Hands-on with Resident Evil Requiem: 'The Zombies Have Evolved'

For almost 30 years, the Resident Evil series has been terrifying, thrilling and making players squirm. The series has spawned spin-offs, detailed remakes and blockbuster films along the way. Now, after a four year wait, Capcom is preparing to unleash its ninth mainline entry: Resident Evil Requiem.

*The demo begins with Grace Ashcroft tied to a table in a medical room… upside down. (Capcom)*

Thanks to Capcom, I went hands-on with a short snippet of the new game during a preview session in Sydney.

While short, the demo delivered an excellent taste of what players can expect from the next chapter in this iconic survival horror saga.

*Raccoon City has seen better days. (Capcom)*

The trailers shown so far paint a bleak picture of Raccoon City in ruins, its legacy of destruction shaping the world players step into.

This time around, you take on the role of FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, who quickly becomes entangled in the horrors that continue to evolve from the infamous outbreak. The demo didn’t explain why and where exactly Grace was, but it was a stressful and excellent demo of the gameplay and visuals on offer.

*In RE9, you play as FBI Analyst Grace Ashcroft. (Capcom)*

Following the hands-on session, I sat down with Capcom producer Masato Kumazawa-san — who had just flown in from Japan — to discuss the game’s approach to fear, familiarity and evolution.

“I did test play this about 10 times, and maybe I’m starting to get used to it so I’m not as scared,” Kumazawa-san admitted.

“But a lot of the players are treating it like a time attack — I’m starting to do that,” he laughed.

Fans will be happy to learn Resident Evil Requiem is going back to its roots. Characters return to the ruins of Raccoon City, the first time since Resident Evil 3, though it’s not exactly clear why.

“If you played Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, you’ll be able to enjoy it 150%,” Kumazawa-san told QD.

“We have cadence in making sure the players who are brand new can also enjoy it. But maybe if you played two and three you’ll be able to enjoy it a little bit more,” he said.

And yes — zombies are back.

*Resident Evil 9 is coming to consoles and PC on February 27th. (Capcom)*

While Capcom is keeping specific details tightly under wraps, Kumazawa-san confirmed that the classic infected enemies (a la zombie) have undergone noticeable changes.

“What I can say is yes, the zombies have evolved,” he said.

“We cannot tell how they’ve been or what they’ve been involved in, but please look forward to it.”

Despite the secrecy, confidence is high within the development team.

“I know that we can’t tell so much, but what I can say is the development team has been working immensely well under pressure and I’m very confident they have delivered and are making a very good game. So please look forward to the final product,” he said.