An undeniably legendary game franchise is most certainly Resident Evil, and since the first game’s release in 1996, the video game world has not been the same. These games were considered foundational to the horror genre and video games as a whole, but there have always been standouts, such as Resident Evil 4 (2005), which is often praised as the uncontended best game of the franchise.
The question then became: Could number four ever be shaken from its prime spot? Of course, it’s all subjective, but the newest release from CAPCOM™ certainly has the gaming world excited about RE again. Resident Evil: Requiem has recently been highlighted as one of the best reviewed games in recent memory and holds the franchise’s greatest highlights. The game currently stands with a score of 9.4 from universal audiences on Metacritic and a 10/10 score on steam! Those are some notable numbers! But why exactly is this game a big deal at all? Why is it pulling such high praise from its audience?
To answer quite simply, it is due to the return of RE’s most beloved character: Leon S. Kennedy, who was introduced back in #2 of the series. Leon has not appeared in a RE game in quite a while, so fans were very excited to see his return, especially in a brand-new game with polished gameplay and a new adventure. Leon is known for being the unstoppable hero of the games (alongside Chris Redfield, of course) who can defeat any threat and deliver a corny (but awesome) punchline no matter how horrific the scenario.
Okay, okay, Leon isn’t the sole reason this game is doing well; he’s a big one, but not the only one. Another reason the game is being received so fantastically stems from the fact that it may stand as a paragon of graphical demonstration. In other words, the game looks beautiful! While some games create expansive worlds and spectacular set pieces, Resident Evil: Requiem demonstrates how a more niche setting can still allow for great amounts of detail, art-style, and graphical intrigue.
Additionally, Requiem spices up the formula of the series with a combination of their past strengths. The early games were much more oriented towards a limited resource survival adventure; the middle games were essentially action-packed zombie shooter games, and the most recent prior to this were first-person horror experiences. With this newest release, the dual protagonists of Leon S. Kennedy and new face Grace Ashcroft split the gameplay into “action-packed Leon” and “horror-survival Grace,” which take place in third and first person respectively. This variation in gameplay has been praised by the fans and certainly adds a unique identity to the game that will have it remain as a standout figure.
If you are reading this as a fan of Resident Evil, what do you think of the game and its positive reception? Is it all warranted? Do you think this might be a contender for Game of the Year? From all the reviews I have seen, if you are a fan of the series, you’ll be a fan of this game, and I personally am a new member to the Resident Evil fandom, but I will most likely be giving this game a shot. Will you?
Vance Redd
Folk of ‘Noke Editor
