With the Resident Evil franchise approaching its 30th anniversary, Capcom is preparing its next mainline entry, Resident Evil Requiem. As the ninth core installment in the series, the game continues the blend of survival horror and action the franchise is known for while introducing several new gameplay systems and updated combat mechanics.
During a recent hands-on demo, players were given the chance to experience both of the game’s protagonists, as well as the new combat, crafting, and enemy systems designed to create a tense, immersive horror experience.
Combat Evolves With Leon S. Kennedy
The demo begins with Leon S. Kennedy, who is presented as a more combat-focused character than previous entries have emphasized. Set in Arklay County’s Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center - a combination of a historic hotel and a medical facility - Leon’s encounter with a chainsaw-wielding doctor demonstrates the game’s updated combat mechanics.
Players can use a hand axe to block and deflect attacks, sharpening it with a timing-based input that prepares it for the next parry. The axe works in conjunction with Leon’s pistol, which can target limbs to slow approaching enemies. Even after disarming foes, environmental hazards like the chainsaw remain active, requiring players to remain aware of enemy positioning. This section emphasizes tactical combat and timing, making encounters feel both strategic and dangerous.
Leon’s finishing moves have also been updated, allowing players to use environmental elements or close-quarters attacks to decisively neutralize enemies. While brutal, these mechanics focus on providing effective combat tools without reducing the tension of survival horror scenarios.
Survival-Focused Gameplay With Grace Ashcroft
After Leon’s combat segment, the demo shifts to FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft. Unlike Leon, Grace’s sections are designed around evasion, resource management, and strategic planning rather than direct confrontation. The layout of the older hotel wing encourages exploration, featuring locked doors, puzzles, and interconnected hallways.
Limited inventory and scarce resources maintain the tension the series is known for, forcing players to plan ahead. Grace must navigate the facility while managing health items, crafting materials, and weapons, reinforcing the survival horror experience.
Crafting Mechanics Using Infected Resources
Resident Evil Requiem introduces a new crafting system that uses infected blood as a central resource. Players can combine blood with scrap and other materials to create ammunition, healing items, shivs, and injectors. These injectors serve multiple purposes, including enabling stealth takedowns and preventing defeated enemies from mutating further.
New recipes are unlocked by analyzing items with specialized medical devices in laboratory areas, adding a layer of progression and encouraging exploration. While crafting provides additional options for survival, it does not eliminate the threat posed by tougher enemies, maintaining the game’s tension and challenge.
Enemy Design and Threat Variation
Enemies in Resident Evil Requiem are designed to retain elements of their former lives, adding a sense of continuity and realism to encounters. For example, a cook continues to wield a carving knife with precision, a maid uses shards of broken glass as a weapon, and a singer’s vocalizations disrupt aiming. Other enemies, like construction workers or mutated stalkers, use environmental tools to pursue players.
Stalker-type enemies present a sustained threat, forcing players to rely on evasion and strategic planning. In Leon’s segments, these same enemies become direct combat challenges, testing the player’s ability to manage space, timing, and resource usage in confined environments.
Balancing Action and Tension
The preview demonstrates that Resident Evil Requiem balances combat-driven sequences with traditional survival horror mechanics. Leon’s aggressive gameplay complements Grace’s vulnerability-based sections, creating two distinct but connected experiences. Updated crafting systems, environmental hazards, and enemies with behavior tied to their previous roles combine to maintain tension while offering new layers of player choice.
Overall, the demo suggests that Capcom is evolving the Resident Evil formula without abandoning the core elements that define the franchise. Players can expect a mix of strategic combat, resource management, and horror-driven exploration when the game launches.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When is Resident Evil Requiem releasing?
The game is available for pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store. The official release date has not yet been confirmed.
Who are the main protagonists in Resident Evil Requiem?
Players control Leon S. Kennedy, who is combat-focused, and Grace Ashcroft, who emphasizes survival and exploration mechanics.
What is new in the combat system?
Leon can now use a hand axe to parry attacks and target enemy limbs with his pistol. Environmental hazards, such as chainsaws, remain active after being disarmed.
How does the crafting system work?
Players can use infected blood and scrap materials to craft ammunition, healing items, shivs, and injectors. New recipes must be analyzed using laboratory devices.
What types of enemies can players expect?
Enemies retain traits from their former professions, including cooks, maids, and singers. Stalker-type threats create sustained tension, while larger enemies provide boss-like challenges.
Is Resident Evil Requiem more action or survival horror focused?
The game balances both approaches. Leon offers action-driven combat, while Grace provides classic survival horror experiences, including exploration, puzzles, and limited resources.
