Resident Evil Requiem review: an enthralling combination of nail-biting horror and explosive action

The ninth entry in the Resident Evil series is easily one of the best

(Credit: Capcom)

🏆 Review Score: 4.5/5 – ‘Awesome’

🏅 Editor’s Choice Award

✅ Pros:

• ✌️ Switching between the two protagonists keeps things fresh

• 🔫 Gunplay has never felt so good

• 🎧 Insanely good audio

• 😍 Sumptuous visuals

• 🗣️ Fantastic voice acting

• 😱 The main villain is truly disturbing

• 🏆 More than one run through is encouraged

• ✍️ A captivating story with good pacing

• 😬 Scary without relying on too many jump scares

❌ Cons:

• 😖 Noticeable film grain which can’t be turned off

• 🚶 Sprinting feels like fast walking

• 🔧 Issues when changing graphic settings

• 🙄 Leon has one too many one-liners

• 🤷‍♂️ An overreliance on the ‘power of three’

The Shortcut Review

What if you combined the first-person, unsettling horror of Resident Evil 7 with the action-packed, gun-slinging combat of Resident Evil 4? Well, the result is Resident Evil Requiem, an excellent new entry in Capcom’s long-running series that shows sometimes you really can have the best of both worlds.

But to Capcom’s credit, even though the idea works wonderfully (you play as Grace from a first-person perspective and Leon from a third-person perspective), you’re still free to change things around if you so wish. That’s a refreshing approach, and shows that Capcom understands, despite its best intentions, that people will have their preferences. A player-first approach is always admirable.

• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC

• Developer: Capcom

• Publisher: Capcom

• Price: $69.99

• Install size: 73 GB on PC

• Release date: February 27, 2026

Resident Evil Requiem feels like the culmination of Capcom’s previous entries, which isn’t a bad thing. You’ve got the same bum-clenching terror that Resident Evil 7 reestablished, with its brooding, danger-filled hallways and limited resources. But also the over-the-top, gratifying combat-focused gameplay that Resident Evil 4 is famed for.

Requiem does experiment with a few minor gameplay changes – crafting is arguably more important this time around along with melee combat. However, Capcom clearly made a conscious effort to nail the fundamentals, and refine them to a level previously unseen.

A key area where Resident Evil Requiem shines is in its storytelling and delivery. This is the closest a Resident Evil game has felt to playing through a feature-length film, and I mean that in a positive way. From the superb voice acting, motion capture, and truly astonishing visuals, it’s the type of presentation values that we’d see from an esteemed studio such as Naughty Dog.

Fundamentally, though, Resident Evil Requiem is a blast to play. Every zombie is satisfying to dispatch, and there’s a tangible rush whenever you manage to evade the clutches of the latest demonic creation that’s hunting you down. Light puzzling solving keeps you moving along at a healthy pace towards your next objective, and the intriguing story of Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy searching for answers makes for one enthralling campaign.

No matter which style of Resident Evil you prefer, Resident Evil Requiem delivers scares, action, and satisfying combat from start to finish. Read my full Resident Evil Requiem review below.

How I tested Resident Evil Requiem 🧪

It’s fair to say Grace is put through the ringer in Resident Evil Requiem. (Credit: Capcom)

I played Resident Evil Requiem on a PC that has an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, an Nvidia RTX 4070 Super, and 32GB of RAM on a 32-inch 4K 240Hz LG OLED using the game’s ‘Ultra Performance’ DLSS setting with HDR enabled. I also played several hours of the game using path tracing, though reverted to turning ray tracing off towards the end of my review due to too many frame rate fluctuations in open areas. During my review, I played Resident Evil Requiem using a mouse and keyboard wearing a pair of Astro A20 X with DTS Headphone:X enabled.

It took me just over 10 hours to complete Resident Evil Requiem on the game’s ‘Modern’ difficulty setting.

A review code was provided by Capcom.

What I loved about Resident Evil Requiem ❤️

Leon really doesn’t care about your dry cleaning bill. (Credit: Capcom)

• ✌️ Switching between the two protagonists keeps things fresh. Resident Evil Requiem provides the perfect blend of the claustrophobic first-person horror of Resident Evil 7 and Village, and the more action-oriented over the shoulder gameplay of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. The combination works wonderfully, and it helps strike a balance for those who may prefer one perspective over another.

• 👀 You can choose whichever perspective you prefer. Even though the game defaults to a first-person perspective for Grace and a third-person perspective for Leon, you’re free to choose whichever camera you prefer. This flexibility is a fantastic addition and lets you enjoy the game however you prefer. It also adds more replay value, as you may want to play through the game from a different perspective.

• 🔫 Gunplay has never felt so good. One of the most satisfying aspects about Resident Evil Requiem is the combat. The way the zombies react realistically to each bullet shot or crushing melee strike makes every encounter a gripping and rewarding experience. I never grew tired of the game’s super slick combat, and every encounter was thrilling and fun.

