Resident Evil 9: Requiem
Resident Evil 9: Requiem
Contains spoilers!
When I was a kid, I was introduced to Resident Evil 2 on PS1
in 1998. I remember hiding under the blankets as I was attempting to play it.
Back then, I had a small Sony TV (can’t remember the exact make but it wasn’t a
CRT) and that tiny screen and iconic sounds of “PlayStation” and “Capcom”
screens were enough to send chills down my spine. Not to mention the bombastic
“Resident Evil” as you loaded the game.
Here is a little summary of my experience with the Resident
Evil franchise: From 1998 to 2026, I have played RE1,2,3, Code Veronica, 4, 1
Remake, 2 Remake, 3 Remake. There is still quite a lot for me to try. I dropped
out after 4 for a while, as I belonged to the category of people who enjoyed 4
very much but also thought the series had better bring back the puzzles and
survival horror aspects. Code Veronica is probably the most unnerving and
genuinely terrifying experience for me; it is unhinged on so many levels. 3 is
probably the most fun and balanced. 2 is the most iconic, 1 remake is the best
remake, 4 is the best action. Both 2 Remake and 3 Remake are fun but
disappointing in their separate ways: 2 Remake endings and lack of scenarios
were a letdown & 3 Remake lacked so many elements from the original. I
should do a collective review of all these in one fell swoop sometime.
I had already seen great grades given to RE9: Requiem, so I
had great hopes and I can say that I am not disappointed.
Story
Gone are the flashy pursuits of Claire along glassy
corridors with armed helicopters in the opening scene, because we cut to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Midwest Field Office where we meet Grace, a
nerdy blonde special agent with an incredibly cluttered desk and a wooden board
with interconnected pins. We see her investigating the infamous Raccoon City
incident and some relevant mysterious deaths. The news article Grace is looking
at says that Raccoon City lockdown has extended until 2040 and that the U.S.
government withdraws from treaty on the prohibition of Bio-organic weapons. The
article also hints at Ozwell E. Spencer, one of the founding fathers of
Umbrella, the mastermind of Umbrella’s eugenicist vision. Grace is summoned by
her boss, Nathan Dempsey, and told to investigate a murder at Wrenwood Hotel.
Her face suddenly turns pale; her cortisol levels are sky high because this is
where her mother was murdered eight years ago. Nathan wants closure for Grace
and doesn’t push her to go. Grace is greeted nicely by a tall policeman at the
hotel despite her dismissive manners and total scatterbrain. She quickly discovers
that she is not alone inside. She finds photos of her on a bed and swoons into
a flashback of her mother’s death. We see Alyssa Ashcroft (Grace’s mother)’s
death in a dramatic scene and most importantly, Grace remembers that Alyssa had
hidden something behind a painting as they were trying to escape the hotel.
Grace hurriedly goes to that painting and removes a compact disc. Suddenly, the
tall policeman appears and gives Grace a slight fright. The hotel is perhaps
creepier with someone in it than not. The policeman is holding his hand on his
neck and says “something… stung me.”. We all know what comes next. The
zombification takes hold, after a brief struggle, Grace kicks him off the
window and the danger is gone. We hear piano playing and see an EXIT door,
which is super reminiscent of the doors in the past RE games I find, and we
meet Victor Gideon, the crazy scientist with four eyepiece googles, gold teeth
and a stitched-up torso worthy of the Frankenstein monster. Grace gets
kidnapped and Leon, a now much experienced counter bioterrorism activist and
fighter, arrives at Grace’s scene.
The story (and gameplay) is told from two people’s point of
view, Leon’s and Grace’s. Cutscenes are quite abundant. On the other hand, I
find that notes have seen a downgrade here, they are not as impactful or
plentiful as in other RE games, most notably Code Veronica. Notable notes are
“STAY IN THE LIGHT” at the care center, and Meryl’s letters to her mother on a
cat decorated paper… This does not come as an issue since the cutscenes are
gorgeous, filled with significant details, and emotionally hefty.
