Resident Evil 4
- Compared: overall series standing The reviewer calls Requiem the best entry since Resident Evil 4.
- Similar: Leon action sections The reviewer frames Leon’s chapters as a safer Resident Evil 4-style sequel.
Resident Evil Requiem Review
Bottom Line
Choose Resident Evil Requiem for tense Grace-led horror, slick Leon action, and lavish franchise callbacks. Skip it if you want a bolder reinvention, evenly mixed pacing, or substantial post-game modes.
Best for
Best for Resident Evil fans who want both slow survival horror and slick Leon-led action in one polished campaign. It also suits players who enjoy dense atmosphere, gore, lore callbacks, and replay unlocks.
Not for
Not for players seeking a clean series reboot, deep endgame modes like Mercenaries, or evenly distributed horror and action throughout. Newcomers may miss some legacy impact.
Verdict
Resident Evil Requiem lands as a confident hybrid of classic survival horror and over-the-top action. Reviewers repeatedly praise Grace’s tense, vulnerable sections, Leon’s powerful combat, the grotesque enemy behavior, and the polished presentation across visuals and sound. The main tradeoff is balance: several reviews love the alternating structure, while others feel Leon dominates too much, the story leans too safely on legacy callbacks, or the endgame lacks meaningful side content. At its best, it feels like a celebratory culmination of Resident Evil’s history; at its weakest, it can feel familiar, frontloaded, or uneven. The consensus still points to a highly entertaining, technically strong entry with standout atmosphere and combat.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Resident Evil 2
- Compared: reused elements The reviewer noticed some reused elements from Resident Evil 2.
Resident Evil 4 remake
- Similar: Leon gameplay style The reviewer says Leon’s side feels like a follow-up to the Resident Evil 4 remake.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
62 reviewed features- Very positive 4.5-5.0 65% 40 features
- Positive 3.5-4.4 24% 15 features
- Neutral 2.5-3.4 6% 4 features
- Negative 1.5-2.4 5% 3 features
- Very negative below 1.5 0% 0 features
Pros
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Sound design was repeatedly praised as a major driver of fear and atmosphere.
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Protagonist appeal was strong where reviewers called Grace the standout lead.
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Bug frequency was praised by one reviewer who reported no bugs or wall clips.
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Crash stability was praised in a performance review that reported no hard crashes.
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The motorcycle action sequence was praised as one of the most fun moments in the series.
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Facial animations were specifically praised as increasingly impressive later in the game.
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Load times received strong praise for being nearly nonexistent.
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Microtransaction impact was praised indirectly through the absence of greedy monetization practices.
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Monetization fairness was praised because the game was described as free of greedy practices.
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Value for money received direct positive evidence from a reviewer who called the game super worth it.
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Visual effects quality was praised through the game’s extreme gore and violent presentation.
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Weapon balance was praised because different weapons had clear uses and opportunities to shine.
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Atmosphere was a major strength, with tense staging, lighting, audio, and Switch 2 presentation preserving the mood.
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Art direction was praised for grotesque beauty and an effective old/new visual mix.
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Graphics quality was consistently praised across platforms, from PS5 presentation to Switch 2 fidelity.
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Level design was a major strength, especially the care center’s loops, agency, and interconnected mansion-like structure.
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Emotional impact was a clear strength for reviewers moved by Grace, Leon, and the story’s legacy themes.
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Fun factor was very strong overall, with reviewers repeatedly describing the game as exciting, entertaining, and highly enjoyable.
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Environmental detail was praised for corridors and spaces that felt time-worn and secretive.
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Handheld suitability was praised because the Switch 2 version looked and ran well both docked and handheld.
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Immersion was praised through Grace’s vulnerability and how strongly it affected player behavior.
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Map and navigation design was praised as a useful tool for tracking rooms and missed resources.
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World-building was praised for making the setting feel grotesquely alive.
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Enemy variety was praised through zombies with different retained behaviors and personalities.
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Content variety was praised for breadth, though some wanted the smaller experiences expanded further.
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Writing quality drew strong praise from reviewers who felt Requiem delivered some of the series’ better character work.
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Combat drew broad praise for weight, weapon handling, Leon’s action toolkit, and entertaining encounters, though one review noted some harassment-style friction.
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Horror tension was broadly praised, especially Grace’s early sections, though some reviews found the scares frontloaded or less intense than past entries.
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Camera behavior was praised for making first- and third-person play feel effective, though the choice also shapes the experience heavily.
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Polish was praised in reviews that saw Requiem as a polished, confident fusion of old and new Resident Evil.
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Gameplay mechanics were usually praised for combining survival horror and action cleanly, with Grace’s sections singled out as especially strong.
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Faithfulness to franchise was consistently praised as a love letter or culmination that honors Resident Evil’s history.
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Controls were praised as responsive and purpose-built, with reviewers saying characters did what they expected and combat balanced heft with responsiveness.
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Character development evidence centered on Grace’s growth and consistency, with reviewers finding her arc effective.
