Resident Evil Requiem: Capcom’s Mad Scientists Are Mixing Mayhem & Melancholy – And It Might Just Be Genius
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Capcom's *Resident Evil Requiem* is shaping up to be a dual-protagonist beast, blending Leon Kennedy's over-the-top action with newcomer Grace's nail-biting survival horror, creating a 'Greatest Hits' experience that could either be genius or gloriously chaotic. Will this contrasting cadence hit the sweet spot? Only time will tell!
Right then, buckle up, mates, because I’ve been peering into the digital tea leaves and poring over Kenneth Shepard’s three-hour deep dive into *Resident Evil Requiem* for Kotaku. And bloody hell, if it doesn't sound like Capcom's gone and brewed up something truly... ambitious for the series' big 30th anniversary. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit *too* well, leaving you with a glorious, chaotic mess that somehow still feels right? That’s the vibe I'm getting from *Requiem*, which apparently juggles two wildly different playstyles, making it feel less like a single game and more like a greatest hits album with a side of existential dread. (Massive props to Kenneth Shepard over at Kotaku for the initial intel, by the way – always good to see someone dig into the nitty-gritty!)
Capcom, bless their perpetually experimenting hearts, seems to have cooked up a game that’s a "little bit of something for everyone," as Kenneth aptly puts it. Whether you’re a purist who craves the claustrophobic dread of the Spencer Mansion or an action fiend who just wants to see Leon S. Kennedy roundhouse kick a monster through a wall, *Requiem* is apparently serving both. My inner cynic immediately went, "Hang on, won't that just be a discombobulated mess of disparate eras?" But Kenneth's take is that Capcom has drawn such a clear line between the two main characters' experiences that it feels less like an interruption and more like enjoying the contrasting flavours in a perfectly constructed "Jill Sandwich" (their words, not mine, but I love it!).
First up, let’s talk about our perpetually unlucky, yet undeniably cool, ex-Raccoon City cop, Leon S. Kennedy. If you thought *Resident Evil 4*'s Leon was a one-man army, apparently *Requiem* dials that up to eleven. Kenneth talks about him being an "absolute tank," even in his "old age." Sounds like he's traded in his 'rookie cop' badge for a 'veteran monster-puncher' card, eh? The action segments are described as pure, unadulterated camp – cheesy one-liners included. You're not just surviving; you're *thriving* in a ridiculously over-the-top way.
Kenneth recounts a Leon segment where he arrived at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center just as a new virus outbreak kicked off. Hospital staff rapidly turning into zombies, including one particularly nasty chap swinging a chainsaw around with reckless abandon. A close call, apparently, involving some hatchet parrying (yes, you read that right, *parrying a chainsaw with a hatchet* – Leon is truly built different). After dispatching the first chainsaw-wielder, the saw dropped, only for *another* zombie to pick it right back up. This happened a few times before the penny dropped for Kenneth: you can pick up the chainsaw yourself! Once armed with that beauty, the remaining horde was apparently "made quick work of." This isn't just about shooting; it's about improvising, adapting, and embracing the glorious chaos. Even when Leon's ammo runs low (a rare occurrence, it seems), he just powers through. The hatchet, which you can sharpen mid-scrap, ensures you're never truly defenceless. Stun a group with a well-placed shot, then kick them away for space, reload, or pull out the whetstone. Or, if you’re lucky, you get one of Leon’s gloriously violent, almost balletic takedowns that usually ends with a zombie losing its head and him doing a hair flip. Whether his back is against a wall or he's tied up for interrogation, Leon always feels like he's in control. That, my friends, is the cathartic mayhem we crave.
But here’s where it gets properly interesting, where Capcom pulls the rug out from under your combat boots and shoves you into a dark, creaky closet. Enter Grace, the new protagonist. Kenneth had played her sections before, comparing them to *Haunting Ground* – a proper deep cut for the horror purists, that one! And after about two hours more with her, that comparison still holds. You see, while Leon’s packing heat and cracking wise, Grace is… well, she’s trying not to get eaten. Her segments are all about sneaking, puzzle-solving, and making a single bullet stretch further than a wizard’s cloak. When Leon hands her a gun, it’s not the instant power-up you’d expect. Kenneth makes a point that a handgun in Leon’s hands is "a weapon of mass destruction," but for Grace, it’s "more of a flyswatter." Fair dinkum, that's a brilliant way to put it! You're not fighting; you're *surviving*. Dodging, running, hoping a quick stun (with a few warning shots to the head) is enough to shove a zombie to the ground so you can sprint past. She might get some upgrades, but Kenneth doubts she’ll ever reach Leon’s "walking tank" status. His Grace section involved a lot of backtracking through the same hospital area, killing "only a handful of enemies" – not from lack of trying, mind you, but because bullets just don't hit as hard from her untrained hand. Navigating these spaces meant remembering threats, hoping to exploit zombies' "one-track minds" to get through unscathed. This is that old-school, nail-biting, resource-scarcity horror that truly gets under your skin.
Now, the clever clogs at Capcom reckon this stark contrast is meant to give us a rhythm – hours of tense atmosphere followed by flashes of violent catharsis. And you know what? That sounds pretty darn good on paper. Kenneth even highlights how returning to a Grace-explored area as Leon felt completely different. As Grace, he kept finding "warped" cabinets he couldn't open, deeming them mere distractions. But as Leon, armed with his trusty hatchet, those same cabinets sprang open! It's a neat trick, showing that the world itself adapts to your playstyle, or rather, that different characters interact with it on entirely different terms. It’s a subtle yet brilliant piece of design, reinforcing the unique journey of each character.
My inner skeptic, however, can't help but wonder if this ambitious duality will hold up over a full dozen hours. Will it feel like a perfectly balanced "Jill Sandwich" of peanut butter and jelly, as Kenneth puts it, or will it become a disorienting, uneven ride that leaves us wanting more of one and less of the other? *Resident Evil* has certainly had its fair share of uneven entries over the years, hasn’t it? (Remember *RE6*? Bless its chaotic heart.)
Still, my optimistic side (the one that always believes a new spell might just work perfectly) is buzzing. Capcom’s clearly taking a big swing here, acknowledging the series’ wild, thirty-year journey from claustrophobic survival horror to action-packed monster mashing. *Resident Evil Requiem* isn't just trying to be one thing; it's trying to be *all* the things *Resident Evil* has ever been. And if they pull it off? Bloody hell, that could be something genuinely special – a true digital wizardry trick. We'll know for sure when it lands on February 27, but for now, the prospect of this two-headed beast has me more excited than finding a rare legendary drop in a dungeon.
*Original Source: "Three Hours With Resident Evil Requiem: The Best Of The Series’ Horror And Action Wrapped In One" by Kenneth Shepard, published on Kotaku.*
Tags: Resident Evil, Survival Horror, Action-Adventure, Game Preview, Capcom
Original article: kotaku