by Anthony Monroe Mar 12, 2026

Resident Evil Requiem Review

Some of us find going home again can be cathartic. Maybe not so much for Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft, but that is exactly where this newest entry in the celebrated Survival Horror series Resident Evil will take us. Resident Evil Requiem starts with a bang and doesn’t let up until the credits roll. The story takes us back to where it all began, after a terrifying intro area that is among the scariest moments of the Resident Evil franchise.

Terror in Rhodes Hill

You will be introduced to a new character to the series, Grace Ashcroft. All of Grace’s areas are told from the first person point of view, much like the last two mainline games. Unlike those games’ protagonist, Ethan Winters, Grace is not at all equipped for the horrors she’s about to be put through. Although a FBI agent, Grace has always rode a desk. While battling PTSD after witnessing her mother murdered, Grace has been shut away for a while.

Sent into the field for the first time to investigate a murder at the same hotel that her mother was murdered, Grace is pulled into a plot brewing since the very beginning. These scares come hard and fast, as Grace is hunted by various mutant monsters that can destroy her quickly. She’s important to the villains’ plot, and the key to a world altering secret. Grace is fighting for survival, and by the time you’re done with each part of Grace’s story, that’s exactly what you’ll feel like you’ve done. Merely survive.

Grace’s segments bring all the horror, with some genuinely tense moments, and some genuine scares. The jump scares are there, but it’s the atmosphere that really unsettles. Grace doesn’t have access to the small armory that past protagonists have had. She has her wits, and a pistol to start, and that is about it. This trip through Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center could be her first and last. That’s not the only location we will be trekking through, but it’s a terrifying trip nonetheless. Eventually, Leon will be going home.

Back To Where It All Began

Leon’s segments of the game play a lot like Resident Evil 4. You’re treated to the over the shoulder aiming and action of that game. Leon brings his entire repertoire and some new tricks. He’s going to need every bit of them to survive this one. Raccoon city, and his past, are calling him back.

While Leon is in Rhodes Hill trying to rescue Grace from her plight, things go sideways quickly. He hasn’t been a rookie in years, and has been through his fair share of this before. He’s hot on the trail of Dr. Victor Gideon, the director of the Rhodes Hill Care Center. Dr. Gideon has a long history, and he’s been around the Bioweapons game for a long time. It’s during this investigation that Leon first meets Grace.

As we learned in the care center, Grace is very important. She’s soon dragged to Raccoon City, the birthplace of the T-virus and the nightmare begun by the Umbrella Corporation.

We Can’t All Go Back Home

Leon will trek familiar ground in Raccoon City, and relive some of his unresolved trauma. Places like Gun Shop Kendo and the RPD Station loom ahead, along with some familiar foes. Leon must fight his way to the heart of the city and through the heart of darkness. This is where the action portions of this game really pick up. Leon will have to parry, shoot, melee, and brute force his way through his old stomping grounds.

You’ll find this is where the armory really gets it’s chance to shine, as you get acquainted with the best guns in the game, and the ability to upgrade and purchase new ones. A bit of the charm is missing in this regard, as Requiem does away with the merchant and the Duke style characters in favor of an online style “box” purchasing system. You gain a kill tracking device used to gather points for kills, instead of the currencies found in Resident Evil 4 and The Village.

You will see the scares fall off a good bit in these sections compared to the terrifying earlier half inside the Care Center, but we do spend some more time with Grace. I found these portions of Grace’s story slightly more frustrating than tense, but they moved the story along well, while reintroducing a classic enemy into the modern RE era.

Leaving Home

This trip back home ends extremely well, with two different endings to satisfy. Leon’s journey full circle, and Grace’s just beginning. This installment in the classic franchise does everything right and even exceeds that in some regards. Sometimes going home again is just what we needed. We highly recommend taking this trip, and with the replayability that this game offers, it will feel fresh for a while.

I cannot recommend this game highly enough, and gladly give it a 9.5/10!