I just beat Crisol: Theater of Idols in nine hours and you said why I refer to this game in a Resident Evil Requiem review? It is because it is inspired by games like these with its horror class of monsters that can be terrifying and its puzzle systems that are challenging to those like the Silent Hill games. Requiem really hits the bar with me getting reminded of Crisol and as derivative and annoying the chase sequences from that game can be, this one is miles better than it. Capcom really made an excellent game out of Resident Evil Requiem, as a horror veteran itself, it feels again like a scary and intense game that it is.
You first play as Grace Ashcroft, a fumbling and nervous FBI agent as she investigates a string of murders in a ruined hotel that of which almost eight years ago, her mother was killed by a mysterious and unknown assassin. It’s the past that Grace must confront. It feels like hell has come to her. After becoming a DSO agent in Resident Evil 6, Leon returns to the Raccoon city after being obliterated after the events of Resident Evil 2 when he was a rookie cop to face his nightmare as well. Leon is looking for a former Umbrella scientist, Victor Gideon who is behind all this.
One of Requiem's new features is the changing of the first person and third person perspectives, that you can switch in the menu. As both Grace and Leon default from these modes, it can still change the perspectives. Whether its first person perspective which made the player scared and have a lot of anxiety when dealing with zombies and other jump scares that persists throughout the game or its third person which is the default mode from the previous Resident Evils with the exception of Resident Evil 7. Whether which mode fits best for you, each provides the same tilling experience while delivering a scary and intense atmosphere. However one thing that is different, both of the characters, played differently while Grace is more stealthy and agile, Leon is more actiony yet controls much better than previous Resident Evils and pits his trusted hatchet against these non-zombie types.
Grace and Leon have different playstyles with Grace being stealth in some points of the game and Leon playing like his previous games and the same old tricks that pertain to him. While it isn’t that much of a new thing, Leon can equip chainsaws that are dropped from zombies but it has some durability to it making the kills count as there are not too many, zombies also can equip chainsaws if not gotten to it first. Unlike Resident Evil 4, where Leon wields his trusty knife, Requiem introduces Leon to the hatchet which while not a huge thing, you can sharpen the weapon to increase its durability. You can also utilize different dropped weapons from the ground and it will lock on to the enemy without needing to aim. It’s not like Resident Evil 2 with one playthrough of Leon or Claire, you switch characters throughout the game. Gathering blood from dead bodies is a resource combined with scrap that can be used for crafting ammunition and blueprints can further craft more items. Then there’s the Requiem, Leon’s signature gun that is given to Grace that is powerful but very hard to find ammo as you start with one bullet as Grace.
The atmosphere and sound design mesh very well towards this game, the intensity playing as Grace or Leon in differentiating modes whether its first person or third person absorbing the dead and brutal atmosphere that terrifies you in every way. The sound design for instance, for that Capcom, a masterclass of horror sound and atmosphere design pertains an array of tense and scary immersive world that can be crafted and it feels like having an anxiety attack with how the sound affects your movement right until the next jumpscare by zombies or the titular nemesis that stalks you like the other nemesis from other Resident Evil games. It can be satiated to portray how creepy and atmospheric it is, from a ruined but not fully destroyed Raccoon City that is given blight to. The creepy atmosphere with its sound design has the weight of its gameplay manifested into it, the constant moaning of zombies, the wailing and screaming of a screamer or zombified singer that from the likes of games like Left 4 Dead intensifies the bluntness of the world around you. The nightmare giant being that constantly stalks you, snaking around corridors making it tense for you and your sanity affects pretty well as Capcom brilliantly masterstrokes the quality of its sound design so well that it is shaken to the core. Even the talking zombies I called it, either taunting you in English is really frightening and is even scarier than the Los Plaguas in Resident Evil 4.
The graphics again, like the sound design is impressive, even a mid-size PC like mine still looks good. The atmosphere complimented with the environment really sings to the tune and does a really great job achieving that. The rain at the start as it pours and Grace walks to her objective is not really top-tier in graphical content but looks impressive. The detail to each enemy design and monsters are horrific and visually disgusting to add a touch of authenticity to a horror game such as this. The shadows and lightning that gives credence to the atmosphere looks gorgeous and it’s really the sight to see. The visuals on Grace’s hair and the texture of other NPCs looks great.
The puzzle system which plagues throughout the entire Resident Evil series is somewhat disappointing. While the game plays it safe with other features as well, the puzzles feel simplistic and also there isn’t as much of it throughout the entire game. One instance is the big quartz puzzle box and other myriad of safe combinations. While the safe combinations are necessarily optional, they net you with benefits that will aid you with your journey in Raccoon City. These puzzles feel safe but simple even though I am okay with this direction as it flows the game well. There are more puzzles later on but what scarce feeling of the lack of puzzles throughout the puzzle, it feels like an accomplishment for inputting another puzzle mechanic within this game.
After playing Crisol: Theater of Idols, another survival horror game, Requiem seems to be even miles better than Crisol with its terrifying enemy designs, spooky atmosphere and sound design and a competent gameplay. However the faults of the game is the signature puzzle system feeling too simplistic and not that challenging, even Crisol has decent puzzle solving albeit not so hard and challenging puzzles. The 1st and 3rd person perspective blasts off as an immersive and differentiating experience as the survival horror part of it immensely compels the player to watch yourself for any jump scares moments or just the sight of the terrifying nemesis that stalks you throughout the game. The game’s accolades are in the high eighties and highly deserves that recognition in part of its thrilling and terrifying survival horror game.