I’m something of a horror connoisseur. I know what I like, and for me, there’s nothing more chilling than letting the tension build for a bit, so when the scare finally comes, it does maximum psychological damage. The last game I was truly screaming in terror at was Outlast back in 2013, and for most entries, Resident Evil doesn’t even come close on the fear factor – perhaps I had a shudder in Village with that terrifying baby, but that’s about it. However, Resident Evil Requiem has made me scream and shout curse words that few of the best horror games can claim to have done, and for that reason alone, you should buy it.
The series has long had a bit of an identity issue, one that was somewhat fixed by the seventh mainline entry, but in reality, it struggles to stick to a genre, becoming an amalgamation of horror and action. Even then, by the end of RE7 and Village, you’ve done and seen it all, and in reality, it becomes a zombie-killing spree, with just a sprinkle of survival elements. Resident Evil Requiem fixes these problems with a dual protagonist approach, and Capcom has restored the balance while bringing back my goosebumps.
I’m not going to go into the story, even if it is excellent, because it’s unnecessary. The basic gist is that you play as either Grace or Leon – the former is an FBI Analyst with no combat experience, and the latter is Leon f**king Kennedy, the guy who somehow parries chainsaw blades and does random backflips in the face of danger. As such, you can probably tell which one is going to be more horror-focused and which will be the action hero.
While Resident Evil Requiem allows you to switch perspectives for both characters, the standard experience has Grace’s sections play out in the first-person, similar to RE7 and Village. I’d suggest sticking with this because the opposing experiences make the jump between perspectives smooth, and when it comes to the scares, playing as Grace heightens the tension, something that I feel is lost when playing in third person.
As you progress through the game, each sequence takes you from one character to the next, like a TV show highlighting two sides of the same plot. However, this also messes up your expectations and how you react to enemies. As Leon, it’s easy to become an infected-killing veteran who shows no concern for his own safety, and that makes you take things easy. It’s like watching Die Hard or Mission Impossible with a dash of the undead, so you instantly feel more relaxed watching it. And by relaxed, I mean less likely to feel scared.
Then suddenly, you’re in Grace’s perspective. You’re still riding that feeling of being unstoppable, so when you become this vulnerable FBI Analyst, well, you haven’t sunk into the horror mindset. That amplifies those moments, and I can tell you, my first encounter with ‘The Girl’ made me jump, even though I fully expected it – because I hadn’t come to terms with how weak I was at the time.
And it was brilliant. I loved being physically frightened, something that feels like it last happened a lifetime ago. Outlast’s relentless characters chase you until the end, and you have the capacity to fight back this time. That doesn’t matter. I still felt like I hit the ceiling when I jumped into the air, panicking to get away from this terrifying creature before I got a dreaded ‘Game Over.’
Admittedly, I’ve not found myself at the end just yet – busy weekend, sadly. However, the overall experience is absolutely fantastic, and somehow, Capcom managed to please every type of Resident Evil fan in one swoop. As Nat’s Resident Evil Requiem review said, “Requiem finally strikes the balance between action and horror that Capcom’s wrestled with for all these years” – so it’s no surprise that this is an essential entry in the series. Even if you haven’t played the rest, it stands on its own.
If you’re thinking about giving it a try, well, hold fire (I mean it) on pressing that ‘purchase’ button on Steam. Instead of paying the full price, you can buy Resident Evil Requiem for just $57.39 / £49.19 at Fanatical, an 18% discount off the retail cost, and you still get a Steam key, so no extra libraries to manage or faff about with. If you’re buying it anyway, well, you may as well get it cheaper – oh, and you’ll also get a free game or a coupon, too.
It might not be Halloween, but any time is a good time to be scared, and Resident Evil Requiem is a great way to experience that fear.
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