Hands-On: Resident Evil Requiem Is Terrifying In All The Best Ways

Forbes

6 hours ago

Forcing myself to play Resident Evil 7 in VR back on PS VR is still one of the scariest and most nightmare-inducing (literally, I had nightmares) experiences of my entire life. I've been a huge fan of the series ever since the first three games back on the original PlayStation, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to visit Capcom's office in San Francisco to check out the latest installment, Resident Evil Requiem, for myself.
As is the case with the last several games, the official title doesn't include a number, technically, but Resident Evil Requiem is essentially still just Resident Evil 9. The demo I played on PlayStation 5 was a quick snippet that took me about 25 minutes to get through, including two deaths, and my palms were sweaty the entire time. It was absolutely terrifying in all of the best ways, and I can't wait to see more.
Resident Evil Requiem—Hands-On Preview
In Resident Evil Requiem, we play as Grace Ashcroft, a young, but talented, FBI agent. She's savvy and well-read, but is obviously far less physically gifted and imposing compared to other series protagonists. That doesn't mean she isn't a fighter, though.
My demo started with Grace in a rather precarious position as she's suspended upside down, attached to a medical bed, with a needle in her arm actively draining her blood. After she manages to tip over and get herself free, that's when gameplay begins.
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She whispers to herself something along the lines of, 'What did he do to me?' which implies this takes place part of the way through the game and she's aware of who may be behind her predicament.
Resident Evil Requiem allows you to play from both a first-person and third-person camera angle, which you can toggle in the options menu. I spent the majority of my time in first-person because the game recommended that perspective for this section and it felt appropriate given the gameplay and framing was reminiscent of RE7 and RE8.
After I got my bearings, I began exploring every nook and cranny of the room before leaving. I was able to inspect the massive puddle of blood I've left behind, turn off and on some lights, and do a little bit of light reading from some notes left on a table about my condition. That's lovely.
Exiting the room and entering the dark hallway is where the game really started to creep me out. I'm unsure if I was being held in an actual medical ward, or if this was a hotel of some kind, or perhaps something else, but it didn't exactly give off welcoming vibes in any case. A few well-placed unsettling sounds here, a few flickering lights there, and lots of shadowy corners later, I found myself with my first real obstacle.
After collecting an empty glass bottle from the ground and discovering a few dead bodies, I needed to find a key to enter a locked door a little further down the hall. And after that, I found a circuit that needed (you guessed it) a fuse to operate. It was near a large, metal gate blocking off another section of the hall so I assumed that was a major progression marker I needed to get through.
Once I made my way back down the hall with a lighter to help guide me, I started to open a door when the first big jump scare got me good as a dead body fell out. A few seconds later, what can only be described as a very large monster lady chomped down on its head and snarled in my direction.
What followed for the rest of the demo was a complex and nerve-wracking chase sequence. Grace being injured, she wasn't able to move very quickly so I had to loop around and duck under objects to get some distance between me and the creature. Not long after the first chase began, she cornered me and bit my head off in a single bite. It was the signature kind of beautiful gore and violence you expect from Resident Evil.
Something that stuck out for me with Requiem is how different Grace feels as a protagonist. She isn't a fearless and seasoned veteran of fighting monsters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine. She doesn't have massive muscles and huge firepower like Chris Redfield. When playing as Grace, you really do feel vulnerable and it's definitely a change of pace even compared to Ethan Winters.
Thankfully, the mistake allowed me to learn the layout a little better and I tried again. This time, she somehow managed to crawl through the ceiling and erupt at the end of the hallway as I approached—which of course elicited another jump scare out of me—so I spun around back the other direction before eventually getting cornered and eaten again.
For the third chase, I finally had the flow figured out. After losing her near the end of the hall and hiding until she went away, I could sneak back, grab a screwdriving, throw a bottle to distract her, open the fuse box, and install it in the empty slot to open the gate.
I was free! Or at least I was for a few seconds.
Before Grace is able to fully crawl under the gate the monster explodes through and destroys the gate, grabbing Grace by the leg, dragging her as she kicks, screams, and cries.
The demo ends with a long, uncomfortable shot of Grace absolutely frozen in fear, tears streaming down her face. It's really unnerving and it's the sort of moment you'd never have seen from most other leading characters in this franchise. I'm extremely intrigued to see where this one goes next.
Resident Evil 9—Everything You Need to Know
As I mentioned before, Resident Evil Requiem will include both first-person and third-person gameplay perspectives and I can personally confirm that the third-person option won't try to obscure Grace's face like the camera tried to do with Ethan Winters in Resident Evil 8. Thankfully, it's a much more normal implementation.
Based on confirmed details so far, Grace Ashcroft seems to be the sole primary protagonist of this new story and she's the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak. However, some unconfirmed rumors have mentioned that Leon Kennedy could be playable in some capacity as well. It wouldn't be unheard of to shift perspectives at some point.
Requiem marks our return to Raccoon City, the first time we'll be headed back to the iconic (albeit absolutely cursed) town since the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. That also means the mansion from the original Resident Evil game is very close by.
According to recent confirmation from Capcom at Gamescom, we know that Requiem takes place 30 years after the events at Racoon City just as the series celebrates its 30th anniversary as well.
In related news, Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger is working on a Resident Evil movie next, but it won't be connected to the games.
Resident Evil Requiem is slated for release next year on February 27, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.