Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) is a landmark entry in Capcom’s long-running franchise, launching February 27, 2026 to an 88–89 Metacritic score — making it the best-Resident Evil Requiem Review game in over two decades. Directed by Koshi Nakanishi and built exclusively for ninth-gen hardware using the RE Engine, the game follows FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and returning hero Leon S. Kennedy as they unravel a conspiracy tied to Umbrella Corporation’s darkest secrets. Grace’s survival horror chapters — featuring limited ammo, a terrifying unchallengeable stalker, and some of the series’ most atmospheric locations — are widely praised as the game’s creative highlight, while Leon’s action-oriented sections offer satisfying combat in the vein of RE4 Remake.
Backed by exceptional visuals (including full path tracing on PC), outstanding voice performances, and strong replay value across 49 achievements and multiple difficulty modes, Requiem sold 5 million copies in its first five days and stands as one of the most accomplished horror games available on current-generation hardware.
1. What Is Resident Evil Requiem? Context Before the Review
Resident Evil Requiem — the ninth mainline entry in Capcom’s franchise and referred to interchangeably as RE9 — launched on February 27, 2026, simultaneously across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. It was the first Resident Evil game built exclusively for ninth-generation hardware and also the first in the series to support both first-person and third-person camera perspectives from launch.
The game’s arrival carried significant weight. It landed in the franchise’s 30th anniversary year, came after a five-year gap since Resident Evil Village (2021), and followed one of the most acclaimed remake campaigns in gaming history — RE2 Remake (2019) and RE4 Remake (2023). The question for Requiem was never simply “is it good?” — it was “is a brand-new Resident Evil story capable of matching remakes of the series’ greatest classics?” Based on the evidence, the answer is a firm yes, with some honest qualifications.
2. Who Made RE9? Developer & Director Background
Resident Evil Requiem was developed entirely by Capcom using their proprietary RE Engine — the same technology that has powered every mainline entry since Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in 2017. The game was directed by Koshi Nakanishi, who previously directed Resident Evil 7, which is widely credited with reviving the series after the more divisive RE5 and RE6 era.
The project had a six-year development cycle during which it changed dramatically. According to Nakanishi, the game was initially conceived as an online open-world multiplayer experience before a complete reboot in 2021 refocused it as a single-player story. That earlier ambitious concept was ultimately shelved in favour of what the team felt players truly wanted: a traditional, crafted survival horror experience. Hindsight confirms that call was correct.
The Resident Evil franchise itself was created by Shinji Mikami and Capcom, launching in 1996 and founding the survival horror genre as it exists today. While Mikami is no longer at Capcom, the franchise has continued to evolve under its current leadership — Requiem being the latest and most critically successful evidence of that trajectory.
3. Story Review: What Works, What Divides
The story of Resident Evil Requiem is set in October 2026, 28 years after the Raccoon City incident. FBI intelligence analyst Grace Ashcroft is assigned to investigate a series of mysterious deaths among Raccoon City survivors, drawing her to the very hotel where her mother was murdered. When Leon S. Kennedy is also dispatched to the scene, two very different people with very different stakes are thrown into a crisis that connects directly to Umbrella Corporation’s darkest legacy.
What the story does brilliantly is make Grace’s personal journey feel genuinely earned. The revelation of her connection to Oswell E. Spencer and the truth about Elpis reframe the entire game on a second playthrough. The emotional stakes of her relationship with the blind girl Emily give the story a humanising warmth that horror games rarely achieve.
Where critics are more divided is the second half of the campaign, which shifts heavily toward Leon’s perspective and action-based sequences. For players who became invested in Grace’s more vulnerable, investigative style of horror, this tonal gear change — while well-executed on its own terms — can feel jarring. The pacing in the game’s middle third received the most mixed feedback from reviewers, with some calling the character switches “abrupt” and others finding them refreshing variety.
✅ For New Players: Resident Evil Requiem was designed to be accessible to newcomers. Prior knowledge of the franchise enriches the experience considerably, but Grace’s story provides a genuine entry point that does not require 30 years of franchise history.
4. Grace’s Gameplay — Survival Horror Done Right
Grace’s chapters are the game’s creative core — and the reason Requiem stands as one of the most genuinely frightening entries in the franchise. The design decision to give Grace only a single handgun with limited ammunition for the majority of her sections forces players into a survival mindset that most modern action games have long abandoned.
The stalker enemy — “The Girl” — is a masterclass in sustained tension. Like Mr. X in RE2 Remake or Lady Dimitrescu in Village, The Girl cannot be killed and must be navigated around. Her ability to track Grace through walls and ceilings adds a layer of spatial anxiety that transforms even familiar rooms into threatening environments.
The Adrenaline System, which boosts Grace’s reload speed under pressure, is a smart mechanical touch that rewards players for staying calm during the most frightening moments. It also directly references the risk/reward gauge from Resident Evil Outbreak — a subtle acknowledgement of Grace’s lineage as Alyssa Ashcroft’s daughter.
Critics consistently singled out Grace’s care centre chapters as the game’s single best sequence, with multiple reviewers describing it as one of the top five locations in series history.
5. Leon’s Gameplay — Action Thrills, Some Restraint
Leon’s sections provide the action-oriented counterbalance to Grace’s horror. Armed with multiple weapons and driven by the confident combat flow familiar from the RE4 Remake, Leon’s chapters are fast, satisfying, and mechanically tight. Nick Apostolides’s performance gives Leon a weight and emotional depth that elevates him beyond the “returning fan-favourite” role.
The most common criticism of Leon’s sections is that they feel like a “restrained RE4 sequel” — which is simultaneously a compliment and a mild disappointment depending on your expectation. Weapon variety is more limited than in RE4 Remake, the merchant system is simpler, and there is no equivalent of RE4’s Separate Ways-style depth. Leon’s portions are excellent by most game standards; they are simply not quite at the benchmark set by one of the greatest action games ever remade.
