Resident Evil Requiem: Unearthing Raccoon City's Haunting Return and Its Directors' Darkest Symphony
Raccoon City, the infamous locale synonymous with viral outbreaks and questionable urban planning, is making a grand, terrifying return in Resident Evil Requiem. We recently had the spine-chilling opportunity to sit down with director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa to dissect the ninth mainline installment in Capcom's venerable survival horror saga. From deciphering the game's unique brand of dread to understanding why Grace Ashcroft's stumble is a feature, not a bug, we peeled back the layers of this much-anticipated title. Prepare to learn why this return to zombie-infested streets isn't just a trip down memory lane, but an overture to what promises to be Capcom's most unsettling orchestral horror yet.
My journey to Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom 2025 was packed with dozens of game demos, but one in particular clawed its way into my nightmares: Resident Evil Requiem. While the demo, featuring Grace Ashcroft navigating a decrepit care center while stalked by a monstrous entity, was a familiar sight from June's Summer Games Fest, it was my first hands-on experience. And let me tell you, it was less 'hands-on' and more 'hands-clamped-over-mouth-in-terror'.
Beyond the visceral thrill of the demo, the real meat of my Requiem experience came from a candid 30-minute interview with the masterminds themselves: director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa. We delved into the very fabric of fear they're weaving, the strategic return to the series' roots in Raccoon City, the surprising nuances of its dual camera perspectives, and much more. It was like getting a backstage pass to a horror movie, except the monsters are real and the snacks are probably infected.
The Symphony of Fear: Defining Requiem's Unique Horror
Every Resident Evil title boasts its own distinct flavor of dread. Biohazard gave us the delightful southern hospitality of the Baker family, while Village channeled classic Universal monsters with a distinctly European flair. So, what terrifying theme does Requiem bring to the table? Director Nakanishi wasted no time, emphasizing the marketing mantra: "Return to Raccoon City."
"We're returning to the main storyline of the series and looking to push it forward with horror," Nakanishi explained. "And you'll see, if you've played the demo, using characters like Grace and the creature you saw, we introduce this storyline and theme, and they're quite unique as an approach for Resident Evil." Producer Kumazawa chimed in with news that will send shivers down the spines of purists and gore-hounds alike: "One of the elements that you can expect to return is zombies; they are back. We are focusing more on the monsters, a variety of different enemies from the creature you saw in the demo to the next level, the next version of our zombies." So, prepare for zombies 2.0, presumably with better Wi-Fi and even less personal space.
Grace's Grand Entrance: A Stumble Towards Immersion
One peculiar detail from the demo had me scratching my head: Grace Ashcroft would trip in third-person, but not in first-person. Was this a subtle commentary on my own coordination? Nakanishi clarified, thankfully. "We originally planned to just switch the camera hud, but we realized that if you take the camera out from first to third, because of the way Grace is animated – as a first-person model – it looks like she's just walking around straight, with no reaction. It was unnatural."
He continued, "First-person is already more immersive, but that immersion has to be represented in other ways in third-person, which is why we have extra reactions like tripping. If we added tripping to first-person, moving the camera like that would make you motion sick." Kumazawa added that these animations, like Grace jumping at surprises or specific damage reactions, are crucial for conveying her fear and injury in third-person, something less necessary when the camera is her eyes in first-person. And for those wondering if third-person is harder due to these 'stumbles,' Nakanishi offered a peek behind the curtain: "When you trip, you can't see it, but the creature doesn't move." So, Capcom isn't actively trying to make you rage-quit; it's a strategic stumble, not a death sentence.
The Ashcroft Legacy: A Family Affair with Fatal Consequences
The return of the Ashcroft family, specifically Grace, immediately raised questions for fans of the Outbreak series. Why them, and why now? Nakanishi revealed that Alyssa Ashcroft, Grace's mother, was the perfect fit. "Returning to Raccoon City after all this time meant looking back on the incident itself and Umbrella and the themes we haven't visited in a while. Alyssa is a survivor of the incident, and she goes on to journalistically investigate and find the truth and expose the cover-up."
However, Alyssa's journalistic integrity came at a steep price. "But she pays the price for curiosity, presumably gets too close to the truth, and someone or some entity has her killed to silence her." Enter Grace, taking up her mother's torch years later, driven by a desire to uncover the truth behind both the Raccoon City incident and her mother's murder. "Two generations of Ashcrofts are the perfect choice for our storytelling and moving the main series forward," Nakanishi concluded. It seems curiosity didn't just kill the cat; it got Alyssa tangled in Umbrella's web, and now Grace is coming for answers, probably with a shotgun.
