Resident Evil Requiem attempts to blend all eras of the franchise together with a dual-pronged campaign that features terrifically scary highs and some all-too terrifying lows. Sequels are hard, which is probably why Capcom has left it until now to make a true one to 2012's Resident Evil 6. Much maligned at launch but since thought of as a cult classic by some veteran fans, Requiem pulls more from this action-oriented entry than from the recent Ethan Winters duology.
The first-person scares that reinvented the franchise's survival horror in 2017 are still present, but now they are optional, fleeting, and disruptive to the action game Requiem clearly wants to be. For those who adored Resident Evil: Village and Biohazard's claustrophobic scares, this will be disappointing. Conversely, Resident Evil 4 remake diehards will enjoy the zombie-fuelled nostalgia trip back to Raccoon City. There is a good game here, but its reverence for the past sacrifices innovation for fan-service too often.
Events start incredibly strong with rookie FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft. Her side of the story, set in Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Centre, leans heavily into Resident Evil's scariest tendencies. Grace is not an action hero, and the limited ways to handle horrific situations reflect that. Her first-person sections increase suspense, bolstered by new mechanics like the Infected Blood collector, which turns enemies into a resource. Rhodes Hill is pure nightmare fuel, packed with zombified former workers, and as a puzzle box it stands toe-to-toe with the series' best.
However, when Leon's side of events kicks in, tension is thrown out of the window. Playing similarly to Resident Evil 4 remake and Resident Evil 6, Leon's exploits maintain scares only briefly before devolving into high-speed vehicle chases and machine-gun fights. This honours the era of giant monsters and campiness, but feels incongruous with Grace's mature, smaller-scale journey. The mix of survival horror and action never quite works as well as it should.
