I Played 3 Hours of Resident Evil Requiem and It’s The Best of Both Worlds

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Capcom recently revealed a lot more about Resident Evil Requiem, the newest installment in the long-running survival horror series. With the news that Leon will be a playable character, the developers are now sharing details about the game’s features and explaining how its two main characters will work together.

I recently had the chance to play about three hours of Resident Evil Requiem before its official reveal, giving me a first-look at the next installment in the series. Throughout this recent period of Resident Evil games – including the highly praised remakes alongside new entries – Capcom has done a great job of evolving the franchise while still staying true to what fans love. Even though this is the ninth game, it feels like the series has really found its footing, successfully blending classic elements with modern gameplay.

I played a demo of Resident Evil Requiem and got to control both Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy. Grace is a new main character for the Resident Evil series who has connections to the game’s existing story. She’s similar to Ethan Winters from previous games – a fresh face without a lot of pre-existing expectations, allowing for a new take on fighting zombies.

Okay, so Grace is starting fresh, but Leon? He’s bringing everything with him! Seriously, this guy is a legend in the Resident Evil series, and we haven’t been able to actually play as him since Resident Evil 6 (the RE4 Remake didn’t really count). Everyone’s been begging for him to come back, and Capcom finally listened. Bringing Leon back is a big deal, and there’s a ton of pressure on them to do it right!

Playing as Grace in Resident Evil 9

The Resident Evil Requiem demo primarily showcased Grace, with two sections featuring Leon at the beginning and end. My initial experience with the demo was brief, but it clearly demonstrated that Grace’s gameplay focuses less on action and more on the series’ original survival horror style. In the demo, Grace carefully navigated a hospital wing, trying to avoid a terrifying creature blocking her path. There were no weapons or fights—it was a tense and challenging experience focused purely on survival, reminiscent of the early Resident Evil games.

In this second look at the game, Grace has more control over her actions, but the core gameplay still revolves around surviving with limited supplies. She now has a gun, allowing her to take down infected enemies with bullets and close-combat attacks, though this isn’t always the smartest strategy. Enemies can be quite resilient in Resident Evil Requiem, so careful planning is key. While fighting is sometimes necessary, I often found it more effective to simply sneak or run past zombies that weren’t an immediate threat.

A new feature in Resident Evil Requiem is the injector, which gives players more options. Crafting is still important, but when playing as Grace, you decide how to combine the injector with different items you find. Throughout the game, Grace can fill the injector with infected blood, creating a new resource to mix with herbs or parts. This creates interesting choices: do you prioritize healing, more ammo, or upgrading damage? The injector can also create a powerful explosive injection for instantly eliminating zombies. So, even though Grace aims to avoid unnecessary killing, she can still quickly deal with infected when needed.

Resident Evil Requiem aims to recapture the feel of the original games by making resources scarce and limiting inventory space. This forces players to make tough decisions about how to progress – whether to fully explore and eliminate threats, or just barely survive. The game continues to deliver excellent graphics and sound, creating a truly chilling atmosphere. While Resident Evil isn’t always focused on scares, Requiem successfully builds a sense of dread during Grace’s storyline, and features several genuinely terrifying moments.

Despite some improvements, like a greater focus on stealth and survival horror, the gameplay in Resident Evil Requiem still feels very similar to previous installments. While switching between first- and third-person perspectives is new, it doesn’t drastically alter how the game plays. The level design—a multi-story house filled with puzzles and hidden shortcuts—also retains the classic Resident Evil feel. Overall, this is Resident Evil at its finest, and I thoroughly enjoyed the demo.

Leon Brings the Action Element to Resident Evil Requiem

While Grace’s part is important to the overall story of Requiem, Leon’s sections were also fantastic, even though I played as him for a shorter time. Grace’s gameplay focused on vulnerability and created a stressful experience, while Leon’s parts were full of action. This contrast between the two characters offers a great mix of suspense and excitement.

Leon brings a much-needed dose of style and excitement to the Resident Evil series. Whether he’s revving a chainsaw or battling a terrifying boss, he feels fresh and engaging. It’s incredibly satisfying to weaken a zombie with a few shots, then finish it off with a powerful kick or a brutal axe blow.

The Leon portion of the game, despite being relatively short, was excellent. It truly showcases what makes Resident Evil great, letting players choose to play carefully, aggressively, or with a mix of both. Capcom clearly understood the importance of making Leon’s return special, and if the rest of the game lives up to these sections, fans will be thrilled.

My hands-on preview showed a similar balance throughout the game. Grace provides a good contrast to Leon, blending fast-paced action with slower, more methodical gameplay. The Resident Evil series has been consistently successful, and Requiem isn’t attempting any radical changes like the shift to first-person perspective in RE 7. Instead, Resident Evil 9 aims to offer players more freedom within a structure that respects both the series’ history and its current style. This combination of old and new should give fans exactly what they want.

The game Resident Evil Requiem will be available on February 27, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. We received travel assistance from TopMob to cover this preview.

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2026-01-26 18:05