Resident Evil Requiem (PS5) Overview: Survival Horror at Its Most interesting

Whereas Capcom has not gone as far as to label Resident Evil Requiem as the tip of a trilogy, it very a lot feels just like the pure successor to the 2 mainline video games that preceded it. From the skin trying in, it’d seem to be Requiem would undergo from attempting to have its cake and eat it too. Slightly than focusing its efforts squarely on one model of gameplay, it’s as a substitute serving up equal elements traditional, slower-paced survival horror alongside the adrenaline-packed action-centric variety that helped propel the sequence to new heights. This determination was definitely a bet, however it’s one which’s paid off in spades.

Slightly than attempting to strike a positive stability between these two tried-and-tested gameplay kinds (à la Resident Evil Village), Capcom has as a substitute gone for the direct, blunt strategy by basically smashing two totally different video games collectively. Cut up roughly down the center, you’ll spend half your time within the sneakers of newcomer Grace Ashcroft, a rookie FBI investigator who’s thrown into the thick of issues whereas investigating a sequence of mysterious deaths which have “biohazard” written throughout them.

If the title Ashcroft sounds acquainted, that’s as a result of it in all probability is; Grace is the daughter of reporter Alyssa Ashcroft, the protagonist of Resident Evil Outbreak (a recreation I’m positive you’ve positively performed and bear in mind fondly), who simply so occurred to die on the very resort Grace is dispatched to as a part of her investigation. It doesn’t take lengthy for issues to kick off in typical Resident Evil style; whereas investigating the condemned resort, Grace is kidnapped and brought to the Rhodes Hill Power Care Heart, the place the mysteries of each her previous and the circumstances surrounding Raccoon Metropolis’s annihilation come to a head. Talking of Raccoon Metropolis, that is the place everybody’s favourite former cop, Leon Kennedy, comes into play. Whenever you aren’t scrambling to outlive as Grace, you’ll take management of Leon, whose gameplay favors campy and, at occasions, splendidly extreme blood-soaked motion.

Admittedly, Resident Evil Requiem is heavy on fan service and wanting to serve up callbacks, references, easter eggs, and cameos briefly order. Collection followers will undoubtedly lap these up with out criticism, however as over-indulgent as it may be, Requiem’s narrative is digestible sufficient for informal followers to navigate with out an excessive amount of bother. Sadly, there are a number of plot factors which might be left hanging within the air, and I wrapped up my playthrough with simply as many unresolved questions as I had satisfying solutions. There’s a great probability these will probably be addressed in future DLC or sequels, however, for a sequence whose lore and backstory have ballooned over the course of three many years, some definitive solutions would go a good distance.

Requiem’s story sometimes stumbles when attempting to stay the touchdown, although the mashup of its disparate playstyles goes off with out a hitch and feels extra like a well-constructed sandwich than it does a mish-mash of various components. Gamers aren’t capable of freely change between taking part in as Grace and Leon, however the recreation offers each heroes their flip within the highlight and swaps backwards and forwards at an everyday charge. For individuals who gravitate in direction of Resident Evil 7’s cramped and determined tackle survival horror, Grace’s sections will really feel proper at dwelling. As an ungainly and introverted FBI agent with little area expertise, Grace can’t depend on fight prowess and a set of weaponry to struggle her method by. Actually, sources are sometimes so restricted that gamers should fastidiously weigh whether or not it’s price taking up enemies within the first place. With solely two pistols at her disposal (one in all which is a handcannon with hard-to-come-by ammo), choosing a stealthier route is usually the most secure alternative.

Fortunately, Grace does have a number of different choices at her disposal, although they arrive with their very own tradeoffs. Scattered all through the map are swimming pools of contaminated blood, which will be harvested and mixed with scavenged scrap steel to craft pistol ammunition, therapeutic gadgets, or insta-kill injectables that solely work in opposition to zombies which have but to identify you. After all, the easy act of scavenging for these provides comes with its personal danger, as you’ll typically need to discover the surroundings, which may spell doom in case you get cornered by a wandering zombie or two. These kinds of selections – to scavenge or not, to have interaction in fight or retreat stealthily – are central to Grace’s sections, however there’s sufficient flexibility right here that gamers can in the end undertake no matter playstyle they so select. For my first playthrough, I opted to look each sq. inch of the Rhodes Hill clinic to assemble each useful resource I might, and whereas it definitely got here with loads of scares and some pointless deaths, it felt genuinely satisfying to claw again as a lot management as I might, given Grace’s restricted means.

Leon, alternatively, has loads of ammo to spare, and his penchant for lowering the undead to a bloody pulp makes for a very totally different play expertise. Whereas he isn’t as limber as he’s been in previous video games (I miss his dodge/dive, however I’ll chalk it as much as his age), he nonetheless has a number of methods up his sleeve ought to the going get powerful. Apart from his ever-expanding arsenal of pistols, shotguns, rifles, and SMGs, his trusty hatchet can be utilized to parry and block incoming assaults in case you can nail down the timing, and it may also be used to swiftly decapitate downed enemies, which is essential provided that some zombies reanimate if their heads aren’t absolutely destroyed.

Whereas Leon’s sections are definitely bloody (his first actual introduction to fight features a chainsaw that you should use to hack away a horde of recently-zombified medical personnel), it might be a stretch to name these moments revolutionary. If we’re being trustworthy, the moment-to-moment gameplay hasn’t developed a lot over the previous few entries, however to be truthful, it by no means actually wanted to. The muse laid down by Resident Evil 4 has stood the check of time for a cause, and Capcom has well chosen to breathe new life into the franchise by serving up action-packed set items and nail-biting shut calls to maintain issues feeling recent. With out veering into spoiler territory, I can confidently say that Resident Evil Requiem boasts a few of the most impressively put collectively sequences in latest reminiscence. And even in the course of the quieter moments, there’s one thing extremely satisfying about having Leon lay waste to dozens of zombies after having barely escaped by the pores and skin of your tooth when taking part in as Grace simply moments earlier.

To be clear, Resident Evil Requiem isn’t with out its flaws; whereas its story does tie collectively quite a lot of free ends which have been piling up over the previous couple of many years, it additionally introduces loads of unanswered questions. And, whereas it definitely might be added in by a post-launch replace, the shortage of a Mercenaries mode at launch is disappointing to see. Nonetheless, for its occasional stumbles and missteps, Resident Evil Requiem is a masterclass of its style. Detractors would possibly cry foul that Capcom has pressured two wildly totally different experiences into one bundle, however I desire to think about it as two sides of the identical coin. It’s an limitless buffet of nail-biting, pulse-pounding motion, and, I might argue, survival horror at its best.