The latest installment in the iconic survival horror series proves that sometimes you can have it both ways
What Is It? Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) is a 2026 entry into one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time. The survival horror series has been around for nearly 30 years with its share of ups-and-downs, but has found a steady footing in recent years starting with Resident Evil 7’s return to horror up through 2023’s action-focused Resident Evil 4 Remake. RE9 sets out to provide both of these experiences in one package, and pulls it off remarkably well.
You start the game as Grace Ashcroft, a young FBI agent sent to investigate the latest in a series of strange murders. This recent incident occurred at the same hotel she watched her mother get murdered at a few years prior, that’s a rough break. Soon, you get kidnapped just about the same time as series favorite Leon Kennedy arrives on the scene. Leon doesn’t know Grace, but still jumps into action trying to track down the woman kidnapped by a bizarrely large, creepy figure who is shooting people on the street with darts to turn them into zombies.
The game alternates between Grace and Leon sections. Both can be played in either third or first person views. The game recommends you play Grace in first person to accentuate the horror aspects her sections lean into. Leon is recommended to play in third person which works well with his action-leaning gameplay.
I don’t need to recap the core mechanics of Resident Evil games in this space. Trust that all of the typical tropes are here; storage Tetris, bullet rationing, jump scares, weapon upgrades, crafting, healing herbs, obtuse puzzles, and so on. Grace’s sections lean more into the survival horror aspects; you will often find yourself with less ammo than you need, forcing you to sneak around a bit. Leon’s emphasis on action means you will generally have enough bullets to spare, but you have to make choices on how to spend your upgrade currency and which weapons to carry, bullets to craft, etc… If you use recent references, Leon’s sections play out like Resident Evil 8 while Grace’s play out like Resident Evil 7. Or 4 and 2, respectively, if you prefer.
Both the first and third person view control and play really well. This engine has been proven through the recent games and remakes, and it still holds up here. The guns feel good to fire, particularly the requiem which is a ridiculously powerful pistol. Leon gets an axe which is fun for hacking and finishing enemies with the occasional parry thrown in. A shout-out to the machine gun as well, a weapon that has historically been fairly useless in the series due to how many bullets it takes to bring down an enemy. RE9 finds multiple ways to make it useful.
The real trick RE9 pulls off is letting you play the true survival horror sections as well as the action portions. Instead of having the game gradually build you up into an action star, the abrupt shifts from Grace to Leon sections give you an instant shift in gameplay styles. This is potentially a risky move, but I think it is handled really well here and pays off. Personally, I’m glad I was not on the edge of my seat anticipating the next jump scare for ten hours while playing as Grace, but I’m also glad those sections exist because it seems unlikely that a pure action-focused game would be more appealing than the excellent Resident Evil 4 Remake.
The voice acting is absolutely worth mentioning. It is great across the board, but Grace and Leon’s actors, in particular, are wonderful. Grace absolutely feels like a character thrown into utter madness and is seeing absolutely ridiculous things for the first time. Leon, in contrast, is the veteran and effortlessly drops quip after quip while mowing down zombies. Two fun performances lead the way and help the game set its desired tone.
My first playthrough was on normal difficulty and took me just over nine hours. The replay value here is in wanting to play the same game on different difficulty levels, unlocking different weapons and skins, etc… Like other recent games in the series, you will either want to play through this a few times to unlock everything, or you’ll see it once and move on.
The Best Part: This game plays out like Resident Evil Greatest Hits. It boldly tries to capture the best of both sides of the series and somehow manages to pull it off incredibly well. It smartly pulls on some series nostalgia as a bit of fan service to long-time players, but even trying to take a step back from that; the game seamlessly weaves between two distinct gameplay styles and somehow produces a fun, coherent result. That is beyond impressive, in my book.
The Worst Part: The game plays out like Resident Evil Greatest Hits. It borrows too much from older games in the series and ends up trying to straddle a weird line of action and horror. Many people are bound to prefer one style over the other and the sudden shifts between the two are jarring. It was an admirable attempt to collect everything the series has done well over the last 30 years into a single game, but that’s a tall task.
The Verdict: Resident Evil Requiem is an amazing game. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy it thanks to its Racoon City portions, Leon Kennedy, and other references to find. New fans will find a great game that moves along at a brisk pace while jumping between different playstyles.
Potential downsides? I could see some players wanting the game to pick a lane. Maybe a full game as Grace would have been a more compelling adventure? Or another full Leon game, Resident Evil 4-2 if you will, certainly has some appeal compared to the hybrid we have here. Maybe the game draws on the series’s nostalgia a bit too much?
While I think the execution on RE9 is amazing, I’m not sure this quite lands as my favorite Resident Evil game. It isn’t an insult to say a new game in a 30 year old franchise isn’t my favorite, but this one absolutely feels like it was trying to be everyone’s favorite. Including “something for everyone” is a risky gambit, and even when it is well executed, it is likely going to leave the game with a weaker overall identity than a game which picks a lane. None of this is to say RE9 won’t be your favorite game in the series, of course.
As it stands, a few days removed from seeing the credits, I definitely have Requiem in my top tier Resident Evil games even if it isn’t in the top spot or two. I enjoyed the genre hopping adventure and all of the throwbacks to older games. The game kept me on the edge of my seat, both in terms of the scare factor and as to where the game would go next. Sometimes, a greatest hits collection is a great way to experience a classic band, and Resident Evil Requiem proves that theory can carry over to videogames as well.
How to Play: PlayStation 5*, Switch 2, Xbox Series, PC
*console played on for this review
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