The biggest game of the year thus far, “Resident Evil Requiem,” came out Friday. While I have not beaten the game yet, I have gotten through the first central area. Opinions may change, but as of now, “Resident Evil Requiem” is incredible.
Because I haven’t beaten the game, I won’t talk much about the story, but as of now, it is incredibly engaging, and I cannot wait to see how the mystery continues to unravel. What makes this game so cool is the way that they juggle series newcomer Grace Ashcroft’s gameplay and series legend Leon Kennedy.
For the first significant section of the game, you are in a care center and play most of it as Grace. Her gameplay is a lot like “Resident Evil 7” and “Resident Evil 8,” especially with Grace’s first-person perspective. This perspective makes the game so much more immersive, and while you can choose to play in third-person for her, I feel like first-person is the way to go. The care center itself is just superb.
The way it is laid out and designed is just perfect. It is like taking the Raccoon City Police Department from “Resident Evil 2” and the Baker House from “Resident Evil 7” and mixing them to make something incredible. The puzzles in this area are just so clever, and it actually took me some time to solve a few of these. I love the way that all of the “Resident Evil” games balance the puzzles and action, and this is no different.
The action (or, at times, the lack thereof) is what makes this game so successful and so scary. As Grace, you feel incredibly weak, and the gun you have with very few bullets does not do much against the zombies, making every room quite stressful. Do you use the very few bullets you have to take out one zombie that is in your way, or do you try to run past it?
It is like this in every room, and it is so intense and fun. There was a moment where I used all of my ammo in one room and then had to try and sneak through an entirely different part of the map, and it was one of the most intense gaming experiences I have had in some time. The stalker enemies here are the scariest they have ever been, and all the jump scares got me, especially while playing late at night.
While Grace’s gameplay is focused on stressful, intense survival horror, Leon’s is the exact opposite. Leon’s gameplay is so action-heavy that you get a hatchet for melee, and you never have to worry about running out of ammo and switching to Leon after Grace is like breathing again.
Leon is just a zombie-killing machine, and it is so satisfying whenever you get to switch over and play as him. The gunplay is incredibly smooth, and lets you achieve some interesting combat moves with his hatchet and gun. The only problem with this is that, throughout the first area, Leon’s sections are incredibly short compared to Grace’s.
While I haven’t completed the game, my first impressions of Requiem are great so far. The game has an intriguing story and some of the best gameplay in the series, offering a perfect blend of survival and action horror. It is the best of both worlds from prior “Resident Evil” games.
