Resident Evil Requiem: Two Endings, One Bloody Massive Lore Drop
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Resident Evil Requiem's endings aren't just about choices; they're a wild ride through decades of Umbrella lore, revealing an antiviral macguffin, a surprisingly remorseful Spencer, and setting up a whole new shadowy corporate villain, The Connections, for *Resident Evil 10*. It's a proper lore-bomb that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about Raccoon City's tragic past.
Right, so you've just wrestled with the horrors of *Resident Evil Requiem*, probably spilled a few virtual guts, and then faced that big, final choice. Good on ya, mate! But here's the thing: that decision wasn't just about finishing the game. Oh no, Capcom, bless their horror-loving hearts, used those endings to drop a lore bomb so potent it could rival a T-Virus outbreak. I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? That's what choosing *Requiem's* "good" ending feels like. It’s not just a happy little bow; it's a giant, pulsating tendril reaching out to the very foundations of the Resident Evil universe, stirring up decades of Umbrella's shenanigans and setting the stage for what’s next. Let's dive in, because there's more going on than meets the mutated eye.
First up, the path less travelled by those who instinctively blow up anything Umbrella-adjacent: the "Good Ending." Here, Grace and Leon find themselves in Raccoon City, discovering yet *another* secret lab, the ARK, chilling beneath an orphanage. Classic Resident Evil irony, eh? Inside, Grace unearths an old interview with Ozwell E. Spencer – the Umbrella mastermind – conducted by her journalist mum, Alyssa Ashcroft. The bombshell? Spencer, in a shock twist that’d make a Wesker clone blush, had a moment of remorse. *Remorse!* The bloke who pretty much engineered global apocalypse apparently adopted Grace to atone. And no, she's not some super-powered genetic key; she's just… a kid. This reveal alone is like finding a unicorn in the BSAA mess hall – utterly unexpected.
This is also where we learn the true nature of Elpis, that mysterious macguffin. Turns out, it’s not a weapon of mass destruction, but a *vaccine*. An antiviral for all those nasty bioweapons. A world without bioweapons? Sounds a bit utopian for Resident Evil, doesn't it? But alas, Grace releases it, and things get messy in the best possible way.
Enter Zeno, our slick-haired villain who *isn't* Wesker (despite the vibes, mate). He injects Elpis, thinking it’s the key to ultimate control. Instead, it cures his existing infections, stripping him of his Wesker-esque dodging abilities. Serves him right for not reading the instruction manual, eh? Just as he’s fuming, armless Victor Gideon (another Umbrella blast from the past, now a proper chaos merchant) turns up, claiming Spencer's vaccine plan is genius because it'll cause anarchy. Before Zeno can finish his villain monologue about his true masters, The Connections (remember them from *RE7* and *Village*?), Gideon pops his head off. Literally.
With a boss fight clearly on the menu, Grace uses Elpis to cure Leon of his stage three T-Virus infection. Our floppy-haired hero then proceeds to kick Gideon's newly mutated, electricity-wielding, tentacled arse. But because this is Resident Evil, one death is never enough. Gideon mutates again, into a hulking monstrosity that’s basically screaming "I AM NEMESIS!" After a satisfying amount of weak-point shooting and tentacle parrying, Gideon is finally put down.
Just when you think it’s over, the ARK decides it’s had enough and starts collapsing. Classic. Leon and Grace are about to meet their maker when, *voilà*, the Hound Wolf squad rappels in! Chris Redfield is nowhere to be seen, naturally. Leon then radios Sherry Birkin (because everyone who survived Raccoon City is apparently T-Virus positive), confirming Elpis works. Grace, safe but traumatized, mourns Emily, the young test subject she tried to save, who turned into a bioweapon and got gunned down by Leon. But fear not, our hero Leon, with the medical expertise of a rocket scientist, theorizes Emily could still be alive because he “didn’t hit any of her vitals.” Right, Leon. News reports confirm Umbrella’s secrets are finally out, including the *real* reason Raccoon City got nuked (more on that later), and The Connections are getting called out by conspiracy theorists. Juicy stuff, eh?
The "good" ending even throws in a post-credits scene. Grace is back to being an FBI analyst (talk about career progression after a zombie apocalypse!). A phone call reveals Emily *did* survive and is now living with Grace. Elpis, presumably, fixed her eyesight too. And if you’re quick, Leon’s phone number flashes up (266-555-0173 – don't actually call it). Grace’s boss wants a 60-page report on the ARK events, which unlocks in the bonus menu, pretty much cementing this as the canon ending. The *final* post-credits scene is back at the ARK, with shady soldiers neutralizing BSAA forces and heading to retrieve "the objective" before Wolf Squad. A definite setup for *Resident Evil 10*, and probably more tentacled horrors.
Now, for those of you who, like me, might instinctively think "Umbrella-made object? Destroy it!" you’d trigger the "Bad Ending." And fair warning, it’s a proper bummer. You destroy Elpis, the ARK collapses, and Leon, being the hero he is, sacrifices himself to get Grace to safety. Zeno, still juiced up on his Wesker powers, makes quick work of Leon (RIP, our floppy-haired legend) before apparently plummeting to his own doom. Grace escapes, shell-shocked, to be greeted by a rescue team. And then… that's it. No fancy credits, no post-credit teasers, just a cold, hard, "you failed, try again" reload option. It’s the gaming equivalent of building up to a massive magical showdown, only to accidentally trip over your own robe and land face-first in a puddle. Anticlimactic doesn't even begin to cover it.
But here's where *Requiem* truly flexes its narrative muscles and gives us the *why* behind all the chaos. That 60-page report Grace writes? It's a goldmine. It details six decades of Umbrella's shenanigans, from its founding in 1968, revealing the ideological rift between co-founders Spencer and James Marcus. Marcus, it turns out, was being secretly funded by The Connections, who'd also planted moles within Umbrella. By the 90s, Spencer had lost control and retreated to ARK to develop Elpis in secret.
The Connections, hearing whispers of Elpis, totally misunderstood it. They thought it was a mind-control virus. In a move of pure, corporate-overlord evil, The Connections then *lobbied the US government* to missile Raccoon City in 1998 – not to stop the virus, but to disrupt Umbrella's relationship with the US government! Bloody hell, that’s next-level machiavellian. They then framed Spencer, dissolved Umbrella, claimed its assets, and started looking for Elpis, believing Grace was the key to unleashing the "greatest bioweapon." Spencer, in his twisted way, wanted Elpis to bring peace and redemption. The Connections, however, are now turning the ruins of Raccoon City into a hub for bioweapon production and distribution. Grace's report ends with the FBI needing to investigate The Connections, confirming they’re the real power behind the world’s problems, and setting us up for *Resident Evil 10*.
So, there you have it, mate. *Resident Evil Requiem* wasn't just a romp through more zombie-infested corridors; it was a masterclass in lore delivery, weaving new threads into the ancient tapestry of Umbrella’s legacy and introducing a new, even shadier puppet master. It makes you wonder how many other "accidents" in gaming history were actually part of some elaborate, decades-long corporate takeover, doesn't it? This game didn't just give us endings; it gave us a whole new conspiracy theory to unpack for the next decade. What a ride, eh?
Tags: Resident Evil, Requiem, Lore, Gaming Endings, Survival Horror
Original article: IGN South Africa