The reimagining of Resident Evil 4 was a masterclass on how a remake should be done. And if there's anything we love about Capcom's Resident Evil streak since 2019, it's the consistency of the experience.
The ninth mainline instalment of the hugely popular series, Resident Evil Requiem, takes that to another level. The "q" in Requiem is stylised as a "9".
The return to Raccoon City is the biggest hook, reminiscent of Lady Dimitrescu's role in the Resident Evil Village trailers.
Good, familiar vibes
FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, the face of the game in early promotional material, is investigating a hotel where her mother was murdered eight years earlier. Rumours soon started to spread that everyone's favourite cheesy zombie-fighting action hero, Leon Kennedy, was to co-star. And oh boy we got so amped up when he was indeed revealed in the second trailer.
RE9 features alternating scenarios between the two protagonists, with Grace more focused on actual survival horror reminiscent of Ethan Winters at the Baker estate, while Leon – of course – goes full John Wick; his ability to use chainsaws every now and then seems to show just how fed up he is with all the zombies and how happy he is finally wielding one.
I also can't help but draw parallels between Leon's dynamic with Grace and the one he had with Ashley Graham in RE4. Here is Leon, once again, trying to rescue a damsel in distress – who is needed by the bad guys for some sinister plan – while urging her to focus and keep going.
And, Leon, nearly killed by the Plaga before, is once again infected, this time with another strain of the T-Virus. He also has to worry about the returning Sherry Birkin, who he and Claire Redfield rescued in RE2, and is also infected.
You could say that RE9 is Resident Evil 2, 4 and 7 all rolled into one – even RE6, if your ears are sharp. That being said, I wasn't prepared for some surprises.
Old friends
I did have an inkling that something familiar was waiting for us at the Raccoon Police Department, and guess what, an old friend dropped in: Mr X. Naturally, he chucks Leon to a wall to again prove how strong Leon's spine is. I expected a tougher fight, though. Having played the remakes of RE2 and RE3, I couldn't explain the goosebumps once we set foot at the RPD – especially with the melancholy music and the infamous "Welcome Leon" sign spread on the floor frozen in time.
But imagine my surprise when "Albert Wesker" showed up. Well, spoiler alert, he isn't Wesker; he's Zeno, who is strikingly similar – looks, superhuman strength and Matrix-esque dodging abilities – to the erstwhile RE big baddie. Capcom has said that Wesker indeed kicked the bucket in RE5 (two RPGs to his skull should've done the trick), but if they were to somehow bring him back (won't be surprised), I think it should be Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine who should end him once and for all.
Oh, of course, it's Umbrella at it again. The amount of assets they still have, which you will discover as you go on, is just mind-boggling. And, they still have Lickers.
Thrill ride
The back-and-forth action – Grace's terrified treks and Leon's combat set pieces – is absolutely engaging. Grace's acts give you somewhat of a break from the fast pace, yet still keep you on your toes (try being hunted around by a giant creepy thing called The Girl), while Leon's parts gives you that adrenalin rush. Grace does have a gun, but the tension calls for using your stealth skills more.
Both characters require patience. As an ultra ammo conservative, I tried my best for headshots, find ways to sneak past foes, or just run past them. By the time I reached the RPD, I had about 40 rifle ammo, more than 40 shotgun shells, 20 Requiem rounds (the game's magnum) and almost 200 handgun bullets.
It also helps that Leon carries around a hatchet, which can be repaired on the fly – though it looks funny to see him sharpen up his hatchet while running around being chased by a horde. The hatchet is permanent and we absolutely stretched our patience and made the most use out of it. Grace has to make do with breakable knives.
And as if all those callbacks aren't enough, there's one at the end wherein you have to make the final decision, similar to Ethan's dilemma in RE7.
And let me tell you, the bad ending is indeed bad: in exchange for Grace's survival, Leon gets his head blown off by the Wesker clone. Such a gruesome fate for one of my video game heroes just turned my stomach and I sat motionless for minutes.
Keep it coming
Resident Evil Requiem is a cracker with, again, great replay value. It's a tale of forlorn characters and a city that need closure. It also shows Capcom is doing the right thing by keeping the series' familiarity front and centre – allowing old fans to re-immerse themselves and newcomers to be properly introduced to this genre (Silent Hill may have something to say about this).
I'm also glad that Capcom is consistent and riding high on the success of its remakes, and hope it keeps that formula moving forward. This strategy is an excellent combination of modernity and classic survival horror.
And my favoured picks for the next RE remake? Resident Evil 5 and Code: Veronica are reportedly the prime candidates, and I'm leaning towards the former, the reason being to clean up the game's alleged racist theme. A redo of the original would also be nice. Or how about Resident Evil 6 to lift its reputation?
But for all intents and purposes, the 10th installment should feature Jill Valentine, who's long overdue for a mainstream return. And my guess is that it'll be called Resident Evil X, with that letter stylised in Extinction.
