Over the past few months, we’ve watched Grace Ashcroft stumble through darkened hallways, her sheer terror at the sight of the grotesque monstrosity she’s been confronted with highlighting the signature horror that the Resident Evil games of old have invoked. We’ve seen an older, more seasoned Leon take the fight to the zombies in a manner reminiscent of the more action-oriented titles in the long-standing franchise.
And through it all, we’ve become quite enthusiastic about Resident Evil Requiem, eagerly waiting to dive into the adventure and find out more about the Racoon City incident, Victor Gideon, Elpis, and the events surrounding Alyssa’s death. We’re certain that there are many of you sharing that enthusiasm, and we’re delighted to bring you all of the new information that has been recently revealed for the game.
Join us as we take you through a few more details you need to know before you decide to drop your cash on what’s shaping up to be an adventure that brings the fear and the adrenaline in equal measure.
1. Bringing Grace Ashcroft To Life
The voice actor for Grace is Jeannie Tirado, whom you may know from her roles in titles like Android 21 in Dragon Ball FighterZ. She also portrayed Rose Winters in the DLC for Resident Evil Village, if that’s closer to home for you.
She’s already getting a ton of praise for her portrayal of Grace, bringing out the hapless FBI investigator’s raw vulnerability and absolute terror at the situation she finds herself in. Tirado seems to have given this role her best as Grace’s voice breaks and trembles with the fear she’s clearly facing, while also being a mildly bold daughter to Alyssa in the flashbacks.
It’s a great contrast, and if the previews are any indication, this was a great casting choice by a long shot.
2. An Art Style Inspired By The Enthan Winters Saga
While the franchise might be moving on from Ethan Winters and his desperate attempts to make his family whole again, it seems that the developer wasn’t fully prepared to leave the last two entries in the franchise behind.
Although Grace and Leon’s gameplay loops have been crafted to take you back to RE3 (original) and RE2, respectively, the environments and presentation have been influenced by what the studio learned over the course of making its last two titles, something that the game’s director was quite excited about. We can already see how that’s being applied in Requiem, and can’t wait to find out more about how the Winters saga is going to be touched upon when the full game comes out.
3. There Might Be More Of Alyssa Than We’re Expecting
We already know that Alyssa is going to be a part of flashbacks to the events at the Wrenwood Hotel in the past, with Grace returning to the site of her death in the present to investigate further killings. But there are rumors that a DLC expansion featuring Alyssa might be in the works.
That’s great news considering how interesting she is as a character, and it’s a great way to make further additions to the game feel relevant and personal to Grace. We’re hoping to see her join a few more characters from her harrowing time in Outbreak, or perhaps see her working alongside Leon ahead of her ill-fated stay at Wrenwood.
4. It’s Going To Be Awesome On The PS5 Pro
We’ve been quite happy with how Requiem is using the RE Engine to its fullest, with the lighting being a highlight of all the coverage we’ve seen so far. That elation has just been tuned up to a hundred thanks to new information about ray tracing on the PS5 Pro.
The game is going to run at a buttery smooth 60fps with full Ray Tracing support on Sony’s mid-gen beast, while it can go up to 120fps if you opt out of ray tracing, depending on the output your display can manage. That’s great news for those of you looking to experience the game on the Pro, and we’re crossing our fingers with the hope that the base console can manage 30fps with Ray Tracing turned on.
5. Leon And The Umbrella Curse
If you noticed the unsightly blotch on Leon’s neck in any of the gameplay footage, and combined it with the knowledge that he’s got his reasons for being present for this adventure, you’ve probably guessed that his time in Raccoon City nearly thirty years ago might have prompted his return.
The game’s director has since stated in an interview with Deadline that Leon is suffering from the “Umbrella curse”, an affliction affecting people who were present for the original outbreak, although he deftly avoided expanding further on it. Looks like you can take the victim away from Umbrella, but you can’t take Umbrella away from its victims. Our money’s still on Leon breaking away from the shady corporation, though.
6. RE6 This Is Not
While we appreciated RE6 for its unique (but awful!) attempt to bring disparate stories together into a single experience, we must concede that it was a Resident Evil title that seemed to have lost its distinct identity in the process. But according to an interview with EuroGamer, Requiem’s director has been eager to step in front of concerns about the past repeating itself, sushi-related analogies in tow.
Yes, Requiem is going to take you into the franchise’s past. But it’s revisiting titles that had a much better response from fans, with RE2 being the focal point for the dual-pronged approach the game is taking this time around. Safe to say that the developer has learned from its mistakes and is all set to bounce back in style for the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary.
7. Distinct Inventory Systems For Leon and Grace
It seems that Leon and Grace’s gameplay loops are more similar to the games that inspired them than we think. Leon gets a 7×10 briefcase in which he’s free to organize his killing tools as he sees fit, which is quite appropriate for a veteran DSO officer.