Character development and plot twists were fun. I loved how the game wanted you to think Grace was special, since RE logic can allow for such whims, only to find out that she was absolutely nothing special at all. This charade keeps going right till the end. Grace is a bad shot with shaky hands at first and later in the end she gains courage and confidence. Among the antagonists, Victor Gideon was a worthy and complex villain. Victor is clearly gifted with his own unique genius and yet he remains loyal to Spencer, at the least the version of Spencer that he cared for or that he was exposed to. It was nice to see that Victor was infected with the Nemesis virus and Leon saying, “No wonder you are so persistent!”. Victor is not infallible: how come you don’t check the corner where Grace was hiding? Clever Grace to leave the door open like that to fool Victor! Also possibly clever of Grace to hesitate to open Emily’s door first and ask why she was put in the special room. Gotta be extra cautious!! It was also heartwarming to see Spencer, the mastermind behind Umbrella, coming to terms with humanity and rendering all virus-based weapons mere paperweight. I am glad to see Spencer and Alyssa Ashcroft’s scenes, I hope this means we’ll get more lore to uncover Umbrella’s beginnings in the future. Leon, like the franchise, is a bit older now. His experience and wisdom are reflected in both his physical appearance and inner reflections. This brings me to the story’s flashbacks and fanservice of past RE stories. I loved how we get to explore Raccoon City again, the way Leon stops and reminisces as he sees the R.P.D. entrance, and Leon’s memories about Kendo and his daughter.
From “Yeah, First day on the job. Great, huh? Names Leon Kennedy, nice to meet you.” to "Yeah."I found Emily to be an underwhelming plot device. Sure, she is a clone, she likes reading, her mind is a clean slate, but she serves no other purpose than develop Grace’s conscience. Sherry was also just a cherry on top of the cake; she doesn’t really play a role other than appealing to the RE veterans’ sympathy. It’s nothing too jarring; she was never promised to be an interesting character anyway (despite the audacious and reckless Sherry when she was a little girl). Same goes for Zeno, as a secondary antagonist in the game, he doesn’t hold much emotional impact.
I chose the bad ending first. It is so criminally bad that I
had to see the other immediately after. Thankfully the good ending is great and
makes much more sense. The story is interesting and fun. My highest standard is
Code Veronica, as it has the best story among RE games I played. RE9 is not
quite it, but with its interesting and relatable protagonists, and fun
antagonists, it does a fairly good job.
Gameplay
I played the game on Standard (modern).
Grace’s sections are more hide and seek, stealth and
puzzle-oriented whereas Leon’s were action-based. I loved both and the
balancing act between them. They complemented each other really well and you
never feel overwhelmed by either. The puzzles are not annoying, not tough, not mind
blowing. Thank goodness we have a very functional map that shows all the missed
items, locked doors etc.
Save, save, save in Grace’s sections. If not too careful,
you may die easily. I remember having a hard time at first with Grace at the
care center. It took me way longer than it should have because I was afraid to
continue! Grace can be in very unfortunate situations with no ammo and a horde
of zombies in a tight corner. You may have to rely on luck and her somewhat
seemingly random move to push zombies away. Many times, I just sat at a corner
thinking how I should proceed, and that was exactly the point! It would have
been like that in real life. It was so tense. The correct mechanic behind
stealth is turning on/off lights and use of empty bottles. Distraction is the
way to go, but it doesn’t always work and it’s useless for hordes in a corner
(looking at you, the dreadful office where I had to get that acid after the fat
boy). Some zombies can be persistent as well, that damn zombie near the fridge
just wouldn’t let go! The part where you have to put an artificial organ was
also particularly frustrating: there was surgeon zombie with a saw the size of
Cloud’s Ultima Weapon from Final Fantasy 7. You just get through it, in the
end, as challenging it may look at first, the game is designed for the player
to have a balanced gameplay. It is well accomplished.
