Resident Evil Requiem: Is Third-Person Or First-Person Best?

Resident Evil 9 is finally out, and we can start uncovering the mysteries of another mysterious outbreak together with Grace and Leon.

But in a series-first, you can freely swap between the first-person viewpoints of Resident Evil 7 & 8 and the classic third-person camera. Here's how it all works.

We Recommend Trying It That Way First

Although you get to choose the camera type right from the start, the default setting for Resident Evil Requiem provides a first-person viewpoint for Grace and a third-person viewpoint for Leon.

This makes sense in multiple ways, as it was the way the game was designed. Grace is intended to have scarier, more tense gameplay, while Leon, always aware of his surroundings thanks to his training, is in control in third-person. Because of this, we recommend not messing with the default settings.

Although we swapped viewpoints for testing, playing the way Capcom intended makes for a smoother experience. There are some moments with Grace where you're not meant to be fully aware of what's happening, which adds to the tension and difficulty of her sections of the game.

However, if you're having issues playing the game, we recommend swapping things up immediately. After all, there's no penalty for changing the camera angles: you can do it freely from the in-game menu, and no trophies or challenges will be voided as a result.

Try Third-Person If You're Having Trouble

You Get More Coverage That Way

If you're having any problems at all with Grace (and you might, especially if you chose the classic setting that requires players to find ink ribbons to save), try out third-person mode. It's far easier to see when enemies are creeping up behind you, and it generally makes Grace more powerful as a result.

That said, Resident Evil Requiem was not designed with VR in mind like Resident Evil 7, so the first-person elements are not absolutely essential to the experience. While you might get a heightened sense of dread while playing in first-person, you won't lose out on any plot elements or anything truly important if you pick the setting you're the most comfortable with.

If you're the type of fan who likes to play Resident Evil games, we recommend this method to change things up for subsequent playthroughs:

• Play through the game on default settings the first time.
• Swap to third person for Grace on the second run.

No matter what camera angle you choose, you can enjoy Resident Evil Requiem however you like. It's a testament to how well-crafted this new mainline entry is, and it could usher in a new generation of franchise fans.