Resident Evil Requiem

I felt like I had to take a break after Fantasy Maiden Wars (going through NG+!) and picked up Resident Evil Requiem since it was on sale a bit ago. Going into this game I was… hesitant? Full disclosure, I wouldn’t call myself the biggest RE fan but I’ve played and finished 1-6 (played both remake and original of 2 and 4), so I know a bit of the series. I didn’t play 7/8 because I’ve seen multiple playthroughs of it and didn’t find myself thaat interested in them. So I’m not a true fan, but I do like some of them (4 and 4 remake being my favourite probably, though I also really like 2 og and remake and 3 og).

With that being said, I played 9 because my friend said it was good and I also liked Leon and it looked kind of fun so here I am! Something else to note is that I am absolutely and positively a very easily scared person. Like, get startled easily, spooked easily, constantly paranoid, the whole works. I still enjoy some scary things despite this (I’ve finished silent hill 1-3, and I do like some horror movies!), but most of the time I need some friends watching me which they were gracious enough to do so. Though I’m sure them watching me get scared all the time was funny for them too.

And this game was definitely spooky. Grace’s segments were way better than I expected them to be, both in terms of gameplay as well as atmosphere. There was a constant sense of dread and pressure and I especially really liked how the zombies functioned. The routines and understanding how the enemies worked to get around them was really well done, and I liked how the changes were subtle (patrols shifting) to keep you on your toes but not be so unfair at the same time. Resource management was pretty good too since it felt like you had to balance between using your crafting materials for saves (which I was so desperate to do constantly) and making ammo/useful weapons.

I was also actually a big fan of Grace’s character. I feel like this is probably a point of discussion that I have succeeded in avoiding any and all discourse about, but I thought Capcom did a really good job of making Grace be just well, a girl. My favourite moments were when I would scream/swear and Grace would do the same basically right after. I felt in tune with her and her anxiety going through the game.

The segment with her in the basement was especially tense. One of my favourite moments is during the fight with Marie there’s a hole in the ceiling. I remember talking out loud to my friends (to help myself) about how I know they put it there to trick you into thinking that she would come out of there, only for her to come out somewhere later. And of course, she did. I felt both vindicated but I was still scared because I’m terrified easily lol.

Now the other crazy thing is, I also actually really enjoyed Leon’s segments too! I found the gunplay and the waves of enemies to be quite enjoyable, and they offered a nice reprieve from the crazy tense Grace segments of the game. The repairable axe was fun, I liked how (most of) the guns felt, and doing all the melee actions and axe stuff was a blast.

I really enjoyed the return to Racoon City, the return of the set pieces and exploring the areas was actually quite cool. I thought the levels and enemy placements were well done too where they didn’t feel crazy, but at the same time I was never on an overabundance of ammo. Admittedly if I probably used the parry more I would’ve saved more and kept the melee stuff going I probably would’ve been doing better.

The boss fights were fun, and I’m glad they leaned back into some of the campiness, without being too dumb about it.

However, where the segments do fall a little short for me is that while they definitely improved some aspects from RE4make, I think overall as a pure combat/gameplay perspective RE4make was more fun. The amount of weapons and the simplicity of the upgrades weren’t as exciting for me, and the inventory space was pretty much never an issue for me. I have to admit that some of my favourite parts of RE4 was managing my inventory as I was going along so I was a little disappointed that I didn’t have to do so in Leon’s segments here (though I had to do it a lot in Grace’s).

The HUNK fight also felt… a little too nostalgia baity? for me to enjoy. It felt a little strange and out of place, and it felt more like they just wanted another Krauser fight from RE4 but it didn’t feel as slick or fun for me.

Also overall the story of the game was well, about what I expected from an RE game. It wasn’t as terrible as I expected but it was also a little crazy with how it felt like they tried to wrap up as much as possible. When I learned about the Spencer redemption I thought it would be way more insane, but this felt a little more reasonable. The whole Elpis thing was pretty funny though with how everyone thought it was some crazy shit despite it being a hope thing.

Again, that being said, I did really enjoy my time with the game. It was better than what I expected, and I ended up liking Grace a lot more than I expected too. I do hope to be able to play outbreak with my friends one day though!