I recently played Resident Evil Requiem. As a long-time fan of the series, my feelings are mixed; the experience offered both satisfying moments and regrettable shortcomings.
The main campaign lasts about 10 hours—relatively short, with content that feels somewhat lacking in depth. The game adopts the currently popular dual-protagonist narrative style: Leon returns to the spotlight, appealing to veteran fans’ nostalgia, while a new FBI rookie, Grace, makes her debut. While the dual-protagonist setup was intended to enrich gameplay and narrative layers, it ultimately became the game’s biggest weakness.
Grace’s character design and controls are a disaster; she feels utterly useless. Her attack power is pitiful, and controlling her is frustrating. Furthermore, her inventory space is severely limited, forcing constant, tedious choices regarding ammo, items, and medicine. The experience often feels more like “Inventory Management Crisis” than a survival horror game, significantly disrupting the flow of play.
In the latter half, Leon returns to Raccoon City, once again tapping into nostalgia and pitting players against classic bosses from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. This wave of callbacks hits the right notes for veteran fans and stands out as the game’s highlight.
The game features two vastly different endings. In one, the popular protagonist Leon is killed by the villain, and the game ends without a final boss battle. The other is a “happy ending” where Leon battles the ultimate boss and saves everyone. After completing one ending, the game thoughtfully allows players to jump straight into the other.
The Chinese voice acting is excellent, though the frequent use of profanity by both protagonists—particularly the female lead—detracts from the overall impression.
Overall, the core gameplay, combat mechanics, and survival pacing are solid, making for a decent experience that casual players might enjoy. However, the level design lacks innovation and feels highly formulaic; repetitive environments and predictable puzzle mechanics lead to a sense of monotony. The narrative is also rather flat, lacking dramatic twists or impressive foreshadowing. Looking at the work as a whole, it is painfully evident that Capcom has run out of creative steam; the game relies on its classic IP and nostalgia to carry it, yet fails to properly refine the narrative and gameplay—truly letting down long-time fans.