Resident Evil Requiem Will Be My First Resi Experience, Here's What I'm Looking For

There are just a few days to go until Resident Evil: Requiem is finally released, marking the ninth main installment in the beloved Resident Evil franchise and taking fans back to Raccoon City. With seasoned professional Leon Kennedy set to make a return alongside brand-new protagonist Grace Ashcroft, fans can expect everything they know and love from the Capcom horror franchise, whilst introducing both gameplay and narrative improvements to help make it the best entry yet.

However, unlike the legion of fans out there that have stuck with the series since it first launched way back in 1996, I am yet to play any of the Resident Evil titles, meaning that Resident Evil Requiem will be my introduction to the series. After years battling an anxiety disorder, I now regard myself "cured" enough to tackle horror games and, after falling in love with the Silent Hill franchise in recent years, I feel as though I also owe Resident Evil a chance.

Whilst veteran fans will have their own checklist of things they would like to see, or not see, in Resident Evil Requiem, I will be going in with no such expectations. However, based on what we already know about the ninth installment, there are a few things that I hope to see if Resident Evil is about to become a new hyperfixation.

5 A Brand-New Protagonist

Let Grace hold her own

As mentioned, Grace Ashcroft will star alongside Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil: Requiem, but compared to Leon's seasoned zombie-killing expertise, which will allow him to go all guns blazing into fights, Grace will, understandably, play a bit more cautiously with a stealth-focused approach, limited supplies, and overall inexperience. Although I am fine with this approach, both from a gameplay and narrative angle, I still hope that Grace will not be overshadowed by Leon. Let's face it, she is already starting off on the back foot as a brand-new protagonist AND one that has to rival Leon in terms of what the players want to see.

However, after noticing that many fans believe that women have taken a backseat in recent Resident Evil installments, I hope that this won't be the case for Grace, and that she will be able to hold her own and become another beloved figure. To achieve this, she must have agency and not just scream after Leon (it has happened) and I hope that her story, whilst intertwining with Leon's, will also be her own, allowing her to be the hero of her own circumstances. With many fans believing that Leon may die in Requiem thanks to hints dropped in the recent trailer, the story really could be paving the way for Grace as the poster child for Resident Evil and I would support that fully.

4 Psychological Horror

More than just jump scares

Although I fully expect to be scared out of my wits on more than one occasion during Resident Evil Requiem, it is the psychological aspect of horror games that truly capture my attention as we see what humans are capable of when pushed to the limits. If humans can do one thing, it is endure, and I love to see how this can come into play when morals are thrown out of the window, and you need to do whatever it takes to survive.

From what we have seen so far, and not to mention the fact that the game itself is named after a word meaning a state of rest and peace for the souls of the dead, we can expect to see both Leon and Grace struggle with psychological trauma, grief, and guilt. Leon may be battling with the events of the previous Resident Evil entries and the choices he had to make along the way, whilst Grace is dealing with the loss of her mother and the secrets that she left behind. As such, I expect more than just a zombie-killing game, and hope that Resident Evil: Requiem really plays into the psychological trauma that a world like this would cause a person. With other horror titles such as Silent Hill 2 nailing the true threats of a monster-filled world whilst exploring the effects that could have on the mind, I am hoping that Resi 9 will achieve the same thing.

3 A return to Raccoon City

A lesson in environmental storytelling

As already mentioned, I am at a disadvantage when it comes to the Resident Evil franchise taking players back to Raccoon City, a location which was first introduced back in 1996 with Resident Evil. With 30 years of nostalgia at play, I will obviously not experience the same emotion at the big return. However, that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate good environmental storytelling and that is what I hope Capcom achieved with a modern-day version of the virus-infested city left in a perpetual state of decay.

One of the main reasons why I love post-apocalyptic games is the idea of nature reclaiming what is theirs. Seeing derelict buildings being home to dust and destruction but also the slow return of greenery as it slips through the cracks is just a reminder of the strength of the world around us and I would love to see this come in to play in Raccoon City. Additionally, when it comes to interior settings, I would love the variation between tight, claustrophobic hallways when you sneak around as Grace as opposed to the open, boss-like arenas that Leon will let loose in. Overall, I hope that the environment will also help tell the story of both neglect and perseverance in equal measure.

2 More Enemy Diversity

A twist on the zombie genre

The zombie genre, as beloved as it is, can also be the stalest, with hundreds of iterations over the years telling the same story of undead creatures with a thirst for human flesh. However, with Resident Evil Requiem Director Koshi Nakanishi recently revealing that the latest installment will feature over 100 different zombie types, it is safe to say that there will be a lot more variation this time around. Not only that, but Nakanishi claims that Grace and Leon will frequently run into zombies who have retained some memories of their former life and, as a result, they can be found doing activities that they would have done when they were alive, such as cooking or cleaning, and even singing.

I must admit, after hearing about this gameplay feature, I was even more incentivized to play Resident Evil Requiem. I love the idea of exploring the human soul and what it means to be human. Did these creatures stop being human as soon as they were turned? Does "dying", albeit in an undead state, remove everything that makes you human? If the soul exists, is it this that retains the love for music as seen with our singing zombie? Perhaps all of these questions will be answered throughout the game, and I, for one, can't wait.

1 Gameplay and Narrative In One Simple Package

My hopes are high

With no expectations going in, Resident Evil Requiem can only surprise me, and this is what I'm hoping for for one of 2026's most anticipated releases. Although gameplay, performance, and visuals are features that you always expect to be present in the latest big release, it is always a story and its characters that draw me in, and I'm hoping that the latest Resident Evil installment will achieve that for Grace and Leon and the events that unfold upon their return to Raccoon City.

Although some readers may be appalled that I am diving into Resident Evil Requiem having not played any of the previous entries, I am interested in seeing how that will influence my opinion. However, with the recent demo leaving us "surprised, but wanting more", I think that it is this installment which will be my gateway to the rest of the series, and will see me join in with the players who think Leon Kennedy is hot, but in desperate need of a hair cut.