Few gaming franchises have reinvented themselves as much as DraftKings Casino or as often as Resident Evil. From slow, methodical survival horror to explosive action shooters and back again, Capcom’s long-running series has constantly evolved over the decades. With the release of Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main entry in the franchise, that experimentation continues — but it also highlights a lingering question: what exactly is Resident Evil supposed to be?
According to critics and fans alike, Resident Evil Requiem delivers a strong overall experience. Yet it also illustrates the ongoing identity struggle that has defined the series for years. The game attempts to balance two very different gameplay philosophies, creating a compelling but sometimes conflicted experience.
Two Characters, Two Styles
At the heart of the game’s design is its dual-protagonist structure. Players alternate between two main characters: returning series favorite Leon S. Kennedy and a new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. Each character represents a different style of Resident Evil gameplay.
Grace’s sections lean heavily into survival horror. These parts focus on exploration, puzzle solving, limited resources, and tense encounters with enemies. Players are often forced to move cautiously through dark environments, conserving ammunition and searching for clues that reveal more about the unfolding mystery. This slower pace echoes the design philosophy of earlier entries in the franchise, particularly games like Resident Evil 2.
Leon’s sections, by contrast, embrace the more action-oriented direction the series explored during the mid-2000s. His gameplay features heavier combat, more powerful weapons, and faster-paced encounters. While these segments can be exciting, they sometimes feel like they belong to a different game entirely.
The result is a title that blends survival horror and action, but not always seamlessly.
A Franchise That’s Constantly Reinventing Itself
To understand why Resident Evil Requiem feels conflicted at times, it helps to look at the broader history of the franchise.
The original Resident Evil games established the blueprint for survival horror: fixed camera angles, limited resources, and slow, tension-filled exploration. Over time, however, the series began shifting toward action. Resident Evil 4 introduced a more dynamic camera and heavier combat focus, while Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 pushed the action even further.
By the time Resident Evil 6 arrived, many fans felt the series had strayed too far from its horror roots. Capcom responded with Resident Evil 7, which returned to a slower, more atmospheric style of gameplay and emphasized fear and vulnerability once again.
Resident Evil Requiem sits at the intersection of these two eras. Instead of choosing one direction, it attempts to combine both.
A Story That Bridges the Past and Future
Narratively, Resident Evil Requiem continues exploring the long aftermath of the Raccoon City disaster. The story takes place decades after the original outbreak and follows FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft as she investigates mysterious deaths tied to past experiments with bioweapons.
Grace’s personal connection to the events becomes central to the story, particularly through her link to her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, a journalist who survived the original outbreak. As the mystery unfolds, Grace eventually crosses paths with Leon S. Kennedy, whose own history with the virus and Umbrella Corporation ties him closely to the investigation.
Their intersecting storylines gradually reveal deeper secrets about bioweapons research and the legacy of the T-Virus. The narrative builds toward a confrontation involving a powerful antiviral known as “Elpis,” which has the potential to neutralize the viral outbreaks that have shaped the series’ history.
Gameplay That Switches Between Fear and Power
This narrative structure mirrors the gameplay approach. Grace’s sections are built around vulnerability and tension, forcing players to carefully navigate hostile environments. Meanwhile, Leon’s segments emphasize combat mastery and high-intensity action.
On paper, the combination offers variety. Players experience both sides of the Resident Evil formula: the suspense of survival horror and the thrill of action gameplay.
However, the contrast between the two styles can make the overall experience feel inconsistent. One moment the game encourages cautious exploration and resource management; the next it pushes players into explosive combat scenarios.
That tonal shift is what leads many critics to describe the game as having an identity crisis.
Development Decisions Behind the Dual Approach
The mixed identity of Resident Evil Requiem can partly be traced back to its development history. Early in production, Capcom experimented with multiple concepts, including an open-world multiplayer version of the game. Eventually, the team decided to return to a more traditional single-player format because they felt that approach better matched fan expectations.
Even after settling on the single-player design, however, the developers still aimed to incorporate different gameplay styles. That decision resulted in the dual-character structure that defines the final product.
Director Koshi Nakanishi also aimed to balance horror with accessibility, even allowing players to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives in the game. This flexibility was intended to make the experience more approachable for different types of players.
A Strong Game With Competing Ideas
Despite the identity issues, Resident Evil Requiem has been generally well-received by critics and players. Many reviews highlight its atmospheric environments, engaging story, and polished presentation.
At the same time, the game’s attempt to satisfy multiple styles of Resident Evil fans means it never fully commits to a single vision. The survival horror elements and action sequences are both enjoyable individually, but their contrast sometimes prevents the experience from feeling cohesive.
In many ways, this tension reflects the larger challenge facing the franchise itself. Resident Evil has spent years evolving, adapting, and redefining what survival horror can look like.
The Future of Resident Evil
Ultimately, Resident Evil Requiem shows that the series is still experimenting with its identity. By combining the tense horror of the early games with the explosive action of later entries, it tries to bring together multiple eras of the franchise.
Whether that blend becomes the foundation for future titles remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the Resident Evil series continues to evolve, even as it wrestles with the question of what it truly wants to be.
