Resident Evil Requiem's Biggest Changes (So Far)

Quick Overview

Resident Evil Requiem introduces major gameplay shifts by blending the series' slow resource management roots with action-heavy elements, featuring talking, personality-driven zombies that yield crafting resources, a new puzzle-based crafting recipe discovery system for the protagonist Grace, and a stark contrast between Grace's survival horror style and Leon's action-oriented gameplay, including Leon gaining a permanent, upgradable hatchet and the ability to wield enemy chainsaws.

Key Points: Zombies in Resident Evil Requiem talk, retaining aspects of their former personalities, which dictates their unique behaviors and potential challenge levels, such as a cleaner zombie manicly cleaning or a cook zombie preparing dinner. Killing zombies now provides a valuable resource, blood, which Grace needs for crafting ammunition and other resources, a significant departure from previous survival Resident Evil entries where killing zombies incurred only resource cost. Crafting recipes are learned through a layered process involving finding lab samples, processing them at a special machine, and solving a molecule-based puzzle, which adds friction to the gameplay experience. Stealth is an integral part of Grace's gameplay, offering many options like throwing bottles or exploiting zombie characteristics (like one hating light), contrasting with earlier games where stealth felt more scripted. Leon gains new tools, notably a hatchet replacing the knife, which he sharpens using a pocket block instead of requiring repair, and he can now shoot chainsaws out of enemy hands, pick them up, and use them, even for level progression like cutting through barred doors. The game heavily trades off between Grace, whose gameplay mirrors Resident Evil 7 and RE2 in pacing and inventory limits, and Leon, whose style is an evolution of Resident Evil 4, creating a jarring yet unique contrast in play styles. The game introduces a new crew of persistent stalker enemies, including a 'big eyed lady' and a 'walking physical wall,' suggesting a convergence of persistent threats similar to Lady D, Mr. X, and Nemesis.