After five years of waiting since Resident Evil Village, Capcom has finally delivered the ninth main entry in one of gaming’s most beloved franchises. Resident Evil Requiem arrived on February 27, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 — and it has already become one of the most talked-about survival horror games in recent memory. With over five million copies sold in its first week and a 96% positive rating on Steam, it is safe to say the series is very much alive (unlike most of its characters).
So, is the hype justified? Absolutely. Here is why.
Meet Grace Ashcroft: The New Face of Fear
At the center of Requiem is Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is sent to investigate a string of mysterious deaths connected to survivors of the original Raccoon City incident. Her investigation leads her to an abandoned chronic care center in the Midwest — which, naturally, turns out to be a very bad place to spend the weekend.
What makes Grace such a compelling protagonist is how genuinely terrified she is. Her hands shake when she aims a gun. She stumbles while being chased. She is not a trained soldier — she is a person who analyzes data for a living, suddenly thrown into a nightmare. The motion capture team at Imaginarium Studios absolutely nailed these details, and the result is a character who embodies the classic survival horror “final girl” trope in the best possible way.
Grace vs. Leon: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Returning alongside Grace is none other than Leon S. Kennedy, making his first mainline appearance since Resident Evil 6 back in 2012. This older, more weathered Leon is everything fans hoped for — confident, capable, and apparently owning a custom Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT because of course he does.
The genius of Requiem’s design lies in how these two characters approach the same environments completely differently. Where Grace must sneak, conserve resources, and solve puzzles to survive, Leon kicks down doors and powers through enemies with the kind of energy usually reserved for action movies. Playing through the same areas in the Care Center mansion as both characters is one of the most satisfying level design moments Capcom has pulled off in years.
Gameplay: The Best of Both Worlds
Requiem smartly blends the slow-burn tension of Resident Evil 7 and Village with the kinetic action of the Resident Evil 4 remake. Grace’s sections demand careful resource management, enemy analysis, and patience — running away is often the right call. Leon’s sections, by contrast, let you breathe a little and actually enjoy being the most competent person in the room for once.
One of the most creative new additions is the Blood Collector mechanic. Players can harvest blood specimens from downed enemies to fill an injector, which can then be used to craft health items, ammo, or powerful one-hit injectors. It adds a satisfying loop to combat and rewards aggressive play without making the game feel easy.
Both characters can be played in either first-person or third-person perspective, switchable at any time. It is a small but meaningful quality-of-life feature that ensures the game feels comfortable regardless of your preferred playstyle.
Story and Atmosphere: Welcome Back to Raccoon City
Raccoon City has never looked better — or worse, depending on your perspective. The missile-scarred ruins of the city serve as one of Requiem’s key locations, and the callbacks to the Raccoon City Police Department from Resident Evil 2 and 3 will make long-time fans emotional in the best way. The atmosphere throughout is suffocating and immersive, with tight corridors and unpredictable enemy behavior keeping the tension consistently high.
The story itself does a strong job of balancing Grace’s personal journey — her mother was murdered at the Care Center eight years prior — with the larger conspiracy surrounding Raccoon City survivors. The dual narrative structure gives the writing room to breathe, and both characters are given genuine emotional arcs that land by the credits.
How Long Is It, and Is There More to Come?
Resident Evil Requiem clocks in at around ten hours for a focused playthrough. That may sound short on paper, but every minute is purposeful. There are no bloated filler sections, no unnecessary padding — just tightly crafted horror and action from start to finish.
As for post-launch content, Capcom has already confirmed a free Photo Mode update, a new mini-game arriving in May, and a story expansion currently in development. Given the success of previous DLC like Resident Evil 4’s Separate Ways, expectations are high, and Capcom has every reason to deliver.
Final Verdict
Resident Evil Requiem is a triumph. Directed by Koshi Nakanishi — the man behind Resident Evil 7 — it manages to honor the legacy of the series while pushing it forward in exciting new directions. Grace Ashcroft is an instant fan favorite, Leon Kennedy’s return is long overdue, and the dual-protagonist structure is executed with a level of craft that few games manage.
Whether you are a veteran who has been with the franchise since 1996 or a newcomer looking for a great entry point into survival horror, Resident Evil Requiem delivers on every front. It is the kind of game that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place.
Score: 9.5/10
