If you’re just starting your first playthrough of Resident Evil 9: Requiem, the difficulty selection screen might raise a few questions. This is especially true for players coming to the game straight from the Resident Evil 4 remake—some of the mode names will seem unfamiliar, and the presence of two “Standard” versions can be confusing.

In this guide, we’ll take a detailed look at what to expect from each game mode and help you decide which difficulty level is right for you.

Casual (Easy difficulty)

If you’re not too confident with third-person shooters or just want to enjoy the story, Casual mode is the way to go.

Features: The game features a powerful auto-aim system that makes shooting much easier.

Enemies: Almost all enemies have drastically reduced health, and the damage they deal to Leon and Grace is minimal.

Saving: Auto-saves occur very frequently, and you can forget about ink ribbons altogether.

Puzzles: The placement of objects and puzzle solutions remain the same as in the standard difficulty levels. This is the easiest and most relaxing way to play through Resident Evil: Requiem.

Standard Modern

Standard (Modern) mode is exactly what fans who played the Resident Evil 4 remake have been waiting for. It’s a perfectly balanced experience for most players.

Features: Enemies pose a real but moderate threat. Both Grace and Leon are fully capable of handling virtually any opponent in their path if they manage their resources wisely.

Saving: In “Modern” mode, you don’t have to worry about finding typewriter ribbons. The game offers a generous number of auto-save points. If you don’t want to risk losing your progress after an accidental death, feel free to choose this option.

Standard Classic

Standard (Classic) mode is virtually identical to the modern standard in terms of damage dealt and taken, enemy health, item placement, and puzzle solutions. The difference lies in the old-school survival mechanics.

Save Features: The main change is the return of Ink Ribbons and Ink Ribbon Tins. When playing as Grace, you’ll have to use one ribbon every time you want to save at a typewriter.

Kraft: You can create new Ribbons from Cans using Infected Blood.

Difficulty: Auto-saves are extremely rare here. This means that every time you leave a safe room, it will be nerve-wracking. For experienced players, the main challenge will be managing Grace’s limited inventory, which now requires you to constantly keep tapes on hand. Choose this mode for your first playthrough if you want a classic, tense experience in the spirit of the older Resident Evil games.

Insanity (Безумие)

The Insanity difficulty level is a grueling post-game challenge (available after completing the game once) that should not be taken lightly.

Enemies: Many common enemies can deal more than half of Leon’s health in a single hit. The number of enemies in each area has increased, and their health has risen significantly.

Items: The placement of some key items has been changed, and completely new items have been added for variety.

Gameplay: The sections played as Grace become incredibly difficult, but the stages played as Leon can be even tougher—some enemies are impossible to defeat unless you’ve mastered the mechanics of hatchet parrying.

“Insanity” mode is initially balanced with the expectation that players will use bonus weapons and items from the Special Content store. This is not for the faint of heart, and should only be attempted by those who have thoroughly mastered the game and are eager for new hardcore challenges.