Grace’s underground section was not particularly thrilling,
it was dark, slimy, and overall boring. Plug some plugs, connect and disconnect
them. It was redeemed, momentarily by the minigame where you have to avoid both
zombies and the colossal meat grinder. Redemption came not because the minigame
was good (I found it tiresome and I died a lot) but because it added a change
in the dreary and dull zone. Elevator escape and Grace’s victory scene was cool
though. When you finally leave the care center, a sense of relief and dreading
anticipation overwhelm you. I loved it. The courtyard and the following areas
were well done. I particularly loved how Emily starts to lose her temper, her
voice is sharper and louder, and she demands to be seated, in direct contrast
to how subdued and well-mannered she had behaved thus far. It added another
level of tension to the feeling, which I thought was excellent. We find out in a
note that Emily usually behaves erratically and frequently displays tantrums,
so it is just possible that she had lost the energy that Grace could supply her
with and the additional suspicious presence of Harry, the helicopter pilot,
added to the tension.
As much as I enjoy the creepy kids with robotic red eyes, I
did not care much for Emily’s orphanage zone. It felt too much of a filler, but
it was nice to return to the orphanage and see what regularly transpired there.
I thought Sherry’s encounter with Chief Irons was better in the RE2 Remake, but
this is a minor issue.
The gore is particularly present in Leon’s section. Expect
to die a gruesome death with a chainsaw ripping Leon’s torso in two, all the
while getting his neck munched by the nurse that got chopped by the very same
chainsaw moments earlier. Leon’s sections can be brute forced, and dying doesn’t
quite hurt; you can always start over from a close checkpoint. Thankfully, you
can claim the chainsaw and wreak havoc among zombies. Annoying chainsaw! Why
can’t I pick it up when it’s spinning but a random zombie can!? Speaking of
special zombie powers, be careful, zombies may throw bottles at you, and some
may have better aim than you! Melee attacks after you injure enemies are also
cute.
Hemolytic injector is a cool mechanic where if injected to a
zombie, they just burst open and never have a chance to become turbo zombies,
or here they are called “Blister Heads”. I tried it once, it’s really cool but
that was it. I never made it my primary go to destruction method, but it’s
nice. Grace can collect blood that can be converted into all sorts of ammo,
which I found to be extremely useful. Don’t try to kill Blister Heads, the fat
girl or fat boy, with Grace, it is not a good idea.
You can upgrade weapons and armor with Leon, and maximum health/dexterity with Grace. I found both mechanics to be very valuable, especially health for Grace since ammo is scarce in her sections. Requiem as a weapon is so very cool. Weapon variety is the usual, I loved the addition of parrying with the hatchet.
You know RE humor when you see it.Enemy variety is really good, from zombie patients to
singing ladies, the thin girl, the fat boy, spiders, Tyrant!, rocket throwing
special forces zombies, giant flesh-eating plants… Bosses were also well done,
they were fun to deal with. I loved Victor’s fight especially, and it was so
visually stunning with all the lightning effects!
There is also variety in scenery and how the gameplay is
changed accordingly. For example, a Leon section becomes a rooftop sniper shooter
game, Grace faces a zombie that controls a gigantic bulldozer (I admit I died
here the first time.), Grace holds Emily in her arms, Leon gets to shoot wargs
while riding his motorcycle all across Raccoon City, Leon in a Call of
Duty-esque fighting with the special forces etc. The self-destruct protocol reprises
its role as usual!
Graphics
This game looks absolutely, boomingly exquisite. So many
details everywhere, from facial expressions to peach fuzz to pores, the hair
strands, Grace’s wrinkles on her thumb as she rips off the i.v. from her arm,
rain dripping in a pool with near perfect physics, the lighting, camera angles,
blood splashes… Every scene was a delight to look at; every enemy was detailed
and interesting. The girl with melting puffy eyes, the fat boy who was bullied
before he turned into a biological weapon, the pure essence of lickers from the
past! The way infected woman first kisses the man and then bites the nose off
was awesome.
