While Resident Evil Requiem will be tapping into some obscure lore connections with co-op focused spin-off Resident Evil: Outbreak, director Koshi Nakanishi has also expressed interest in revisiting another spin-off series: Resident Evil Revelations. In an interview with Japanese publication 4Gamer, Nakanishi said that an opportunity to work on a Revelations game would be “interesting”.
“I’ve thought about what the people in the Resident Evil universe were doing to some extent,” he said (via Google Translate) in response to a question about whether Capcom had any plans to bring back the Revelations spin-offs that could take place in the modern Resident Evil timeline. “I think it would be interesting if the opportunity arose.”
The conversation revolved around the fact that Resident Evil Requiem deuteragonist Leon S. Kennedy has been involved in several key moments throughout the franchise. However, his last appearance in the timeline would be around the events of Resident Evil 6. Nakanishi noted that his brutal combat style in Resident Evil Requiem will also reflect the fact that Leon has never really stopped fighting, and he has had to face casualties along the way.
“After spending years like that, one would think, ‘What is the meaning of what I’ve done?’ and become a little tired and pessimistic,” said Nakanishi. “That’s why Leon has that terrifying presence. He’s carrying a tomahawk, symbolizing the weight he carries. That said, Leon wants to save everyone he can, so he takes on this mission with a positive attitude. That hasn’t changed since the beginning. Leon returns to Raccoon City, his roots. From our perspective, it’s like visiting an elementary school as an adult, so I’m sure there are some thoughts about it.”
This gap in the timeline for Leon between Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil Requiem could be ripe for exploration through a new Resident Evil Revelation games, since the two previous titles in the spin-off series have revolved around providing additional information on the ever-escalating and overly complex storyline that the franchise was going through at the time.
For instance, the first Revelations game had events that took place both before and after the events of Resident Evil 4, exploring the actions of characters like Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Jessica Sherawat. Its sequel, on the other hand, let us know what was going on with Claire Redfield and Barry Burton while the former’s brother was fighting against Wesker’s machinations in Africa during the events of Resident Evil 5.
Along with Leon S. Kennedy, Resident Evil Requiem will also feature Grace Ashcroft as one of its playable characters. While Leon’s gameplay will be more action-oriented, Grace will have to rely on stealth since she isn’t quite as experienced in taking on zombies. Nakanishi had previously revealed that the studio also explored making Leon’s gameplay sections scarier, similar in tone to the Resident Evil 2 remake.
“We actually tried to make a genuine horror game with Leon,” he explained, “but sure enough we thought that people wouldn’t want to see a timid Leon. That was the overwhelming opinion, at least.”
Resident Evil Requiem is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 on February 27. For more, check out our thoughts on its “avoiding the open-world trap”.
