she’s more of a desk-bound analyst than a field agent. A cruel twist of fate sees her assigned to investigate the Renwood Hotel, the same hotel in which her mother was murdered, dragging her back to Resident Evil’s original stomping ground of Raccoon City.
There’s good reason for this, because as Director Koshi Nakanishi said, “We always thought about making Leon the protagonist, but making a horror game based around him is difficult. He wouldn’t jump at something like a bucket falling. No one wants to see Leon scared by every little thing, so he’s actually quite a bad match for horror.”
So Grace is put front and centre, facing off against horrors and monstrosities that she’s got no chance of overcoming, forcing her to evade and hide instead. This was the scene for our hands on preview in the middle of last year, as I guided Grace through dark hallways, looking to reach puddles of light, to keep my noise to a minimum for fear of the hulking beast that was stalking me.
Further Reading: RE Requiem Preview – first person frights, third person delights
But then comes the twist because… well, why not have Leon in the game too?
Leon will be featured in Resident Evil Requiem, his story intertwined with Grace’s, letting her handle all the tense psychological horror, while Leon will be handling all the gory action. How nice of him.
One of the great things for Resident Evil Requiem is that, where previous games have made the choice for you, Requiem can be played in both first person and third person from day one – Village added this choice through DLC. The game also looks to push a new generation of the RE Engine that has powered so many of Capcom’s games over the past decade.
Thankfully the wait for this one isn’t too long. Resident Evil Requiem is launching on 27th February 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