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Innovation drew praise where reviewers saw Requiem as a step forward or ambitious new baseline for the franchise.
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Performance optimization was generally strong, with multiple reviewers calling performance solid or flawless.
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Resource balance was praised for forcing tactical decisions about injectors, ammo, and room-clearing.
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Soundtrack quality was praised for tracks that complemented Leon’s action-heavy sequences.
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Animation quality received positive evidence through praise for Leon’s reload animations.
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Onboarding was praised for easing players into story and lore without demanding deep series knowledge immediately.
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Enemy behavior was often praised as eerie and strategic, though one review found a later stalker overused.
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Pacing was the most discussed tradeoff: many praised the action-horror balance, while others found the character split lopsided or jarring.
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Exploration and backtracking were praised when the layouts made revisiting spaces enjoyable rather than tedious.
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Crafting was generally seen as strategic and interesting, especially the blood/injector system, though one reviewer found it weird.
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One reviewer praised the way difficulty and accessibility were balanced rather than treating options as a pure checklist.
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Frame rate stability was praised on Switch 2 for a mostly consistent 60 fps with minor dips.
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Lore depth was praised for giving long-time fans a lot to sift through.
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Voice acting was mostly praised, especially Grace’s performance, but one review found her delivery manufactured.
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Leon’s progression system was viewed positively as a fairly fleshed-out way to build out his arsenal.
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Stealth was mostly praised for making Grace’s routes tense and tactical, though one reviewer found stealth options limited.
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Boss design split reviewers sharply, from excellent and varied encounters to weak, forgettable, or underwhelming boss fights.
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Replay value was mixed: several reviewers liked unlocks and repeat runs, while others lamented thin post-game offerings or weaker second playthroughs.
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Narrative quality was polarized, with some calling the story strong or captivating and others finding it disappointing, messy, or thin.
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Puzzle design landed unevenly: one review liked the body-part riddles, while another said puzzles lacked focus overall.
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Difficulty balance was mixed: some praised flexible challenge, while others felt the game had too much firepower or lacked a hardcore mode.
Cons
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The upgrade system received positive evidence for its weapon-upgrade structure and replay incentive.
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Dialogue quality was mixed between enjoyable deadpan jokes and criticism that Leon could sound corny or caricatured.
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Originality was mixed: reviewers liked the structure and perspective split, but several felt the game was safe, familiar, or too referential.
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Endgame content was a repeated concern, especially the lack of Mercenaries or similarly meaningful side content.
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Aiming evidence was mixed: Grace’s shaky aim reinforced vulnerability, while Switch 2 gyro aiming was criticized as poor for horizontal aim.
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Checkpointing drew criticism from one reviewer who reported being set back 30 minutes after dying.
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Platform-specific support was criticized on Switch 2 for not meaningfully using mouse, touchscreen, or useful gyro features.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in camera behavior, monetization fairness, bug frequency, below average in platform-specific feature support, checkpoint system.
Summary
8 compared features- Above average 0.4+ pts higher 75% 6 features
- Same as average within 0.3 pts 0% 0 features
- Below average 0.4+ pts lower 25% 2 features
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| platform-specific feature support | 2.0 | 4.1 | -2.1 |
| camera behavior | 4.7 | 2.9 | +1.8 |
| monetization fairness | 5.0 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| bug frequency | 5.0 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| microtransaction impact | 5.0 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| crash stability | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| AI behavior | 4.3 | 2.9 | +1.4 |
| checkpoint system | 2.2 | 3.7 | -1.5 |
FAQ
Is Resident Evil Requiem scary?
Yes, reviewers repeatedly describe Grace’s sections as tense, stressful, and among the series’ scarier material. Several also note the strongest scares are frontloaded before Leon’s action-heavy stretch.
How is the combat?
Combat is one of the best-supported strengths. Reviewers praise Leon’s weapons, finishers, parries, and gore, while Grace’s weaker toolkit makes her confrontations feel more dangerous.
Does the dual-protagonist structure work?
Mostly yes. Many reviews praise the contrast between Grace and Leon, but some feel the split becomes lopsided or jarring later in the campaign.
Is the story good?
The story is divisive. Some reviewers call it captivating and emotionally effective, while others criticize it as thin, messy, or too dependent on legacy references.
Is there good replay value?
Replay value is mixed. Some reviews praise unlocks, challenge points, and route optimization, while others complain about limited post-game modes and little meaningful side content.
How does it perform?
Performance evidence is generally strong. Reviews cite flawless or solid performance, nearly nonexistent load times, no crashes in one test, and a good Switch 2 showing with minor tradeoffs.
Consider This Instead
If you want better platform-specific feature support
Choose Donkey Kong Bananza. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for platform-specific feature support, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better checkpoint system
Choose Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. It scores 5.0 vs 2.2 for checkpoint system, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better endgame content
Choose Hollow Knight: Silksong. It scores 5.0 vs 2.5 for endgame content, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better dialogue quality
Choose Hades II. It scores 5.0 vs 3.3 for dialogue quality, with a 4.5 overall score.
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