Resident Evil Requiem Review (Nintendo Switch 2)
Is Resident Evil 4 the best or is it Resident Evil 2 and where does Resident Evil Requiem finds itself within this legendary series?
With RE2 and RE4, there isn’t a wrong answer, but it ultimately comes down to if you prefer Resident Evil as a horror or an action experience and until now you had to take a stance. With Resident Evil Requiem, you no longer have to decide as it combines both sides of the argument into one fantastic experience. With Grace, you get to experience the atmospheric horror in first person and with series stalwart Leon Kennedy, you get all the third person action you can handle.
The split between Grace and Leon was inconsistent and affected the pacing as you spent a little more time in Leon’s shoes, coming from someone who prefers RE2. Capcom is still hesitant to commit to the grounded tone that nearly all RE games begin with before becoming over the top, and I wish they would’ve explored the psychological horror aspect they teased with Grace as her story felt like the perfect opportunity.
Resident Evil Requiem carries forward the high standards set by the elite entries of the series and feels like a near perfect hybrid of RE2 and RE4. The three decade gameplay is highly refined, the action constantly raises the bar throughout and switching between the two protagonists provided contrast that heightened the impact of the narrative, which was interwoven into the long running series with ease. Resident Evil Requiem definitively belongs in the conversation as one of the franchises best.
9
if you want to see the full review with more nuance, continue reading or check out the video (coming soon)
RESIDENT EVIL REQUIEM REVIEW
For the first time in a mainline entry since Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in 1999, we are going back to Raccoon City. Spoiler alert for a 27 year old game, but at the end of Nemesis, the government approved a sterilization operation in an attempt to control the zombie outbreak with a missile strike at the heart of Raccoon City that was swiftly covered up. Not only are we returning to continue this lingering storyline, but Capcom have created an all new character with a deep connection to the events that happened nearly 30 years ago.
In Resident Evil 9: Requiem, you’ll spend a lot of your time as FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, who has been assigned to an unsolved case featuring an unidentifiable disease. In a dark twist of fate, the body was discovered at the same hotel that her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft died at over eight years ago. Grace Ashcroft is a great addition to the Resident Evil franchise, offers a lot more depth than Ethan did when he was introduced in 2017 in Resident Evil Biohazard and she is woven into this storied franchise seamlessly.
After a short stint exploring the hotel, learning how her mother died and a bad turn of events, we are now thrust into the shoes of series legend, Leon Kennedy, who is more grizzled and hardened than ever. Leon arrives at the same hotel that Grace was just at, as a zombie outbreak just beginning, which is a scene that Leon is all too familiar with.
After a brief action forward section with Leon where he shoots and roundhouse kicks every zombie within sight, both of our heroes now find themselves at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, which feels like the second coming of the RPD from1998 all the way down to the color palette. Just like the iconic location from Resident Evil 2, it’s full of secrets, puzzles and surprises. In a testament to the excellent level design at Rhodes Hill, you eventually become highly familiar with the layout, which increases the immersion, removes the need for the map, but Capcom still keeps you uncomfortable throughout.
It’s at the Rhodes Hill Center that you fully get to appreciate the rhythm of Resident Evil Requiem as you switch between Leon and Grace. These alternating sections bring plenty of value to the experience. Tonally, Grace is a fish out of water, trying to come to terms with what’s happening, whereas Leon is much more confident in his approach as he has done this numerous times before. Even his monologue and one liners provide a levity that isn’t found during your time with Grace. With Grace you get a more classical franchise experience with high tension and limited resources. With Leon, you become a one man army using chainsaws, grenades, axes, sniper rifles and anything else you can find as his experience felt more akin to RE4.
The juxtaposition between the two characters worked well on many levels, but I think the narrative benefited the most. The swapping of the characters always happened at the exact moment that kept you on the edge of your seat like seeing the words to be continued at the end of a movie would.
Everything else you have come to expect from Resident Evil is here and highly refined. There a few franchises that do gated exploration as satisfying as Requim does. Dr Gideon is a great addition to the franchise lineage of memorable antagonists as well as a few other people you will meet during your journey that you will have a hard time forgetting. The set pieces and cinematics bring value to the experience and hook you in as opposed to give you a break to check your phone. Managing your resources is still vital to the experience, but there are some clever ways that you can even the odds with crafting or upgrades.
RESIDENT EVIL REQUIEM CRITICISMS
Resident Evil 4 was incredible because it broke the mold, and it would be pretty incredible to see the series be bold again and commit to the serious tone that most Resident Evil games begin with, which I understand the why fix it if it’s not broken mentality. Capcom had a great opportunity with Grace, the death of her mom and how much more they could’ve explored this psychological aspect. I thought Grace was a great addition to the series, especially how her story has been weaved into the franchise seamlessly, but I did find some inconsistencies with her character and her motivations.
The immersion is great thanks to incredible lighting, sound effects, voice acting and narrative, but it doesn’t take long for Resident Evil Requiem to pivot from an experience to a game. There is a strong juxtaposition between what is required for modern immersion and iconic series staples. I understand how important some of these things are to the franchise, but there is a way to keep them while fully immersing the player.
Capcom tried to blend the two different styles of Resident Evil and as someone who prefers the style and pace of Resident Evil 2, I wish Requiem would have been able to find a better balance between Grace and Leon. At the start and once again at the end, the pacing and swapping between characters was perfect, but once you get to Raccoon City, the experience becomes more skewed towards Leon and the action forward gameplay of RE4. This might be a non issue if you prefer RE4 over RE2.
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 PERFORMANCE
After comparing Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 versions, the difference isn’t as stark as I expected it to be. As expected textures are softer and with less detail, but the biggest issue for most would be the framerate. When there are a lot of enemies on screen and lighting requirements are high, it can struggle to maintain a consistent framerate. However, as sluggish as the frame rates can get at times, the experience is strong enough to maintain the immersion in spite of the technical difficulties.
Playing in handheld during the day also isn’t conducive to the experience that Capcom wants you to have with what is one of the best entires in the franchise, but if this is the only way you can play Resident Evil Requiem, you should because, the experience is nearly on par and it’s on of the best in the series
RESIDENT EVIL REQUIEM SCORE AND FINAL THOUGHTS
Resident Evil Requiem is a testament to how ahead of its time and iconic Resident Evil 2 was since Requiem feels like a more modern take of the 1998 classic infused with action elements from Resident Evil 4. The series still has a bad habit of becoming over the top and unrealistic, Grace felt under explored, especially psychologically and you spend a little too much time in the shoes of Leon, which affected the pacing during the second act, from the perspective of someone that thinks RE2 is the best of the series.
The atmosphere, tension, puzzles, locations and bosses you encounter during Requiem were all unforgettable and have the makings of becoming iconic. Grace is one of the strongest new characters the franchise has seen in years, it was great to be able to step in the shoes of Leon Kennedy again and returning to Racoon City after all these years in a new light was pretty special.
It might not be the revolution that RE2 or RE4 was, but with the highly refined blend of the two contrasting gameplays, Requiem is proof as to why the franchise has been around and thriving for over 30 years. If you are wondering where it fits into the series pantheon, I would place it only behind RE2 and RE4 as the third best in the series.
