It would not be an understatement to say that Resident Evil Requiem is one of the most anticipated games set for release in the coming months. After eight years of evolving gameplay mechanics and settings, the Resident Evil franchise is making a deliberate return to its survival horror roots with this entry, and it is utterly terrifying. At gamescom 2025, Capcom offered journalists and fans a tantalizing 20-minute glimpse into what promises to be one of the most atmospheric entries in the series since Resident Evil 7, and I could not have been more excited.
The demo takes place within the claustrophobic confines of the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, where FBI technical analyst Grace Ashcroft finds herself after being abducted by an unknown assailant. From the very start, you do not feel as powerful as in past installments. This is not a return to the Resident Evil 4 style of power fantasy. You are vulnerable, and the creatures hunting you are horrific. This stark limitation immediately reinforces the game’s commitment to vulnerability over empowerment, a design philosophy that has defined the franchise’s most memorable moments.
As the daughter of investigative reporter Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak, Grace’s connection to Raccoon City runs deep. Surprisingly, it manages to tie together the wider universe and the games that came before, while still delivering an experience that feels very different. The demo was brief, offering only a small taste of what the full game may deliver, but it successfully establishes the tone and atmosphere. I have not been genuinely startled by a Resident Evil game in years, yet I will admit this one is unsettling—and it will make you jump.
Resident Evil Requiem is a visually stunning game that captures the franchise’s universe in gruesome detail. Even in the brief demo, I got a strong sense of its tone, visual design, and how its characters are brought to life. Running on an RTX 5090, Grace’s performance conveys both emotion and fear with striking realism. When she pulls a needle from her arm, the detail is unsettlingly precise, and when she hides in terror, you can feel the weight of her fear.
“Resident Evil Requiem is a visually stunning game that captures the franchise’s universe in gruesome detail. Even in the brief demo, I got a strong sense of its tone, visual design, and how its characters are brought to life.”
This iteration introduces a significant new feature: the ability to seamlessly switch between first- and third-person perspectives through the menu at any time. It may seem minor, but it can drastically alter the experience—especially when being chased by something truly monstrous.
However, the real star of the gamescom demo is Resident Evil Requiem’s unnamed stalker enemy, which continues the franchise’s tradition of relentless pursuers that began with Nemesis and evolved through Mr. X and Lady Dimitrescu. What sets this new threat apart is its three-dimensional hunting pattern, capable of emerging from walls, ceilings and unexpected vertical angles. Its intelligence also seems more advanced than that of its predecessors, adapting to player behaviour and creating a truly unpredictable sense of dread. I will not lie—it is stressful. When the creature catches you, it is merciless in devouring you, in all its gruesome glory.
Thankfully, this is where the improved stealth mechanics in Resident Evil Requiem come into play, marking the first time in the series that sneaking feels like a fully developed system rather than a temporary reprieve. As Grace, hiding often feels like the only option beyond being eaten. Players can take advantage of environmental cover and shadows, and can even perform silent movements when the opportunity arises.
The lighter you find early on in the demo serves a dual purpose: it provides illumination but also creates risk, since its glow can draw the stalker’s attention. This risk-reward dynamic turns every decision about when to use light into a calculated gamble. Even moving when you think you are safe can end with being caught. It is stressful, but also incredibly exciting.
As we have seen in many recent Resident Evil games, environmental interaction is a vital part of gameplay in Resident Evil Requiem, with destructible elements and interactive objects that can be weaponized during encounters. We have not seen this level of depth before in a Resident Evil title, and it feels like a welcome addition.
What truly stands out, however, is how fully realized the world feels. Resident Evil has always delivered nail-biting experiences, but the sense of immersion here is stronger than ever. Being transported into this universe, with its heightened interactivity, makes the experience more intense—for better and for worse.
Of course, given that this is a Resident Evil title, the puzzle elements are integrated more closely into the narrative structure. Rather than feeling like arbitrary barriers to progression, the puzzles in Resident Evil Requiem appear designed to reveal story elements and character backgrounds. The demo’s progression follows classic survival horror logic—finding item A to unlock item B to access item C—but the execution feels more organic within the game’s world.
The visual presentation highlights the RE Engine’s continued evolution, with particular attention to lighting effects and atmospheric detail. The chronic care centre setting provides an ideal backdrop for the engine’s strengths, blending medical sterility with organic decay in ways that feel both realistic and deeply unsettling.
What is even more impressive is how good the game looks both in and out of cutscenes. It feels incredibly well-realized, and the level of detail, including nods to past entries in the series, was fantastic to witness as I ran for my life.
“Resident Evil Requiem is a return to the terrifying roots of the series, and one I cannot wait to be lost in.”
I have never seen a Resident Evil game look this good, and Capcom is leaning into that fact, presenting one of the most fully realized horror experiences in the series. Fans who have been clamouring for a return to the franchise’s horror roots will feel right at home.
The demo may have been short, but it hit all the right notes to make me more excited for Resident Evil Requiem than I expected. Scheduled for release on Feb. 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, Resident Evil Requiem looks positioned to satisfy both longtime series veterans and newcomers seeking an authentic survival horror experience.
The demo delivers where it matters most and shows that Capcom has listened to fans about what made the franchise’s classic entries so compelling, while incorporating modern design sensibilities that enhance rather than dilute the core experience. Resident Evil Requiem is a return to the terrifying roots of the series, and one I cannot wait to be lost in.