Grace, on the other hand, has only 8 inventory slots to pack any precious advantages she finds in the field, making her sections a game of choosing what to take with you and what to leave behind. It’s a welcome change from the one inventory system we saw in Village and is sure to add a few wrinkles to Requiem’s gameplay loop.
8. Stash Runs Are Back
Grace’s limited inventory slots mean that you’re going to be navigating back and forth between your storage while keeping a sharp eye out for expansion packs that let you carry more items, while you try to sidestep the deadly threats that are in her way.
While Leon’s inventory systems could be considered similar to Village’s emphasis on creating space for the stuff you needed, Grace is going to have to use her wits and stealth to stay on top of the situation and we’re expecting a lot of hard choices when we find something we just know we’re going to need but being forced to leave it behind due to space constraints.
9. Leon’s Stoic Demeanor Is A Calculated Move
Requiem’s director has been quick to point out in an interview with Polygon that Leon’s new skills and his calm approach to situations that have Grace trembling in her boots are a conscious design choice. He’s been battle-hardened in the thirty years since he found himself facing down a horrible zombie apocalypse in Raccoon City with only his training as a rookie cop to defend himself with.
He’s come a long way since then, and his experience allows him to take down horrific bioweapons while barely batting an eyelid, his quips balancing the weight of all that he has seen in the intervening years. It’s also an interesting contrast to Grace, and perhaps even an interesting way for Leon to see himself as he was when his journey first began, when he encounters her at Rhodes Hill. All of those points lead to some interesting narrative avenues, and we’re all for it.
10. The Chainsaw Isn’t The Only Weapon You Can Use Against Enemies
Leon using a chainsaw that he knocks out of an enemy’s hands is never going to get old. But the game’s director has since stated that the chainsaw isn’t the only weapon you get to snatch away from the hapless zombies unfortunate enough to get between Leon and the answers he seeks.
Considering that the zombies in Requiem retain fragments of their memories and might have the knowledge they need to use other weapons, we’re very curious to see what else they could use to try and put a stop to the Leon killing machine. We’re kind of hoping a flamethrower is involved in some capacity!
11. The New Blood Synthesis System Adds A Layer Of Nuance To Exploration
We already know that Grace can use the blood of her enemies to craft lethal injections that give her a much-needed advantage as she explores her levels. But having that option comes with caveats, tying in to her already limited inventory, as you’re going to have to ponder whether to sneak past a threat that might just end you right there, or try and take it down in order to give yourself a leg up when you might need it most.
It’s a risk-reward system that’s designed to be a constant undercurrent during your time with Grace, and it has us grinning from ear to ear at the possibilities it brings to the table when playing her.
12. A New Approach To Crafting For Grace
Adding a further wrinkle to Grace’s injector is the fact that any crafting recipes you may find need you to make your way to the nearest lab for analysis before they become available to you. That’s a facet of her gameplay loop that’s an immediate departure from Village, where crafting useful items was a lot more straightforward.
However, we think it makes sense as it cements Grace’s character arc, her knowledge as an FBI analyst coming into play alongside the emphasis on taking a quieter approach when playing as her.
13. The Environments Are Character-Gated
We know that Grace and Leon’s paths through the game’s areas are going to overlap, as was made evident from the previews. But it was interesting to see how Leon’s size and strength allow him to access areas that were otherwise blocked off to Grace, her gameplay mechanics not letting her clear any blockages that hinder her emphasis on stealth. He can use his hatchet (and perhaps other items and weapons) to pry open sealed doors or obstacles.
It’s a nice touch, allowing Requiem to further contrast the different approaches its protagonists take while allowing players to make future backtracking as either character easier as a result.
14. Addictive Fear Baked Into the Gameplay
If you’ve been with the Resident Evil franchise for a while, you already know how its titles keep you coming back for more even after its many scares shave a few minutes off of your total lifespan. As confirmed in an interview with GameBrave, that addictive fear is very much a part of Requiem, albeit in varying ways, thanks to how Grace and Leon contrast each other.
While you’re sure to be jumping at shadows when playing Grace, Leon’s sections are shaping up to be adrenaline-fuelled romps through zombie-infested areas, the tension high as you unleash your best moves on the undead. With gameplay being touted as equally split between the two, we think it’s a win-wi,n quite literally.
15. PC Requirements
Requiem’s quite a looker, and if you’re planning to play it on a PC, know that the minimum specs you’re going to need include a 64-bit processor and Windows 11 alongside an Intel Core i5-8500 / AMD Ryzen 5 3500 processor, 16GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 1660 6GB / Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GPU and DirectX 12.
The recommended specs take things up a notch with an Intel Core i7-8700 / AMD Ryzen 5 5500 processor and a GeForce RTX 2060 Super 8GB / Radeon RX 6600 8GB GPU.
And that’s all of the new details for you to think on before you decide to pick up your copy of Resident Evil Requiem. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Raccoon City and wherever else this compelling new adventure takes us!
