Resident Evil 9: Requiem

Facing our fears. 

When Resident Evil 7 was first revealed, fans of the long-standing franchise wondered if Capcom would return to the classic gameplay that they redefined with Resident Evil 4. While remakes would certainly aim to show what Capcom could do with modern gameplay, it wasn't until now that Capcom pushed the story forward with a title that is equal parts new Resident Evil and that of the old. 

Wrapping credits after some 10 hours, Requiem is outstanding across all fronts, offering two interconnected stories with two wildly different protagonists, yet feeling like one cohesive story. For fans wondering if Capcom would return to the Resident Evil that they grew up on, well, your prayers have been answered, and more.

Requiem opens as we are introduced to Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, who was one of the playable protagonists from the Resident Evil Outbreak series. Grace is timid, fearful, and socially awkward, with a great deal of that coming from being unable to move past the trauma of her mother’s murder some eight years ago, an act that we get to experience firsthand.

Tasked with investigating a series of murders at the same hotel where her mother was killed, Grace is reluctant and afraid to confront her fear of that place, and yet, she agrees to this investigation as a way of moving past and confronting her fear. Grace's venture into the Hotel is unexpectedly tied to a man who is under investigation by the game's second lead, Leon S. Kennedy. 

We meet Leon as he is looking for a man named Victor Gideon due to his connections with Umbrella. What makes these murders even more suspicious is that each of the six victims was a survivor of the Raccoon City incident. In fact, while Resident Evil 9 Requiem is the 9th main entry in the series, it truly serves as a distant sequel to the Resident Evil 2 Remake, given the attention to not just Leon, but Racoon City itself. 

What I truly appreciate about what Capcom has done here, is that it places both Grace and Leon at the forefront of the story, with neither feeling underused or overplayed. The story is deeply emotional to the pair, as while Grace is trying to understand her place in all of this, Leon is fighting the ghosts of his past once Raccoon City becomes a focus, given his inability to save everyone during the incident. 

Leon, the now 51-year old federal agent for the Division of Security Operations, works alongside a familiar face to fans of the series, a nice little surprise that I didn't see coming. As Requiem is set some 30 years after the Raccoon City incident, it allows that trauma to almost define who Leon is after all this time, much in the way that Grace’s trauma defines her as well. Having them both have an emotional center that is shared between the two works well, and gives them the ability to work past it together.

Spotted during the reveal that Leon was also part of this story, fans quickly pointed out that Leon had some sort of biological infection on his neck. While I certainly won't spoil anything further about it, this infection does play a key role in Leon’s story, giving him a sense of urgency to find Gideon and get to the bottom of whatever conspiracy is afoot. And, like Grace's nervousness and fear, it gives each character a background element that can present itself as an obstacle when the time is right.

Now, instead of an A or B playthrough, like Resident Evil 2, you'll swap to each character at specific times, showing what each is up to during the story. Some sections end as one begins, catching you up to speed. While the front half of the game is fairly Grace heavy, you do eventually get a nice lengthy section as Leon, giving you the true successor to Resident Evil 4 Remake that fans have wanted for years. 

What works with the dual protagonists is that each plays entirely differently. Grace's sections are closer to old school Resident Evil and that of 7 and 8, where Leon’s is a direct continuation of 4 Remake, complete with a beefier inventory space, as Grace has to rely on finding pouches to expand her much more compact storage. Thankfully, Grace has access to item boxes to drop off and store crucial items you may need later on. Leon, well, he has something a bit different.

Each character can also be played either in first or third person, with the default set to Grace being in first-person, and Leon in third. While I did enjoy 7 and 8, third person was always Resident Evil for me, and I chose to play Grace entirely in third person, and while I did try a few sections in first person, I don't regret changing it back and experiencing the game as a fan of the original games and remakes. Each provides a different way to experience the game with no right, wrong, or intended perspective, given the nature of the series. To be fair, they did add full third-person support in 7 and 8, so there is that to consider.

When it comes to each character, Grace is vastly underprepared for the situation, only coming equipped with a basic pistol, before being gifted the Requiem, a powerful hand cannon that Leon originally wields. While Grace will find another pistol, her kit is designed to be significantly weaker and more of her surviving her ordeal than overcoming it. Enemies are more spaced out and strategic than built around an all out onslaught. Her sections are a return to survival horror rather than survival horror action that took over the series with 4.

