| Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) | |||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Resident Evil Requiem is the latest addition to CAPCOM's legendary Resident Evil series, featuring a new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft! Read on to learn how it plays, what it's about, and everything else we know so far.
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Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) Gameplay
Two Protagonists, Two Play Styles
Resident Evil Requiem splits its time between two protagonists: franchise all-star Leon Kennedy and series newcomer Grace Ashcroft. As such, players will experience a different facet of Resident Evil-brand horror whenever they switch from one to another.
Grace's Survival Horror
Grace's side of the story leans into survival horror, playing more like Resident Evil 2 and 7. Grace is still equipped with a gun, a rather powerful one at that, but ammo is scarce, and enemies are deadly. Shooting is treated more like a last resort rather than Plan A, with players having to intelligently navigate tight quarters and avoid enemies while playing as Grace.
Leon's Action-Packed Gameplay
Leon's sections, on the other hand, reflect his extensive experience fighting bioweapons. His half of the game is more action-oriented, similar to Resident Evil 4 and Village. Leon is equipped with a diverse arsenal of powerful weapons, which he will use to dispatch the infected with relative ease. Instead of the usual survival knife, Leon wields a hatchet in Requiem, which doesn't need to be repaired or replaced but instead needs to be sharpened from time to time.
HUD Matches Subgenre Switches
Reflecting each protagonist’s distinct play style, Resident Evil Requiem’s HUD adapts depending on whether Leon or Grace is currently active. When playing as Leon, the equipped weapon and current ammo count are shown on-screen, along with a typical health gauge similar to the action-oriented RE4 and RE5.
Grace’s gameplay sections emphasize immersion, switching to a minimal HUD that only shows ammo when shooting and health when taking damage. Additionally, Grace’s health is displayed using Resident Evil’s traditional three-step, color-coded system, going from Fine to Caution to Danger, with slight hue shifts vaguely indicating remaining hit points.
Choose Your Perspective
Players can switch perspectives on the fly in Resident Evil Requiem, opting for either RE7 and Village's first-person or the franchise's more traditional third-person perspective. The setting can also be switched specifically for Leon or Grace, meaning players will not have to repeatedly go back to the settings menu whenever the protagonist changes.
Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) Story Plot
Resident Evil Requiem Story
While Requiem connects to Resident Evil 2 and 3 through its shared Raccoon City setting, it also acts as a distant sequel to 2003’s Resident Evil Outbreak. The story begins with investigative journalist Alyssa Ashcroft, one of Outbreak’s only canonical survivors. For years, Ashcroft investigated the experiments of Dr. Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella-affiliated researcher.
After the destruction of Raccoon City and Umbrella’s collapse, Gideon continued working in secret to free “Elpis,” a secret government project tied to an infectious disease. Ashcroft’s investigation eventually led to her death at Gideon’s hands.
8 years after the murder, Gideon discovers that Alyssa's daughter, an FBI analyst named Grace, is the key to his master plan. He then promptly kidnaps the younger Ashcroft, kicking off the events of Resident Evil Requiem. Unfortunately for Dr. Gideon, Leon Kennedy, now working for the Division of Security Operations, is on the case.
Resident Evil Requiem Setting
Resident Evil Requiem brings the franchise back to Raccoon City, roughly 30 years after its destruction in RE2 and 3. The game largely takes place in the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, a former sanatorium and Umbrella Corp. facility.
Largely unscathed by the Raccoon City outbreak and missile strike, the derelict building is purchased by antagonist Dr. Victor Gideon and acts as his base of operations. Grace and Leon must individually delve deep into the facility and face the horrors within to unravel Gideon's plans of mass destruction.
Resident Evil Requiem Characters
Leon Kennedy
Leon Scott Kennedy is one of Resident Evil's most recognizable characters, having been in the starring role of multiple entries, most notably Resident Evil 2, 4, and 6. A former Raccoon City Police Department rookie officer, Leon would go on to dedicate his life to fighting bioterrorism around the world. Just as he did in RE6, Leon currently works for the Division of Security Operations (DSO).
Grace Ashcroft
Sharing the spotlight with Leon is Grace Ashcroft, a brand-new character in the world of Resident Evil. She is an intelligence analyst in the FBI. In Requiem, Grace is assigned to investigate the suspicious death seemingly related to a deadly infectious disease. On this mission, Grace is kidnapped by Victor Gideon and must face both her personal trauma and unfamiliar terrors in order to survive.
Victor Gideon
Dr. Victor Gideon is a former Umbrella Corporation researcher and the antagonist of Resident Evil Requiem. Operating out of a former Umbrella research and treatment facility, Dr. Gideon is dead set on unleashing a virus, named 'Elpis,' upon the world. In the events of Requiem, Gideon assassinates Alyssa Ashcroft and kidnaps her daughter, Grace, 8 years later.
Alyssa Ashcroft
Alyssa Ashcroft is the mother of Grace Ashcroft and is assassinated at the beginning of Requiem. She made her first appearance in the franchise in 2003's Resident Evil Outbreak, being one of the playable characters. She is a reporter whose investigation into Victor Gideon's operation in Raccoon City led to her eventual murder.
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