Behold the Beast: Designing Pure Panic
The hulking creature in the demo is a terrifying marvel, a grotesque ballet of pure terror. Nakanishi revealed that its design wasn't based on a single inspiration. "We had a lot of different concepts through the design phase. So, to be honest, there's not any one particular inspiration from other works." The main objective? To make it stand out. "The main single-sentence summary of her: As soon as you lay your eyes on her, you know this isn't right; you need to get away from this." Mission accomplished, director. My eyes definitely told my feet to run for the hills.
What's in a Name? The "Requiem" Unpacked
"Requiem" carries a weighty meaning, typically a mass for the dead. Nakanishi confirmed this interpretation for the game. "It's along the lines of remembrance for the dead." He tied it back to the Ashcroft family, explaining, "Alyssa and Grace are a key family relationship that kicks everything off: Alyssa's murder, Grace's grief, her desire to avenge, her desire to solve her mother's murder, and the aftermath of the Raccoon City incident."
This theme extends to a chilling line from the game's marketing: "This is merely the overture to our darkest symphony yet." Nakanishi elucidated the musical metaphor: "Using a musical metaphor to say this is a requiem for the mass of the dead; even when you watch the SGF presentation or if you've played the same section yourself, and think this is dark and scary – this is just the beginning. It's our way of tying together the title and the metaphor and saying, 'If you think this is scary, you haven't seen anything yet.'" So, if the demo was just the warm-up act, we're in for a headbanging, heart-stopping crescendo of terror.
The Scare Factor: Finding the Sweet Spot Between Terror and Playability
Does this mean Requiem is poised to be the scariest Resident Evil ever? Nakanishi, who also directed the notoriously terrifying Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, offered a nuanced perspective. "That's a bit of a tricky question. I directed [Resident Evil 7: Biohazard]. I know for a lot of players, it was too scary, so scary they couldn't finish it." His goal for Requiem isn't to simply out-scare its predecessors. "I'm not aiming to make this the scariest Resident Evil ever. It will be very scary, but I want you to get through the whole thing and enjoy it. It's about a release of tension and catharsis and actually surviving it, but it's certainly up there in terms of how scary Requiem is."
Kumazawa reinforced this approach, highlighting the dual camera perspectives as a player-friendly feature. "The camera perspective changes are part of this. If you feel it's too scary in first-person, jump out to third-person." He envisions a rollercoaster of emotions: "If we're at max horror the whole time, people can't take it and put the controller down. We want, 'Wow, that was scary,' and then some exploration and puzzle-solving, then some action combat, and then we bring you back into the fear." It's like a horror movie where the director actually wants you to see the ending, not just hide behind the couch for 90 minutes.
Beyond the Trilogy: A New Chapter for Resident Evil
Many fans considered Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, and now Requiem, a cohesive trilogy. Nakanishi, however, set the record straight. "We don't really think of [Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, and Resident Evil Requiem] as a trilogy. 7 and 8 are a duology. Ethan's story concludes at the end of Village."
Requiem, he clarifies, is the ninth mainline title, designed to "move back to the series' mainstream, as it were, [...] to push the storyline forward." While Grace's maternal quest is a strong motivator, Nakanishi notes that "family is part of it, but not as emphasized as the past two mainline titles." So, if you were expecting another dose of Ethan Winters' perpetually unlucky hands, think again; this is a fresh narrative trajectory, less about domestic drama and more about Raccoon City's lingering trauma.
The Call of Raccoon City: A Developer's Dream (and Challenge)
Finally, the interview touched upon what it's like for the development team to return to the iconic, zombie-ridden streets of Raccoon City in a new, compelling way. Nakanishi's enthusiasm was palpable. "There are a lot of Resident Evil fans on the team, so naturally, we find it very exciting, and it's fun to finally tackle the idea of what's happening inside the city."
He acknowledged the weight of fan expectations. "The fans, though, they go to the next level, with even more speculation and questions. We do have a lot of expectations to live up to, but we're confident you will love it." Returning to Raccoon City is like going back to your old high school; nostalgic, but with way more zombies and fewer awkward prom photos. The team is ready to deliver.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to haunt PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 27, 2026. Mark your calendars, stock up on virtual ammo, and maybe invest in some nightlights.