Resident Evil 9: Requiem (2026)

Capcom finally remembered that Resident Evil is supposed to be scary.


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⚠️ Content Warning

Before we begin, I want to make something clear.

Resident Evil 9: Requiem is an extremely graphic horror game.

The game features:

graphic zombie violence

characters being mutilated

body horror mutations

decapitations

disturbing monster designs

large amounts of blood and gore


There are several moments where characters are brutally attacked or transformed in ways that are genuinely disturbing.

So if extreme horror imagery or gore is something you struggle with, this game might not be for you.

That being said… this is Resident Evil.

You’ve been warned.


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🎥 Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

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🧾 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Resident Evil 9: Requiem follows FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft as she’s assigned by her boss to investigate a murder at the Wrenwood Hotel — which just so happens to be the same place where her mother was brutally murdered years earlier.

So yeah… this case is personal.

While Grace investigates the crime scene and slowly uncovers a new T-Virus outbreak, the story splits into two different perspectives.

On one side you have Grace navigating isolated environments, solving puzzles, and trying to survive with limited resources.

On the other side you have Leon S. Kennedy, who is dealing with the outbreak in a much more direct way… which usually means shooting everything that moves.

The game jumps between these two storylines as the mystery unfolds and eventually connects the outbreak to something much bigger than a single murder investigation.


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👥 Character Rundown

Grace Ashcroft

Grace absolutely steals this game.

She’s socially awkward, quiet, and honestly feels like one of the most human characters the series has had in a long time.

There are moments where she’s interacting with people and you can tell she’s a little uncomfortable socially, which makes her feel more grounded compared to the typical action-hero characters Resident Evil usually leans on.

And because the story is tied directly to her mother’s death, the investigation feels personal from the start.

Her gameplay also leans heavily into survival horror, which fits her character perfectly.


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Leon S. Kennedy

Leon is basically the opposite side of the gameplay coin.

Where Grace is careful and resource-limited, Leon shows up with guns, ammo, and the ability to turn zombies into paste.

His sections are far more action heavy, which actually works really well because it gives the game two completely different pacing styles.

Grace’s sections build tension.

Leon’s sections release that tension.


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Victor Gideon

Victor Gideon is one of the central antagonists behind the outbreak.

Visually, Victor is immediately recognizable. He wears a long grey trench coat with a snake-skin pattern and carries a small metal briefcase with him. His pale skin is covered in scars and surgical stitching, and one of his eyes is hidden behind a strange mechanical visor that makes him look like a twisted mad scientist.

He doesn’t scream or rage like most villains. Instead he talks calmly about evolution, viruses, and humanity becoming something “greater.”

That calmness is what makes him unsettling.

Because to Victor, all the horror happening around him is just scientific progress.


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Zeno

Zeno is another major villain connected to the cloning experiments.

The problem is…

He honestly feels like a Temu version of Wesker.

You can tell the game wants him to have that mastermind presence, but he never quite reaches the same level of intimidation.


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🧟 The Hospital Creature

Early in the hospital section the game introduces one of the most disturbing enemies in the entire game.

I don’t even know if this creature has an official name, so I’m just calling it “the creep.”

The creature looks like a tall, emaciated humanoid woman with long tangled hair and decaying pale skin. Its face looks stitched together and rotting, with one dead eye and a horrifying grin full of jagged teeth.

It crawls through vents, stalks the hospital hallways, and appears suddenly when you’re trying to solve puzzles.

And the worst part is…

You’re not supposed to fight it.

At least not at first.

You hide from it.
You sneak around it.
And if it grabs you, you’re pretty much done.

The moment where it grabs a corpse and literally bites the man’s head off right in front of you is easily one of the most disturbing moments in the game.


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🎮 Pacing / Gameplay Flow

One of the smartest things Resident Evil 9 does is split the gameplay between two completely different styles.


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Grace Gameplay

Grace’s sections are pure survival horror.

Inventory space is limited.
Ammo is scarce.
Enemies are terrifying.

You spend a lot of time exploring creepy locations like the hospital, solving puzzles, unlocking doors, and trying to avoid creatures that can easily overpower you.

Some sections require hiding and sneaking rather than fighting.

This is where the game feels closest to classic Resident Evil.


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Leon Gameplay

Leon’s gameplay is the opposite.

His inventory is much larger and he has access to stronger weapons.

When Leon shows up, the game turns into full action mode.

You’re blasting zombies, smashing them into walls and doors, using heavy weapons, and fighting much larger groups of enemies.

One of the biggest gameplay contrasts is that Leon has far more ammo and combat options, while Grace has to survive with very little.

This dual structure keeps the game from becoming repetitive.


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👍 Pros

Grace as a character

She’s easily one of the best protagonists the series has had in years.


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Dual protagonist gameplay

Switching between survival horror and action keeps the pacing fresh.


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Puzzle design

Unlike Resident Evil 8, which often felt like the game was handing you solutions, this game actually expects you to think.


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Atmosphere

The hospital sections are incredibly tense and creepy.


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👎 Cons

Zeno feels like a Temu Wesker

The game clearly wants him to be a mastermind villain, but he never quite reaches that level.


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Mr. X returning feels random

Seeing Mr. X again is cool, but it feels more like fan service than something the story actually needed.


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💭 Final Thoughts

Resident Evil 9: Requiem surprised me.

After Resident Evil 8 leaned heavily into action, I honestly wasn’t sure if Capcom still remembered what made this series scary.

But this game proves they do.

By splitting the gameplay between Grace’s survival horror sections and Leon’s action segments, the game manages to balance tension and chaos without losing its identity.

Grace is also one of the strongest protagonists the series has had in years.

Her story is personal, emotional, and grounded.

Sure, some villains don’t land perfectly, but overall this is easily one of the strongest Resident Evil entries in a long time.


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⭐ Rating

10 / 10


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning

Major story spoilers ahead.


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🧪 Spoilers

Turns out Leon is dying from the T-Virus, the clock is ticking for him. Whatever shall he do? Will he survive? Answer is yes.

The story eventually reveals that the outbreak is connected to cloning experiments involving Grace herself.

A young blind girl named Emily, who helps Grace solve puzzles earlier in the game, turns out to be one of several clones created from Grace’s DNA.

Emily eventually dies and mutates into a monster that Grace is forced to fight.

Later Grace meets Zeno, who reveals that Emily was only one of many clones and that Grace herself is the original.

Meanwhile Leon is investigating the outbreak spreading through the ruins of Raccoon City, which has long since been destroyed.

Victor eventually mutates after losing his arm and kills Zeno by slicing his head off with a mutated limb.

The game then presents the player with a final choice.

Destroy the virus

If Grace destroys it, Leon sacrifices himself so she can escape.
Zeno shoots Leon as the facility collapses.

Bad ending.

Release the virus

If Grace releases it, the virus turns out to actually be a cure called Elpis, saving Leon from the infection killing him.

Victor then becomes the final boss, mutating into a massive creature.

The final fight feels very similar to the monster battle at the end of Resident Evil 2 as Leon repeatedly fights Victor’s increasingly grotesque transformations.

Victor eventually mutates into a giant blob-like creature with multiple arms growing from his back.

Leon defeats the monster, the lab collapses, and both characters escape.

The game ends with a soldier telling Leon that Chris Redfield has a message for him.

And honestly?

When that line dropped my reaction was basically:

“Here we go again.”

Also next week were getting a new zombie game, thats made by Saber Interactive and John Carpenter, the games called Toxic Commando.

Catch y’all for next week for that reveiw.