6. Graphics & Technical Performance
Resident Evil Requiem is the most technically ambitious entry in the franchise and one of the most visually impressive games available on current-generation hardware. Built exclusively for ninth-generation consoles, it was designed from the ground up without cross-gen compromise.
| Platform | Resolution | Frame Rate | Key Feature |
| PS5 (Standard) | 4K | 60fps with ray tracing | Full ray-traced lighting |
| PS5 Pro | 4K via PSSR | 60fps stable (high-intensity scenes) | PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution |
| Xbox Series X | 4K | 60fps | Ray tracing enabled |
| PC (High-End) | Up to 4K+ | Uncapped frame rate | Full path-traced lighting (RTGI, RT reflections, RT shadows, RT ambient occlusion) |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Dynamic resolution | Stable 30–60fps | First day-and-date RE launch on Nintendo hardware |
On PC, Resident Evil Requiem features full path-traced lighting — including ray-traced global illumination, reflections, shadows, and ambient occlusion simultaneously. This makes the PC version a genuine graphical benchmark, particularly in Grace’s dimly lit hotel and care centre environments where the lighting transformation is most dramatic. NVIDIA DLSS 4, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS are all supported.
The RE Engine continues to punch above its weight. Character models are extraordinarily detailed, environmental decay feels tangible, and the creature design for new enemies is genuinely disturbing in a way that elevates the horror beyond jump scares alone.
7. Sound Design & Voice Acting
The audio design in Resident Evil Requiem is exceptional across every platform. The sound of Grace’s footsteps on different floor surfaces — tile, carpet, gravel, water — contributes to the environmental storytelling in ways that feel effortless but clearly required meticulous craft. The absence of a monster is communicated through silence so effectively that some players report finding the quiet rooms more frightening than the loud ones.
Angela Sant’Albano’s performance as Grace received universal praise. For a debut video game role — and her first experience with motion capture — the nuance she brings to Grace’s fear, determination, and gradual discovery of her own strength is remarkable. Nick Apostolides continues to refine Leon as a fully developed character rather than a nostalgic placeholder, giving him weight and fallibility that the earlier RE games rarely attempted.
8. Replay Value & Post-Game Content
- Two endings encourage at least one deliberate replay to experience both conclusions
- Insanity difficulty unlocks after first completion and transforms the game into a brutal resource survival test
- Bonus Menu with purchasable infinite weapons, visual filters, and challenge modifiers using earned Challenge Points
- 49 trophies/achievements requiring multiple playthroughs and specific challenge runs
- Speedrun structure designed for replayability — the under-4-hour trophy is achievable with preparation and makes every run feel purposeful
- First-person / third-person toggle effectively gives players two different experiences of the same game
- DLC is widely expected based on Capcom’s pattern with recent RE titles — no official announcement as of publication
9. Where RE9 Sits in the Series: Critic Score Comparison
| Game | Year | Metacritic Score | Type |
| Resident Evil 4 Remake | 2023 | 93 | Remake |
| Resident Evil 2 Remake | 2019 | 91 | Remake |
| Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) | 2026 | 88–89 | Original |
| Resident Evil 7: Biohazard | 2017 | 86 | Original |
| Resident Evil Village | 2021 | 84 | Original |
| Resident Evil 3 Remake | 2020 | 73 | Remake |
| Resident Evil 6 | 2012 | 67 | Original |
Among fully original (non-remake) Resident Evil titles, Requiem scores higher than every entry since Resident Evil 4 in 2005 — making it the best-reviewed original RE game in over two decades. The game also achieved a user score of 9.5 on Metacritic in its opening week, tying it as the highest-rated user score game on the site alongside Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
10. Final Verdict: Should You Buy Resident Evil Requiem?
Who Should Buy It Immediately
- Fans of classic survival horror — Grace’s chapters deliver the resource-scarce, atmosphere-heavy horror that RE7 and the original trilogy are celebrated for
- RE4 Remake fans — Leon’s sections scratch a very similar itch, even if they do not surpass that game’s depth
- Franchise veterans — the lore depth, Raccoon City callbacks, and Outbreak connections reward longtime players enormously
- Technical showcase seekers — the PC version with full path tracing is one of the most visually impressive games available on any platform
- Trophy and achievement hunters — 49 trophies across multiple playthroughs provide excellent structured replay value
Who May Want to Consider First
- Players who strongly prefer pure action games with no horror stealth elements — Grace’s sections are non-negotiable and central to the game
- Players expecting RE4 Remake-level weapon depth in Leon’s chapters — the combat is excellent but more restrained
FAQs — Resident Evil Requiem Review
Q: What is Resident Evil Requiem’s Metacritic score?
Resident Evil Requiem holds an 88–89 on Metacritic and OpenCritic across 116+ critic reviews. It is the highest-reviewed mainline, non-remake Resident Evil game since the original RE4 in 2005.
Q: Is Resident Evil Requiem scary?
Yes. Grace’s chapters in particular are widely described as among the most genuinely frightening sections in series history. The care centre area and the persistent stalker enemy The Girl received specific praise for sustained horror atmosphere.
Q: How long is Resident Evil Requiem?
A first playthrough with moderate exploration takes approximately 18–24 hours. Speedrun completions on subsequent playthroughs can bring this under 4 hours. Full 100% completion across multiple runs takes 25–30 hours.
Q: Is Resident Evil Requiem worth buying?
Yes — for virtually any horror or action-adventure fan. It is the most critically acclaimed original Resident Evil game in over 20 years, sold 5 million copies in five days, and delivers a strong campaign with excellent replay value and one of the series’ best new protagonists.
