Review – Resident Evil Requiem for Switch 2

I’ll admit it: Resident Evil Requiem’s marketing had me worried.

When Leon’s reveal showed him swinging a hatchet, roundhouse kicking enemies, and plunging a chainsaw into a zombie’s torso, it heavily clashed with the creeping horror tone that had been established until that point. The last time Capcom tried to please everyone with multiple protagonists and differing play styles, we got Resident Evil 6, a mess of a game with so many concepts stitched together it ultimately resembled one of Umbrella’s failed experiments.

 

 

Resident Evil may be revisiting the past with this latest entry, but for the most part, it manages to avoid its previous mistakes – and more importantly, capitalizes on what the series does best.

 

The graceful and the grizzled

 

Requiem introduces a new heroine, Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst and daughter of Resident Evil: Outbreak’s Alyssa. Grace’s latest assignment takes her to the Wrenwood Hotel, where her mother was mysteriously murdered eight years ago. Unfortunately, her trip to investigate a body ends in her capture by new villain Dr. Victor Gideon, a former employee of the sinister Umbrella Corporation who could certainly use a new skin moisturizer routine.

 

 

That’s when anti-bioterrorism agent Leon S. Kennedy appears nearby, hot on Gideon’s trail as part of an investigation at the hotel. As usual, Mr. Kennedy has the worst luck with those pesky zombie outbreaks, and before he can step out of his pristine Porsche, a horde of undead suddenly stands between him and his target. To make matters worse, he appears to be infected with a virus himself, with symptoms worsening throughout his journey. The game switches between these dual protagonists throughout its runtime.

 

Welcome home, sanatorium

 

The game’s opening hour doesn’t leave the strongest first impression, as the quick switching between both characters leaves some tonal whiplash. There’s also an attempt to ease the player in with extremely basic objectives and linear pathing – an unfortunate trend in modern AAA games – that makes the experience more boring than helpful. Thankfully, that all changes when the main leads are separated at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. Not only does the player finally get to spend a solid few hours in Grace’s shoes without interruptions, but the training wheels are now fully off.

 

 

Fans of the classic Resident Evil formula will feel right at home in this massive sanatorium – and yes, our idea of comfort is a dilapidated building full of locked doors, strange puzzles, and lots of infected nasties. It is just as vast and ripe for exploration as RE7’s Baker Estate, which itself was like RE1’s Spencer Mansion. As you may have guessed, health, ammunition, and inventory space are only available in very limited quantities for Grace, which is another checked box for survival horror purists. The “Standard (Classic)” difficulty mode is also recommended for veterans, as it brings back ink ribbons for limited saves and increased tension.

 

A new dawn of the dead

 

Zombies are once again back in a new title, but this isn’t quite the same T-virus-riddled fodder you may be used to. This time, the infected take on a distinctly Romero-inspired edge, retaining characteristics from their former human lives. Seeing their old habits manifest from their new rotten shells is effectively unsettling, with decaying singers eerily wailing at the top of their lungs and contaminated custodians obsessively scrubbing pools of blood.

These creepy quirks also open up new tactical possibilities, as you can observe their behavior to identify environmental distractions and openings to sneak past. Their erratic movements and primitive voice capabilities truly make them terrifying when they spot you, recalling the Splicers from BioShock in all the right ways.

 

Blood, sweat, and fears

 

Requiem’s marketing emphasized Grace creeping around most of her enemies, and while stealth is certainly a valid option at times, she is far from stripped of her agency. It will take you a while to gather enough firepower, but savvy players can put down any threat they want with enough patience and strategy. Grace doesn’t just have guns in her arsenal, either, as her Blood Collector device can collect infected claret from fallen enemies to craft Hemolytic Injectors. By creeping up behind enemies, you can jab them with one of these to make them instantly explode.

Putting Grace on the offensive can also extend to the game’s many stalker enemies which, unlike other recent entries, aren’t all invincible (with one exception). Stalkers have become a modern staple of the RE Engine-era Resident Evil games, and can be a divisive threat depending on their execution. The RE2 remake’s Mr. X became a tedious roadblock after a while, while RE7’s Jack Baker left an intimidating presence without interrupting progress artificially. Thankfully, the persistent pursuers of Requiem fall more in line with the latter, only patrolling very limited areas and are easily avoided with gradual map familiarity. They also offer a similar risk-reward system to the Nemesis encounters from the original RE3; they will take a large quantity of resources to put down, but not only will this make it easier to move around, you can also gain unique rewards.

 

 

Besides an empty clip, there are more deadly consequences in store for trigger-happy players, however. In a callback to the RE1 remake’s Crimson Heads, any downed infected that did not receive a Hemolytic Injector jab or critical shot to the head can later reanimate as the more resilient and aggressive Blister Heads. It’s just as terrifying as it was in 2002, and just as effective at preventing players from ever getting too comfortable in their environment. The boss fights are also a highlight, all incredibly fun and staged with real flair.

