When fans discuss Resident Evil in such revered tones, it isn’t simply because it’s a scary franchise, which it can be, depending on the person. Instead, there’s a focus on the drama happening under extreme circumstances, as Requiem developer describes it, and the feeling of relief once the fear has passed. Mystery hangs over everything as you try to decipher what’s going on and how to escape this nightmare, but it’s not an easy feat of terror to pull off. Creating those moments where drama and fear intertwine, again and again, can be challenging – even some of the past Resident Evils struggled in that regard.
However, Resident Evil Requiem makes it look as natural as the overcast sky on a street full of zombies, or as unassuming as the infected maiden who carries on with her singing. And no better section encapsulates this quite like what I refer to as Act 1, where you’ll explore the Rhodes Hill Care Chronic Care Center and then the dreaded Holding Cells.
By now, you probably already know that Grace Ashcroft, the new leading lady, was kidnapped by the mysterious Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella researcher who bought out the Chronic Care Center for his own nefarious experiments. The facade is more than a reminder of Spencer Mansion; it’s a teaser for the twisted wonderland that awaits, and like most trips down the rabbit hole, Grace begins upside down. Upon escaping and exploring the tastefully decorated yet ultimately unnerving interiors, she discovers that some fuses are needed to open the way forward.
Finding them in one piece becomes complicated when the new Stalker appears, towering with rows of really sharp teeth and a seemingly insatiable appetite for humans. At that point, the imbalance turns into oppression, and you’re playing hide and seek. Without spoiling what happens next, things shift back to Leon, who was already dealing with the aftermath of Gideon infecting several people in the streets near the Wrenwood Hotel. What starts as cordial quickly turns to madness as several patients in the hospital emerge as infected. Fighting through, he eventually meets Grace and passes the Requiem on, encouraging her to leave, while having a quick chat with Gideon.
At this point, it’s a constant back and forth between both characters, which keeps the gameplay fresh while slowly peeling back layers of the greater mystery. Grace’s sections don’t just involve carefully picking your battles and using stealth to survive – they also introduce different types of unique infected. They’re zombies by nature but retain elements of their humanity. The man who constantly taps on the light switch, the maid cleaning mirrors and smashing her head into them (with the glass sticking to her face) – each offering a unique teaching moment. Most doors and windows have been sealed with metal bars, preventing escape and encouraging Grace to explore for a way out.
However, things get even more complicated when Grace meets Emily, one of Gideon’s experiments and has to find a way to get her out. It provides an additional layer of puzzles, even as Grace attempts to conserve ammo, harvest blood, craft hemolytic injectors to instantly slay the infected, and escape. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s another Stalker to deal with – a giant mutated baby-like thing that isn’t afraid of the light, which means having to work around it.
Then you have Leon, who’s much more heavily armed. He can go around straight up decimating all the zombies in the Care Center without worrying too much about ammo. This plays into how Grace ultimately explores the location, because she can choose to avoid enemies and leave them for Leon to dispatch. Besides helping to conserve ammo, this also encourages leaning more into stealth and preserving precious resources for other functions, like Requiem shots.
And while Leon more than capably shows his prowess throughout, it’s not long before we’re back to Grace and easily one of the most terrifying areas in the game – the Holding Cells. Located underneath the Care Center, it’s where some of the more brutal set-pieces lie in wait. A zombie construction worker driving a bulldozer crashes through the wall, and Grace needs to shoot to kill before it can progress further. At another point, you’re in some processing plant, where dozens of bodies swing by on hooks like it’s some kind of factory line. When trying to find the way forward, you’re suddenly on a conveyor belt into a giant industrial shredder as corpses emerge and try to latch on. Suffice it to say that you don’t want to get caught anywhere near those blades.
Did I mention that the first Stalker from earlier is still creeping around, munching on corpses and making Grace’s life even more difficult? Don’t worry – you will get a chance to turn the tables. However, the developer pointed out last October, these are more akin to Resident Evil 1 and 2. Instead of overwhelming bosses with sheer firepower – because that’s what Leon is for, to an extent – Grace has to explore and find ways to leverage her environment.
There is much more to dissect – including the part where Leon realizes Grace is still on location, and must help her from afar – but it’s that same feeling of fear intermixed with drama, the relief at escaping from circumstances most foul, and yet, still being trapped under the overwhelming oppression of this scenario. It’s Resident Evil at its very core, and it constantly draws you in, despite how stressful it may be.
And while everyone – including us – pointed out how much of a beast Leon has become – hacking up monsters one second and chainsawing them in the next – Grace really is the star throughout. Despite being an FBI agent (albeit more of an analyst), she goes from terrified of sudden sounds and falling objects in Wrenwood to traversing vats of blood, dodging monstrous creatures, and getting her own hands dirty in sometimes explosive fashion. There’s no great transformation of her character throughout – she’s still plenty terrified and more than a little awkward. However, her continuing to soldier on, both to protect Emily and figure out her connection to Elpis, is masterfully conveyed.
Suffice it to say that if Raccoon City is crafted to highlight Leon, which it should, given his connection to the Destruction Incident and everything that’s happened since, then the Care Center and Holding Cells are where Grace gets her time to shine. There are definitely other opportunities for that in the finale, but as an introduction to her character and state of mind, Act 1 stands out. And that’s before acknowledging just how masterfully crafted it is in terms of pacing, variety, and mechanics, reinforcing the Resident Evil brand of survival horror that we know and love, while interspersing the brutal action that later entries made famous courtesy of Leon’s sections.
Looking back, I’m not sure how the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center and Holding Cells will match up to some of the series’ greats – the Baker House, Raccoon Police Department, etc. But if this is to be a swansong of sorts for Raccoon City and simultaneously a new beginning with Grace at the helm, they are simply immaculate in design and full of memorable moments.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
