30 Years of Innovation in Horror and Gaming Leads to This. Highest Recommendations.
Review
What happens when you mix Resident Evil 4, Logan and A Plague Tale together and put the sickest graphics in gaming on it? Capcom seeks to answer that question with Resident Evil Requiem.
Capcom recently celebrated the 30th Anniversary of Resident Evil Requiem. Coming from Middle Aged Reviews I remember when the game first came out, and my best friend Cody would show me how to get a green herb unlocked in some puzzle from the Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil 1. As a kid I was a bit too much of a scaredy cat to get into horror. Resident Evil 4 came out when I was a Senior in High School and when I saw it get tens across the board I had to try it. I soon became hooked on the formula. The high action formula of Resident Evil 4 worked for me, it fit in well in a year that featured Shadow of the Colossus, F.E.A.R. and the initial God of War.
Capcom invented the genre of Survival Horror with Resident Evil, but after criticism that the games were too slow and methodical they shifted to a more action oriented approach with Resident Evil 2-4. While these games were not a modern FPS style action game or a hack n slash game, they were more action packed than the original. Controls needed more focus, shooting needed to be tighter. Resident Evil 4 is among the best action games ever, and with the success of four Capcom took that further with 5 and 6. After mixed reviews and some time they went back to the survival horror roots with Resident Evil VII, with the stellar PSVR port the game revived the franchise.
Capcom answered this question masterfully in Resident Evil Requiem. By now you're probably familiar with the game you either play as returning hero Leon Kennedy in third person in a more action orientated approach or you control new character Grace Ashcroft in first person in a more survival horror style of game. There's two main settings for each and the gameplay is blended brilliantly. Unfortunately, I cannot describe the sublime gameplay experience of this other than to say it's perfect for the genre. You get an insane action game with grand sets and exciting gunfights but you also get a more narrow survival horror experience where you must navigate threats that overpower you and use your guile and surroundings to meet the challenges.
Closing / Recommendation
Here at Middle Aged Reviews, your time is valuable. This is 10-15 hours of incredible fun that just flies by. I found myself wanting to find a stopping point, getting to the stopping point only to want to play for another two to four hours. At the end of the ride I wanted more. While I cannot say this game is all that unique and finds a specific niche, I can say that what it does it does exceedingly well. I also can't say that you should drop everything and buy it, though if you do I doubt you'll be disappointed. I can say that if you've played Resident Evil 2, either the remake or the original, that this will be one of the five best games you play this year.
Image / media credit: Capcom