 

A choice of two evils, a matter of perspective

 

After conquering the Care Center, you’ll be reacquainted with Leon who, as previously mentioned, is the source of many fans’ trepidation towards this game, despite being a series icon. Capcom’s previous flirtations with full-blown action in Resident Evil have historically been hit or miss, but this time, Leon’s segments are actually restrained enough to sit comfortably alongside Grace’s slower, more oppressive gameplay. As the more experienced bioweapon butcher, Leon certainly has a much bigger arsenal and multitude of melee moves, but like RE4, this is balanced out by the game pitting you against overwhelming odds – the tension remains, albeit in a different flavor. The two halves are distinct yet cohesive, and switching between them after the first hour never feels jarring.

 

 

Recent Resident Evils have been a mix of first- and third-person games, but Requiem lets you opt for both. As you start the game, it will recommend you choose first-person for Grace and third-person for Leon, and for good reason. Seeing the world directly through Grace’s eyes delivers a more immersive experience, while the wider peripheral view can be advantageous for Leon when surrounded in a frenzied combat encounter. Still, you don’t have to commit as you can handily toggle between both perspectives at any time from the settings menu.

 

Armed and laborious

 

The game is consistently engaging after its slow opening, but there are two sections later on that greatly disturb the flow. The first is a linear, weaponless chapter – similar to Village’s House Beneviento or RE2R’s playable Sherry segment – that’s horribly cliché and dull, especially on repeat playthroughs. It serves to provide some story context, but an extended cutscene would have done the job.

 

 

Then there’s a part where you encounter armed enemies as Leon, which are an absolute chore to deal with. Requiem seems to encourage stealth tactics here, especially as Leon will die after just a few shots. The problem is that the game’s camera and mechanics do not seem at all designed to accommodate this type of skirmish. You can’t employ standard cover-based shooting, get a good view around corners, or move fast enough to get the drop on your opponents, so you’ll have to rely mostly on luck. The most baffling thing about both of these sections is that they come out of nowhere, and could easily be removed without losing much of worth.

 

A “best of” in the worst way

 

You’ve probably noticed that there are lots of comparisons to other Resident Evil titles in this review. This seems intentional on Capcom’s part, as Requiem feels very much like a “greatest hits” collection of sorts for the series’ 30th anniversary. The game is crammed full of fanservice-fueled reveals, with plenty of returning characters, monsters, and plot threads from the Raccoon City saga. In a vacuum, these moments can be thrilling, but for the most part, there seems to have been little thought invested into how or why these events occur. At best, the writing can be lazy, and at worst, it’s downright disrespectful to the lore and legacy of the series.

 

 

This franchise is expected to get bonkers at times, but bluntly put, this story is poor even for Resident Evil standards. This hasn’t factored too heavily into this review score, but it’s worth mentioning as storytelling in video games can be very subjective. It’s bothersome to a Resident Evil fan who has been there since the beginning, but ultimately, story is a low priority element for me when rating a gameplay-driven title like this. Still, it may affect others’ enjoyment more, and some of these plot decisions are going to upset many longterm fans.

 

A new face, a saving grace

 

The writing shines more brightly when it comes to the characters. Grace is a truly wonderful addition to the game, adding a refreshing dose of realism to a roster of self-confident superheroes. She isn’t battle-hardened like Leon, and stutters, stumbles, and has panic attacks while her life is constantly at risk. She has an endearing warmth towards fellow survivors but will stand her ground when pushed. Those who found Ethan Winters – Capcom’s previous attempt at making a new “everyman” personality – to be bland will likely find themselves won over by Miss Ashcroft.

Leon is as likable as ever, and feels like a natural development from the RE4 remake – older and more cynical, yet still spouting the witty one-liners and putting the safety of others first. Gideon is an exceptionally creepy antagonist, his unnerving smile and unhinged mood swings always leaving an impact in every scene he’s in. Of course, it’s the voice acting that brings these characters to life, which is first-rate as usual for a modern Resident Evil title.

 

A bloody good time

 

Capcom is also leading the industry in terms of graphics, and this is certainly no exception. Requiem is visually stunning from start to finish, and amazingly, there don’t appear to be any major compromises for the Switch 2 port. A game this good-looking doesn’t feel like it should be possible on this hardware, yet its silky-smooth performance never faltered once in either docked or portable mode. Environments are densely detailed, character animations hit new heights of realism, and the monster designs are absolutely horrific. Horror fans will be delighted to know that the gore is immaculate, and this may very well be the most violent Resident Evil game to date. The Switch 2 version also provides some additional immersion with its HD Rumble 2 support, which is very thoughtfully implemented. You’ll feel light taps during rainfall, flowing vibrations when wading through water, and big rumbles during thunder strikes, and it’s all strikingly effective.

It takes around 15 hours or more to hit the credits, and Requiem is just as replayable as its RE Engine contemporaries. There are plenty of collectibles and files to find, upgrades aplenty to grind towards, and many unlockable enhancements and behind-the-scenes materials.

If you’re a series newcomer, Requiem is a great way to experience some of the best that Resident Evil has to offer. If you’re a longterm fan, then imagine all of your favorite elements of the franchise as brightly colored paints on a palette. Resident Evil 6 took all those bright colors and mashed them up brutishly until only a dull, brown paste remained, while Resident Evil Requiem takes them and paints them delicately to form a beautiful rainbow. There are some splotches here and there, preventing it from being a true masterpiece, but ultimately, a pot of gold awaits at the end.

 

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