Resident Evil Requiem

9% of reviews praise it as compelling or emotional, especially Grace's arc and Leon confronting what happened in Raccoon City. 6% criticize it, and they make up a much larger share of the negative reviews (15%). Many of the critics are longtime fans, and they cite retcons, plot holes, a late twist involving a classic series figure, villains who make little sense, and Zeno, who is set up as a Wesker-like threat but never fought. One wrote that "Zeno is pointless, he should have been the final boss." Others miss Claire, Jill and Ada in a story about Raccoon City survivors, and one called it "a bit ridiculous that leon and sherry don't even mention claire once". A common middle view is that the story "only makes sense if you don't think too hard on what is happening", which fans of the series' camp are happy to accept.

8% of reviews praise the return to Raccoon City and the police station, the callbacks, or call the game a "love letter" to the series, and for some it lands emotionally: "I really liked that sense of nostalgia, not just for me but for Leon when he enters RPD." 5% call it nostalgia bait or recycled, a share that is more than twice as high among negative reviews (13%). The critics point to returning bosses, an RPD visit they found short and reused from the RE2 remake, and references that feel like the game nudging them to remember. Several want more of the city's landmarks; others say the callbacks were exactly what they came for.

Grace divides players. 6% of reviews praise her or her performer, Angela Sant'Albano, often in strong terms: "It felt like she was actually being subjected to the same horrors in the booth." Several like playing a protagonist who is actually afraid: "She is afraid, but she is not passive. She is vulnerable, but she is not helpless." 4% find her grating, and that share climbs to 10% among negative reviews. They mention the constant stutter, the heavy breathing, and an FBI analyst who seems too timid for the job. One wrote that the direction seemed to be "just moan into the mic as much as you can everytime the character does anything", then added that they got over it. Players who stick with her often say she grows on them as she gains confidence.

Leon's combat gets both praise and criticism. Fans love the hatchet that can be sharpened on the spot, the parry and the contextual finishers: "its almost like I'm addicted to parrying just to get that satisfying hatchet finisher." Critics, often comparing it with the RE4 remake, call his movement heavy and sluggish, with inertia, delayed inputs and enemies that don't stagger reliably. One wrote: "You're watching Leon grunt and jump and do it for you, more than actually being in control of him". Bullet-sponge zombies and grab attacks add to the frustration. Several reviewers also miss the RE4 merchant, replaced by a supply box.

Reviewers date this free roguelike mode, which remixes Leon's levels, to early May, about ten weeks after launch. It comes up in 7% of reviews, with mixed reactions. Fans enjoy a free reason to keep playing: "Then they go and add a rogue like mode featuring all of Leon's sections? For free? In this economy?" Critics wanted Mercenaries and found reused dialogue and objectives, heavy luck at the higher ranks, enemies that one-shot, a final boss with invulnerable phases, and no way to sharpen the hatchet. One otherwise happy reviewer asked: "Who decided to take away the ability to sharpen the hatchet, when you simultaneously have to deal with random mutated enemies that heavily rely on you having said hatchet?" A couple of negative reviews blame menu crashes or worse performance after the mode's update and say they will change their verdict once it is fixed.

Reviewers who bring up the second half often rate it well below the first. Once Leon takes over in Raccoon City, critics describe empty grey ruins, a three-part detonator hunt, a mortar and gunfire sequence they hated, a motorcycle set piece that is too over the top for some, and a rushed final act. One called the city "an absolute slog of brown-grey environments for hours on end". Defenders enjoy the change of pace and the semi-open layout ("I saw people complain about the bomb part, but that was one of my favorite sections"), and some shrug that the pattern is familiar for the series: "Name a Resident Evil game that finishes stronger than it starts".

Some players complain that on Standard, ammo, healing and crafting materials are too plentiful, especially once Grace has the blood collector. Insanity, unlocked after a first clear, swings the other way, and players describe bullet-sponge enemies and a mode that practically needs infinite-ammo unlocks. What these players ask for is a middle option: "And then the only difficulty above Standard is Insanity? How about hard?" A minority found Insanity a satisfying challenge.

A smaller group says the switching itself hurts the game: the early swaps are too short, the late game is nearly all Leon, and each switch forces a reset of habits and inventory systems. One wrote: "Every time I got invested in Grace's slower, tense gameplay, the game would cut back to Leon." Several ask for RE2-style separate scenarios or an option to replay only one character.