• 🎧 Insanely good audio. Audio makes such a difference in horror games and movies, and Capcom clearly understood the assignment. The audio quality in Resident Evil Requiem is superb, with every bump, creak, groan and thunderous footstep from a 12-foot monster roaming the floor above you sounding chillingly real. A pair of headphones is a must, especially if you enable 3D audio.

  Every line is delivered with a level of conviction and authority that I genuinely felt a connection to Grace early on. That’s a rare feat that only some games pull off.

• 😍 Sumptuous visuals. It might sound hyperbolic, but there are times when Resident Evil Requiem genuinely verges on looking photorealistic. Some elements let it down, but the lighting, textures, materials, animations, and attention to environmental details are truly impressive. Those with powerful enough graphics cards can also enjoy ray tracing and path tracing, which takes the presentation to another extra level.

• 🗣️ Fantastic voice acting. It’s clear from the opening cutscene that Resident Evil Requiem’s voice acting is top-notch. Every line is delivered with a level of conviction and authority that I quickly felt a connection to Grace early on. That’s a rare feat that only some games pull off, and it’s clear Capcom spent a lot of time ensuring that the game’s emotional rollercoaster of a story would resonate with players.

Reading a scary book in the dark is asking for trouble. (Credit: Capcom)

• 😱 The main villain is truly disturbing. The game’s main villain, Victor Gideon, makes an immediate impression. He’s disturbing to look at and has a menacing aura that’s reminiscent of The Joker from The Dark Knight. You almost feel powerless in his presence, and there’s a real sense of unease that washes over you whenever he’s on screen.

• ✍️ A captivating story with good pacing. Something that most films and video games struggle with is keeping the attention of the player throughout, especially as games usually have to draw you in for hours at a time. Thankfully, Resident Evil Requiem delivers a well-paced story that’s full of mystery and intrigue, with a few twists thrown in for good measure. Gameplay also never becomes overly repetitive or outstays its welcome.

• 😬 Scary without relying on too many jump scares. The best horror games don’t need to rely on cheap scare tactics, which are usually delivered in the form of jump scares. Resident Evil Requiem creates an unsettling atmosphere so that you’re always on edge, and thankfully uses jump scares sparingly and effectively.

• 🏆 More than one run through is a must. Once you’ve finished Resident Evil Requiem, there are plenty of incentives to play through the game again. Whether it’s taking on different difficulties, in-game challenges, or unlocking bonus content, I’ll definitely be returning to Resident Evil Requiem again.

• 👏 Some great nods that series’ veterans to enjoy. Fans will notice plenty of in-game Easter eggs and nods to famous characters and moments from previous games. One appearance, in particular, caught me off guard, and is sure to put a smile on players’ faces.

What I disliked about Resident Evil Requiem 💔

Victor Gideon doesn’t appreciate personal space. (Credit: Capcom)

• 🙄 Leon has one too many one-liners. The sections where you play as Leon are more bombastic, action-orientated affairs. And while that often acts as a nice counter-balance to the more stealth-focused, survival horror gameplay while playing as Grace, sometimes the contrast is too jarring. For example, Leon constantly drops one-liners that trivializes the threat or danger he’s in, which can make his sections feel more like he’s acting in a B-Movie rather than fighting for his life. I get that he’s a hard-boiled vet with nothing to lose, but it could have been reigned in a touch.

• 😖 Noticeable film grain which can’t be turned off. As beautiful as Resident Evil Requiem can look, a stylistic choice that might perturb some players is the strong use of a film grain effect. Most games include an option to turn film grain off, but you can’t remove it here and it’s very noticeable, especially during outdoor sections and cutscenes. Hopefully, an update will provide an option to turn it off.

• 🐢 You call that sprinting? One oddity that I never quite got past when playing Resident Evil Requiem is just how slow Grace and Leon move while supposedly sprinting. In a game where you’ll be regularly backtracking for items or running away from zombies, the slow movement speed quickly becomes frustrating. It’s almost like both characters are running through tar.

• 🤷‍♂️ An overreliance on the ‘power of three’. You’ll have to solve various puzzles throughout the game’s campaign, but don’t be surprised if you notice an all too familiar pattern occur. You’ll be asked to find three objects, do three things in order, or combine three elements to make an item you need. It’s a nitpick, admittedly, but the puzzles could use a little more variation.

• 🔧 Issues when changing graphic settings. This problem is specific to PC, but I noticed several occasions where I’d change the DLSS 4 upscaling setting from ‘Performance’ to ‘Ultra Performance’ at 4K, only for it to revert back to Performance each time I loaded the game. There were also issues with the game’s frame rate cap, where selecting “Up to 120fps” didn’t work, as my frame rate would often surpass the in-game cap.

Should you buy Resident Evil Requiem? 🤔

Always make sure you have a knife to hand. (Credit: Capcom)

Yes, if…

• ✅ You loved Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village

• ✅ You want to play a survival horror game that’s genuinely unsettling

• ✅ You’re already a Resident Evil fan and want to see how the story comes together

No, if…

• ❌ You scare extremely easily

• ❌ You prefer the traditional, tank control-style Resident Evil games

• ❌ You consider a 10-hour campaign “too short”

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.