The wait is finally over. After years of speculation and a marketing campaign that sent the community into a frenzy, Resident Evil Requiem has arrived, and it is nothing short of a revelation. Released on February 27, 2026, Capcom’s ninth mainline installment doesn't just celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary—it weaponizes nostalgia while boldly charting a new future. With a Metacritic score settling at a stellar 88 on PS5, Requiem stands as a testament to Capcom's mastery of the genre, delivering a dual-protagonist narrative that seamlessly welds the claustrophobic terror of Biohazard with the high-octane action of Resident Evil 4.
Return to Raccoon City: A Open-World Nightmare
The most ambitious change in Resident Evil Requiem is its setting. For the first time, players return to the ruins of Raccoon City—not as a linear corridor shooter, but as a semi-open world that feels dangerously alive. The narrative picks up 28 years after the city’s destruction, following veteran agent Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst with a personal connection to the outbreak. The RE Engine flexes its muscles here, rendering the overgrown, irradiated remains of the city with haunting fidelity. The atmosphere is oppressive; fog hangs heavy over the cratered streets, and the sound design is so precise you can hear the wet slap of footsteps on slick pavement from rooms away.
Exploration is rewarding but fraught with peril. Unlike previous titles where safety was a door transition away, the open zones of Raccoon City mean nowhere is truly safe. You’ll find yourself scavenging through the rotting shell of the R.P.D. station or the new, labyrinthine Rhodes Hill Hospital, constantly weighing the risk of combat against the need for resources. It’s a loop that feels fresh yet deeply respectful of the series' roots.
Gameplay: The Perfect Fusion of Action and Horror
Capcom has finally solved the franchise's identity crisis by embracing both of its personalities. The game features a unique "Perspective Shift" mechanic, allowing players to toggle between first-person and third-person views—a feature that fundamentally changes how you approach encounters. Playing as Leon offers a third-person, action-heavy experience reminiscent of the RE4 Remake, complete with roundhouse kicks and precise gunplay. His sections are adrenaline-fueled desperate stands against hordes of new, intelligent bioweapons that flank and communicate.
Conversely, Grace Ashcroft’s segments force you into a first-person perspective, stripping away power and emphasizing pure survival horror. Grace isn't a combat specialist; she’s an investigator. Her gameplay loops revolve around solving intricate environmental puzzles and stealthily evading stalker-type enemies. One standout sequence in the Wrenwood Hotel had me holding my breath in real life as I hid in a locker, watching a grotesquely mutated creature sniff the air inches from the grate. The pacing between these two styles is masterful, preventing the fatigue that plagued Resident Evil 6.
Technical Performance on PS5 and Next-Gen Consoles
On the PlayStation 5, Resident Evil Requiem is a technical marvel. Running at a locked 60 frames per second in Performance Mode, the combat feels fluid and responsive—critical for those tight parry windows. Ray tracing features in Resolution Mode add a layer of grime and realism to the wet surfaces and shattered glass of the city, though the trade-off in frame rate might not be worth it for purists. The DualSense implementation is standout, with haptic feedback letting you feel the difference between the heavy recoil of Leon’s "Silver Ghost" and the frantic heartbeat of Grace during stealth sections.
The Unsolved Mystery: The Final Puzzle
Even days after launch, the community is stumped by the infamous "Final Puzzle" found in the hospital wing. Social media is ablaze with theories about the DNA sequence "GGC AAG AUA UGU CAU" discovered under a microscope. This level of community engagement recalls the golden era of survival horror secrets, proving that Requiem isn't just a game you play; it's a mystery you solve together. It’s a brilliant touch that extends the game’s life beyond the credits.
Verdict: A Modern Classic
Resident Evil Requiem is the game fans have been dreaming of for decades. It honors the legacy of Leon S. Kennedy while introducing a compelling new heroine in Grace Ashcroft. By successfully marrying open-world exploration with tight, curated scares, Capcom has set a new high bar for survival horror in 2026. While the inventory management can still be a headache and some open-world traversal feels slightly padded, these are minor gripes in an otherwise immaculate package. If you own a next-gen console, this is the essential purchase of the year.
