Resident Evil Requiem Review — 2026's First Big Must Play Game Is Here
The latest entry in the long-running Resident Evil series delivers both scares and spectacle. Here's why
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in Capcom’s long-running survival horror series. Don’t let that number fool you though. It’s has just as many new tricks up its sleeve that make it a treat to play for fans and veterans alike.
To start off, the game does a decent enough job of explaining its premise. A slew of seemingly unrelated killings across the US inevitably spirals into a zombie apocalypse. You’ll swap between two protagonists — newcomer Grace Ashcroft and series favourite Leon Kennedy as they unravel the mystery behind this.
And like most things Resident Evil, it inevitably leads to our duo being chased by giant hallway-filling monsters, dodging hordes of undead, or simply slinking past shuffling zombies across a host of environments such as a dilapidated hotel, a clinic, and a chapel to name a few.
Where it shines though is in the gameplay. Grace and Leon control very differently. Playing as Grace defaults to a first-person view, making the proceedings feel a lot more immersive. You can switch it to a third-person view to make these parts feel less unsettling. Grace’s gameplay sections have her avoiding outright combat, focussing on stealth and puzzle solving to progress. There is some trial and error involved and I found myself reloading my save file to find the perfect route to make it through some sections of play. However it had more than enough in terms of tense moments that kept me coming back for more.
From avoiding a hulking butcher-like monstrosity in tight corridors to slinking past an ogre-sized undead in a hospital, playing as Grace had me sitting on the edge of my chair. It was reminiscent of classic survival horror fare jazzed up in glorious 4K HDR presentation that we’ve come to expect from modern day big budget games.
Comparatively, playing as Leon harkened back to Resident Evil’s more action-oriented efforts, particularly Resident Evil 4. The same enemies that would take Grace out in a couple of hits were on the receiving end of high-powered guns, chainsaws, and more.
And while it might sound like having two contrasting play styles could make for an incoherent, inconsistent affair, it actually works. You’ll play as Grace first, fumbling through a new location, avoiding foes along the way before switching over to Leon in the same location, mowing down said foes. It just feels cathartic in the best possible way.
What further elevates the experience is how zombies behave. In Resident Evil Requiem, I saw one former human-turned-undead obsessing over cleaning a mirror, a group of them feast on the dead as I slunk past, and even a few had voice lines to boot. The lore reasoning in this entry is that since they’ve just recently turned, they retain elements of their humanity.
Without spoiling much, there are several boss encounters that are equally special. Akin to Mr. X from Resident Evil 2, Nemesis from Resident Evil 3, and Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village, you’ll be chased by Requiem’s own seemingly unstoppable villains through the 12 to 15 hours it would take you to see the credits roll.
All of this is backed up by some fantastic visuals. Be it zombie-infested streets or eerie dilapidated rooms, every single inch of Resident Evil Requiem looks fantastic, delivering a distinctive, almost grungey vibe that pops on a big screen. Playing it on a PS5 Pro was a treat thanks to stellar use of the console’s DualSense controller to pipe through in-game audio via its mic. Its use of haptics and adaptive triggers is first-class too, on par with recent hits like Ghost of Yotei.
Where Resident Evil Requiem falters though is in its story-telling. Granted, most games in the series have campy tales, long-time fans will probably be up in arms with how some beats pan out and their impact on the series timeline as a whole.
That said, Requiem sets things up nicely for future instalments in the series.
Another point to note is the absence of a photo mode. It’s wild how in big 2026, series creator Capcom thought it was a good idea to ship this out without a proper photo mode on day one, something entries like Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 Remake shipped with at launch. Hopefully this gets patched in soon enough.
These minor niggles notwithstanding, Resident Evil Requiem is a solid entry worth checking out. If you’re a long-time fan or if you’re a newbie simply curious to see what the fuss is about, your time will be rewarded with experiencing one of the more fresh and visually impressive titles in the survival horror genre in recent memory.
Resident Evil Requiem is out on February 27 for PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 for ₹5,199 and PC and Xbox Series X|S for ₹4,399.