Resident Evil Requiem: Leon Returns, but Grace Makes the Horror Matter
Two protagonists bring two very different kinds of tension.
Leon Kennedy walks into a room and longtime Resident Evil fans expect him to handle it. Grace Ashcroft walks into that same kind of room and you start wondering whether she should be there at all. That difference is the most interesting thing about Resident Evil Requiem.
Two versions of being afraid
Capcom presents its ninth mainline Resident Evil around Grace’s survival horror and Leon’s more aggressive action. Grace is an FBI analyst; Leon brings years of experience fighting the sort of things most people would run from. PC Gamer’s review frames the game as an attempt to pull horror, puzzles and action into one package. It launched on February 27, 2026. [1][2]
What the online response gets right
The positive response is easy to understand. Coverage of player reactions by Destructoid describes considerable enthusiasm for the game and Leon’s return. But it is worth looking beyond the celebration of a familiar character. The more useful question is whether you enjoy switching between vulnerability and confidence. That change in rhythm can make relief feel earned—or interrupt the kind of horror you wanted to stay inside. [3]
Where opinions divide
Not every player thinks both halves work equally well. One user review collected by Metacritic praises Grace’s survival horror while finding Leon’s material too dependent on familiar locations and enemies. That is an individual criticism, not a community-wide verdict, but it identifies a real taste difference: do you want Resident Evil to keep you uncomfortable, or occasionally let you fight back with style? [4]
Our take
Requiem’s appeal is the conversation between its two leads. Leon supplies recognition and competence. Grace gives the danger room to feel dangerous again. Based on the reviews and reactions examined here, it looks especially appealing to fans who enjoy both sides of the series. Players who only want slow, sustained dread should pay attention to the action-heavy passages before deciding it is their ideal Resident Evil.
Whose sections would you look forward to more: Grace’s or Leon’s?