Resident Evil Requiem Is Leading The Series Down A Dark Path, & Fans May Hate It

Resident Evil Requiem Is Leading The Series Down A Dark Path, & Fans May Hate It By  Jared Stewart Published Mar 10, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Resident Evil 6 isn’t completely undeserving of the criticisms it’s had for the better part of a decade and a half, but it’s not because it is an action game. Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, and now Resident Evil Requiem, for example, all have action play a massive role in gameplay, and it’d be in our best interests to take Resident Evil Requiem’s combat as a sign of what’s to come.

Resident Evil remake rumors are rampant lately, and Resident Evil Requiem itself appears to be teasing Capcom’s development slate. Each Resident Evil game does seem to lay a semblance of a foundation for whatever game will follow it, such as Resident Evil Village living in Resident Evil 4’s shadow, and the enhanced action and cinematic presentation of Resident Evil Requiem, along with a certain anomalous enemy type, suggests that horror could be taking a backseat soon.

Uh-Oh, RE9 Has Enemies That Shoot Back

95% of the enemies players hack at with the hatchet or execute gratifying gun parries on as Leon in Resident Evil Requiem are your typical zombie fare, even if their workplace muscle memory subconsciously persists, with the addition of brand-new Blister Heads (resembling Resident Evil’s Crimson Heads) and Blister Bornes. The 5% includes Lickers and BSAA soldiers, the latter of which are ‘regular,’ armed humans, who can be the most irritating enemies in the game.

There is a reason these enemies are reserved for the end of the game, as the abrupt slice of tactical shootout combat players experience against them is surely a key tease as to what players may be able to expect from the near-future of the series: enemies that shoot back at the player. It is one thing to suspend disbelief when Resident Evil’s protagonists withstand zombie bites and cure most ailments by consuming green herbs, but it is another to believe Leon could survive being riddled with bullets.

Gun-wielding soldiers appear during Resident Evil Requiem’s semi-open Raccoon City level, and yet they are zombies whose marksmanship capabilities are reduced to firing stationary mortar turrets and blind-firing TMPs in sweeping arcs.

Moreover, enemies who can shoot back are indicative of a drastic tonal shift in horror games, and Resident Evil Requiem gets away with it due to how fleeting these soldier encounters are in the ARK. It may not always be as dramatic a shift as, say, going from Dead Space and Dead Space 2 to Dead Space 3, but it can be difficult for a horror game that introduces enemies who take cover and strategically fire weapons at the player to retain an atmosphere of horror, and not simply mutate into an unapologetic action game.

RE9 Is A Litmus Test For RE5 & RE6 Remakes

The Resident Evil franchise is notorious for its marriage of horror and action, with entries Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil 6 undoubtedly embracing an action emphasis. The likeliest reason as to why Capcom chose to have soldier enemies firing at players is to lay brickwork for Resident Evil 5’s Majini and Resident Evil 6’s J’avo.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Resident Evil insight

Curious how Requiem's gun-wielding enemies and cinematic action might steer the franchise? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused analysis of Resident Evil's evolving tone and what those design choices could mean for upcoming entries. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Resident Evil Requiem blends Grace’s horror-inspired gameplay and Leon’s action-inspired gameplay phenomenally well, with Leon’s gameplay being a neat evolution of the Resident Evil 4 remake’s (downgraded in terms of how Leon controls, maybe, but doubly cinematic). That said, it will be fascinating to gauge players’ responses to future Resident Evil games if Capcom follows up Resident Evil Requiem by submerging them wholly in stylish action.

Resident Evil Requiem

Like Survival Horror Action Adventure Shooter Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 89/100 Critics Rec: 95% Released February 27, 2026 ESRB Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine RE Engine 7 Images Close

Genre(s) Survival Horror, Action, Adventure, Shooter Powered by Expand Collapse

• Gaming
• Resident Evil Requiem

Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Trending Now Fallout: New Vegas Has An Official "Free Remaster" You Can Play Right Now Zelda, Red Dead Redemption Collide In New Open-World Game That's Available Now Resident Evil Requiem Free Download Available Now As Part Of Limited-Time Giveaway