Leon, however, is exactly that. Each section with him has encounters that are violent, bloody, and over the top, leaving each room like a bomb went off. From parrying to wielding a chainsaw, Leon has some fantastic battles, including some of my favorite boss fights across the entire franchise. 

Unlike Grace, Leon has a wide assortment of weaponry. From pistols to shotguns, rifles, and machine guns, you'll acquire more guns as the game goes on, complete with ways to improve that arsenal, typical to that of Resident Evil 4 Remake. His Chapters are chaotic, action-packed, and one lengthy section in the game is my favorite part of any Resident Evil game to date. While I won't dive into the return to Raccoon City, it is a true highlight of the game, and provides a lot for Leon to tackle, both physically and emotionally.

Leon is just as action-focused as he was in Resident Evil 4 and 6, despite being far older. Depending on the action and placement, Leon will kick, punch, and slam zombies into the wall, counter, and floor. He may be a few years away from getting that senior citizen’s discount, but he's still kicking ass in the ways fans want and expect. Armed with a hatchet that you'll sharpen to keep effective, Leon has a fantastic assortment of melee options when bullets may not be suitable for the occasion.

Grace, however, is less focused on action. She can shove zombies over, as they shamble backwards into a wall or another zombie, but she is nonetheless efficient with a gun, care of her FBI training. Still, Grace’s nerves are present, as aiming showcases her entire arms shaking as she wields a gun. Grace is certainly out of her depth, as she embraces many of these monstrosities for the first time, while Leon has witnessed and experienced far greater horrors and is able to put aside the emotions of who these people once were. 

While Grace and Leon are the major players here, the rest of the cast is slim but effective. Early into Grace's journey through the medical care facility, she meets Emily, a young blind girl locked in a glass box, a book in her hand as her fingers glide over the braille. There is a great mystery around Emily, and her connection to all this, as well as other forces at play that are responsible for her current containment within the facility. 

Resident Evil is no stranger to a child or teenager being integrated into the story, as Resident Evil 2, which is a big inspiration for this game, had such a character. Grace and Emily have a good arc that results in some big moments for the FBI agent. While I've usually been at odds with kids in games, usually as they are poorly written and performed, Emily is a standout here, and I really enjoyed her time with Grace.

Puzzles do fill out some of Requiem’s length, but not as much as some purists likely would have wanted. From some puzzle boxes, to opening an organ box, which just honestly gives you the code, there is only one real puzzle, regarding a severed hand, and players have yet to solve it. Otherwise, you're still looking out for safe codes or trying to track down coins for Grace to unlock a few key items. Overall, I'm not sad that the puzzles have been either omitted or watered down, as it was never a component to the series that I found intriguing.

Utilizing the latest build of the RE Engine, Requiem is a stellar package of highly detailed environments and phenomenal-looking creatures and horrors. In-game models do take a slight hit, but unless you are stopping all play to scrutinize them inch by inch, you'll never notice, as the cutscene models are absolutely incredible, allowing every scene to truly engage you. Regardless of first or third person, the various environments that Grace and Leon find themselves in are extremely well-crafted, especially a particular wide-open space that serves as a huge component to this journey for the pair.

Both Angela Sant’Albano and Nick Apostolides carry this game as Grace and Leon, respectively, with newcomer Sant’Albano really going through it as Grace. Emma Rose Creaner is another standout as Emily, with Antony Byrne also being a fantastic villain in Victor Gideon.

Requiem does a number of things well to accommodate two slightly different Resident Evil experiences without this latest entry feeling like two unique games. It also builds on the franchise in ways like never before, with a revisit to Raccoon City decades after Leon and Claire barely escaped with their lives. Leon's redemption arc and Grace being able to learn the truth is captivating, cementing Requiem as one of the all time best games in the series.

Developer - Capcom.
Publisher - Capcom.
Released - February 27th, 2026.
Available On - PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC.
Rated - (M) - Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language.
Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X/S.
Review Access - A review code for Resident Evil 9: Requiem was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.