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.
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.
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.
- Released
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February 27, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Engine
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RE Engine