I did not have ray tracing, but I bet that looks phenomenal
as well. With my laptop RTX3080, I never had a single framerate hiccup, the performance
is amazing despite some of the best visuals I have ever seen in a game.
Leon’s looks are fantastic. The beaten-up resolve, the sod-it-all
look, and yet the body still musters all his courage. Character faces are well done;
emotions are conveyed really well. I liked Victor Gideon’s frantic yet composed
demeanor, akin to Hannibal’s in Silence of the Lambs. Grace’s facial
expressions are also fantastic. From chilling fear to sheer determination, her
eyes did not lie.
Creepiness and horror factors are as impactful as ever (though
Code Veronica holds a special place for me). That hallway with the carousel
horse when Grace turns the lights on, jump scares of zombies and wardrobes,
Grace’s tumbling as she tries to run away, and don’t judge her, you would do
just the same if you were in her shoes!
Some notes could have been better, e.g. “List of patients”
at the reception etc. The world is so detailed that I was expecting to see real
names on there, instead they are just squiggles.
Environments, interior and exterior designs are also superb
and well-detailed. Loved that pilot’s boss’s office, the one that connects to
the underground labs. Not sure about the warped apartments in Leon’s section,
it’s a bit nauseating and logic-defying, but hey, it’s RE.
There are very creative ways to die, e.g. getting crushed by
visceral fat of the fat boy, falling off a building because you shot at a glass
window you were standing on etc. All beautifully crafted.
Sound
Grace’s voice acting (Angela Sant'Albano) was superb: the
constant stutter, the desperation when she was pulled into the darkness by the
girl, the cries of victory and toil when she hugs Emily after the underground
section, panting as Leon laid on the ground, the screams… All a very believable
and touching performance. Alyssa Ashcroft (Jane Perry)'s acting is short but sweet.
Victor Gideon (Antony Byrne) was also memorable. “You are
nothing but an IMITATION” or “Instead Spencer gave us ANARCHY” with a wide
mouth. The way he gloats and goes “I’ve done it!” and then immediately huffs,
turns 90 degrees and swiftly continues his evil acts developed his character
and is exemplary of the voice actor.
You know, Leon is Leon (Nick Apostolides) and he does a
perfectly good job.
Zombie vocal acting added so much to the game,
“Lights…O..ut…” or my favorite, and possibly a Macbeth reference, the cleaning
lady’s fixation: “Damn spottt…”.
Some interesting sound effect choices were made, such as the
shrieks of the fat boy. Such quirkiness really makes me think they are getting
ready for Code Veronica remake since such weird, deranged creativity peaked in
that game.
The music is where the game can begin to have serious
negatives. While as an ambient score, the soundtrack works, but nothing is
memorable. Maybe the ending song is worthy of listening to? Leon’s rooftop
sniper zone had cool synth. The brief moments of R.P.D. first floor and RE2
save theme synth mash up were touching. It is close to nothing compared to what
we got in the recent remakes (especially RE3) and I can’t even put it next to
Code Veronica’s iconic soundtrack.
Conclusion
As many people have commented
already, Capcom is on fire. RE9: Requiem is another banger, a great action-adventure
and survival horror game. I spent close to 13 hours in my playthrough, and I
had a fantastic time. The story and characters are interesting; the gameplay is
varied and fun. Graphics and performance are simply the best in the industry. Soundtrack
is the only letdown. I can give my time with this game a most deserved SCORE of 9. Cannot wait for Code Veronica, in fact I
will do a retro review shortly after this. Once again, we entered and exited
the world of survival horror!
The good:
-
The
best, industry-defining visuals and game performance
-
Varied
gameplay, balanced action and survival horror elements
-
Great voice
acting and interesting story
The bad:
-
A few
annoying gameplay sections
-
Little
to no memorable soundtrack
-
No Claire
(jk)
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