On February 27, 2026, Capcom released Resident Evil Requiem—the ninth main installment in the iconic franchise, which promised to combine two completely different gameplay styles. On one hand, there’s the slow-burning, spine-chilling survival horror in the vein of RE7. On the other, there’s the bone-crushing action reminiscent of the RE4 remake. Did the developers manage to sit on two chairs at once? Spoiler alert: yes, but it wasn’t without its rough edges.

In this review of Resident Evil Requiem, we’ll take a detailed look at the story, gameplay for both characters, graphics, and the game’s main drawbacks.

Plot: The Ghosts of Raccoon City and Old Wounds

The story of Requiem revolves around the mysterious deaths of people who once survived the incident in Raccoon City. The setting is an abandoned hotel in the Midwest.

The game offers us two protagonists:

  • Grace Ashcroft is a new character, an FBI analyst. She heads to a hotel because her mother, Alissa, died there under mysterious circumstances eight years ago. Grace is an introvert with no outstanding combat training, which directly affects the gameplay.
  • Leon S. Kennedy is a legendary DSO agent who arrives on the scene to investigate the disappearance of a police officer. He has aged, become more rugged, and is ready to wipe out the bioterrorists.

The plot does an excellent job of fulfilling its main purpose: it intrigues, skillfully expands the universe’s lore, and delivers some serious fan service.

Gameplay: Two games for the price of one

The main feature of Resident Evil Requiem is the characters’ complete autonomy and the ability to switch between first-person and third-person views. The developers have essentially stitched together two different games:

The Grace Campaign: Pure Adrenaline and Fear

Playing as Grace is a return to the roots of survival. She’s fragile, you’re always short on ammo, and your inventory is limited. Stealth, hiding from monsters, and a tactical approach are key here. The episodes featuring the FBI agent are very dark and psychological, especially when played in first-person.

An interesting detail: The infected in Grace’s campaign retain residual habits from their past lives. This makes their behavior unpredictable and truly terrifying.

Leon’s Campaign: A Fast-Paced Zombie Action Game

When control shifts to Leon, Requiem transforms into a big-budget action game in the style of “John Wick.” Kennedy has a parry system, intense melee attacks, the ability to use enemies’ weapons, and a classic inventory briefcase (attaché case) with customizable guns. Here, the game doesn’t make you hide—it gives you a shotgun and tells you to have fun.

Graphics, Sound, and Optimization

The RE Engine is still capable of surprising us in 2026. On PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC (as well as the new Nintendo Switch 2), the game looks phenomenal. Locations are packed with detail, lighting realistically glints off pools of blood, and the animations deserve a round of applause all their own (just watch how Leon reloads his weapon while holding the flashlight with his neck).

Sound design is half the atmosphere. The creaking of floorboards, echoes in empty halls, and the raspy breathing of zombies make you constantly look over your shoulder. By the way, the game has been fully localized into Russian (text and voice acting)—the dubbing turned out quite well, and the lines spoken by the infected are particularly well done.

The Downsides of Resident Evil Requiem: What Went Wrong?

To ensure our review is objective, we must mention the fly in the ointment. The game has a few annoying issues:

  • Weak progression system. Weapon upgrades are barely noticeable. You can boost a pistol’s damage, but in practice this only adds about 5%, which doesn’t change the “time-to-kill” (the time it takes to kill an enemy) at all.
  • Dragging quests. The game occasionally suffers from tedious tasks like “find 3 items in different parts of the hotel to open a single door,” which artificially stretches out the playtime.
  • A controversial finale. The last 2–3 hours of the game, as is traditional for the series, devolve into total, somewhat chaotic action, which may disappoint fans of the unhurried horror of the first half of the game.

Conclusion

Resident Evil Requiem is a textbook blockbuster and one of the best games of 2026. Capcom took a risk by blending two completely different paces, and the experiment paid off. It scares, entertains, throws the player into the meat grinder, and generously serves up nostalgia.

Rating: 8.5/10. A must-play for both series veterans and newcomers.