![[REVIEW] Resident Evil 9 Requiem](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_y8UWjh3fsp832ICVVEd16eRDHP945bGfuus3UJj9SszILDwiSyMQWlrqRQOVcZHDKp52WbCIlIfG0x288zXrgYSciu9kY0XakXQ_BvZUSxKOHUdVb0xz6zDvOqj11WEZ6SXdxOrTBbu5z4Mp-TsL4JsBEiKFSal5n-4Pj_nVXOF03GYEsfiihUyXFUo=w640-h360-rw "[REVIEW] Resident Evil 9 Requiem")
The Pendulum Swings: Resident Evil Requiem is a Masterclass in Tension and Release
The pendulum swings back and forth. Since 1996, the Resident Evil franchise has famously wobbled between the stifling dread of survival horror and the high-octane thrills of an action blockbuster. With Resident Evil: Requiem (affectionately dubbed RE9), director Kōshi Nakanishi hasn't just picked a side; he has weaponized the series' own identity crisis. He has built the entire experience around a "ticking and tocking" cadence of tension and release that feels like the ultimate culmination of thirty years of bio-organic terror.
After three decades of covering S.T.A.R.S. and various outbreaks, I can confidently say Capcom has done it again, though perhaps not in the way purists expected. By splitting the experience between the claustrophobic hallways of the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center and the brittle, exhausted ruins of Raccoon City, Requiem manages to satisfy the "RE4 Sickos" and the "RE7 Purists" in equal measure—even if the pacing eventually stumbles over its own ambition.
A Tale of Two Lanes: Grace vs. Leon
Requiem functions as a formula mash-up, distinctively separating its identity through two protagonists who represent the disparate lanes of the series. The weight, movement, and perspective shift so radically that it feels like swapping discs mid-session.
Grace: The Analyst
Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak’s Alyssa, represents the "Survival Horror" lane. Playing in a default first-person perspective, Grace isn't a seasoned super-soldier; she’s a terrified analyst whose trembling hands and haggard breaths are a far cry from the series' usual emotional brick walls. Her movement is a desperate "scrabble" for resources. When she is forced into a confrontation, her "pop-gun" pistol delivers an immense, visceral impact—bullets tear festering flesh off faces, leaving eyeballs to dangle from their stems. Her core loop involves a "blood collector" used to extract infected plasma from corpses to craft hemolytic injectors. These are your nuclear options: jam one into a zombie's spine, and they swell and explode in a glorious spray of gore, ensuring they stay down for good.
Leon: The Professional
Then there’s Leon S. Kennedy, returning to the "Action" lane with a mid-life crisis and enough quippy confidence to fill a hollowed-out volcano. Leon’s gameplay is a third-person "bullet-riddled ballet" that elevates the RE4 Remake template. He is a "mutant murderer" who can smoothly scoop up lead pipes or fire axes from downed enemies and launch them with a fluid lethality that rivals Ghost of Yotei. Whether he’s pulling off skull-shattering finishers or carving through crowds with a chainsaw like a lumbering Leatherface, Leon doesn't just survive the horror—he dominates it.
Two different character features are outlined: Grace, referred to as "The Analyst," operates from a first-person perspective and employs a stealth and scavenging combat style with a mechanical hook for blood collection. Her resource feel is characterized by scarcity, suggesting a struggle for survival, and movement is depicted as vulnerable and slow. In contrast, Leon, known as "The Professional," utilizes a third-person perspective and engages in high-octane action with a combat style emphasizing execution, parry, and thrown melee. His resource feel is abundant, and he moves with agility and confidence, likened to "John Wick."
The Core Loop: Scavenging, Puzzles, and "Life Hangovers"
The gameplay loop relies on exploring semi-open environments to solve body-part-based riddles and manage a meager inventory, but the real star is the "Life Hangover" trait. These zombies retain unsettling human habits and motor skills, making them far more terrifying than the animalistic Lycans of Village.
- The Switch-Flickers: These undead retain enough motor skills to obsessively paw at light switches, fumbling in the dark and gargling “briiight lightssss.”
- The Singers: Zombified performers who warble and emit ear-splitting, alert-triggering screeches. One medical report even humorously diagnoses a singer with "Main Character Syndrome."
- The Chunks: Girthy "bullet sinks" that squeeze through doorways, splintering wood doorframes with terrifying realism as they pursue you.
- Muttering Walkers: Some zombies wander around laughing and talking to themselves before suddenly collapsing to feast on their former friends. One boss even mumbles “Your firedddddd” while consuming his secretary.
- The Blister Head: A previously downed zombie that reanimates with a bloated, bulbous mass for a head. The only way to prevent this dread is a clean hemolytic injector kill, which ensures the body is too "exploded" to rise again.
Atmosphere and "The Girl"
The narrative dives deep into "survivor’s guilt," linking the "Elpis" mystery back to the 1998 Raccoon City outbreak. The primary antagonist, Victor Gideon—a "steampunk Palpatine" with greasy goggles and a disfigured face—operates from a secret installation buried beneath the Raccoon ruins.
However, the true nightmare is "The Girl." This towering, long-limbed woman in white with enormous feet stalks Grace through Rhodes Hill. The sound design is a masterclass in psychological torture: the rhythmic "clomping" of her feet, the metallic "scraping" of dragging chains, and her habit of reaching under tables to grab you if you make too much noise. The game acts as a thematic "full stop" to the Umbrella legacy, attempting a narrative reset that finally puts the old demons to rest.
Technical Prowess: The RE Engine at its Peak
Visually, Requiem is a staggering "visual flex." The rain-soaked opening street scenes, with neon signs reflecting in puddles through path tracing, look almost photorealistic.
- PC: This version is the gold standard for Nvidia fans. Utilizing Ray Reconstruction and DLSS 4.5, Team Green’s AI trickery allows for a "cheat code" performance: upscaling a 720p image to 4K with full path tracing that makes light dance off blood-slicked floor tiles.
- PS5 Pro: Performance is rock-solid at 4K/60fps with Ray Tracing enabled, though you can hit 120fps if you’re willing to sacrifice the shiny reflections.
- Nintendo Switch 2: Remarkably, this is Nintendo's best since the GameCube era. Despite some resolution cuts, it runs beautifully in handheld mode, finally ending the age of "compromised" portable ports.
A Cynical Note: It is frankly inexcusable that a game with Leon combat this refined has launched without a Mercenaries mode. We can only hope Capcom patches it in later, but for now, the lack of score-chasing side content is a glaring omission.
Bottom Line
Resident Evil: Requiem is a brilliant game of two halves that fails to mix them properly. By the time you hit the second half, the 50/50 split between horror and action is abandoned in favor of a Leon-heavy "run and gun" splatterfest. To use the industry's favorite new analogy: it’s like ordering a whiskey and Coke and having it served in two separate glasses instead of being mixed into one.
Despite a "sloppy plot" that veers into RE6 levels of camp (including a motorbike chase up the side of a building) and some one-note boss battles, the sheer polish and tension make it essential.
About the Writer
Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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