Resident Evil Requiem – Can Horror Games Still Scare Us in 2025?
As someone who still gets chills walking through shadowy corridors in horror games, Resident Evil Requiem has been one of my most anticipated titles. With the series’ legacy behind it, this entry promises to return to the survival horror roots many players feel have been diluted. In this Resident Evil Requiem review, I’ll be evaluating whether this game can actually scare us again in 2025, given the changing expectations of horror fans and what Capcom has revealed so far.
What We Know So Far About Resident Evil Requiem
Release Info & Platforms: Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch on February 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Protagonist & Setting: You play as Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst haunted by her past, investigating mysterious deaths in a hotel tied to her mother’s history. The game also returns to the devastated Raccoon City, roughly 30 years after its destruction.
Camera Perspectives: A new addition is the toggle between first-person and third-person perspectives, allowing you to choose how you want to experience the scares.
“The scariest monsters aren’t the ones hiding in the dark, they’re the memories we can’t escape.”
The Stakes are Higher with Horror in 2025
Horror games have evolved. Many players are desensitized by jump scares or overly action-packed sequences. The question Requiem has to answer is not just can it be scary, but can it feel scary in a fresh, meaningful way.
Capcom seems aware of this and director Koshi Nakanishi has spoken about how the team is struggling with what horror even means now after so many entries. Requiem aims to dial back the action and lean more on psychological tension, atmosphere, and dread. Just the recipe that I am waiting for.
What Requiem Gets Right (Based on Demos, Trailers, Preview Impressions)
Here’s what I believe Resident Evil Requiem is doing well based on what’s known. These are promising signs for horror lovers.
1. Atmosphere Over Action
The trailer and demo snippets emphasise dark hallways, eerie environments, ambiguous sounds, and moments of vulnerability rather than spectacle. Grace is described as introverted and fearful traits that make horror feel more believable.
2. Nostalgia and Innovation
Going back to Raccoon City carries weight. Revisiting landmarks like the R.P.D., ruined streets, and the infected remnants appeals to fans’ memories. But Requiem also builds new mechanics: multiple camera perspectives, stronger narrative ties to past characters like Grace’s mother. That balance could reinvigorate what made the earlier Resident Evil titles so effective.
3. The Fear Factor, Scale and Detail
Visual fidelity is high. RE Engine improvements, lifelike facial expressions, atmospheric lighting. These technical enhancements matter when you’re relying on subtle tension. The more believable something looks, the easier it is to be unsettled by small things, like a cupboard creaking or a flashlight flickering.
What Might Hold Resident Evil Requiem Back
No game is perfect, and the horror genre has specific pitfalls. Here are areas where Requiem might struggle:
- Desensitization: Many players have seen so many horror tropes it’s hard to evoke fear. The effectiveness of jump scares or grotesque visuals may be limited. Nakanishi himself admits this challenge
- Balance of Perspective: Having both first- and third-person views is great, but players might default to the less scary third-person mode, undermining atmosphere
- Lore Overload vs. Accessibility: Resident Evil has a deep, complex history. The game needs to be enjoyable for newcomers without alienating longtime fans. So far Capcom says Newcomers can still enjoy Requiem without knowing every detail
What I Want Out of Resident Evil Requiem
From my years of playing horror games, I’ve come to realize that the most memorable experiences don’t rely solely on jump scares but instead build fear through vulnerability and atmosphere. What I hope Resident Evil Requiem captures are those raw moments of helplessness when you’re under-armed, cornered, and desperately scrambling to survive. These are the moments when every creak in the floorboard or flicker of light makes you second-guess your next move and pushes you to the edge of your seat.
Sound design will also play a massive role in heightening the tension. The faint whispers that echo through hallways, the distant moans carried by the wind, and even the sudden silence can do more to unsettle a player than any direct confrontation. When done correctly, it’s often the quiet moments that make you hold your breath, waiting for something to happen, even when nothing does.
Equally important is the game’s environmental storytelling. Horror feels most authentic when spaces tell their own stories without the need for words. A room covered in burn marks, a shelf lined with empty photo frames, or a child’s toy left behind on the cold floor—each of these details paints a picture of tragedy and fear. They invite players to imagine what might have happened, making the world feel lived in and deeply unsettling.
Finally, there’s the emotional core that ties everything together. If Resident Evil Requiem truly leans into Grace Ashcroft’s connection to her mother her fear, guilt, and determination it could give every scare emotional weight. Horror becomes far more powerful when it is connected to something personal, when survival is not just about escaping monsters but also about confronting inner demons and past trauma that refuse to stay buried.
Will Resident Evil Requiem Scare Us Again?
Based on what I’ve seen and what the developers are aiming for, Resident Evil Requiem has high potential to be more than just another horror game it could be a reminder that horror still has teeth.
If Capcom prioritizes atmosphere, tension, vulnerability, and psychological dread over action spectacle, Requiem might succeed where others have merely rattled the cage. For fans of classic survival horror, this feels like a nod back to Resident Evil 2 and RE7, while pushing forward.
So, can horror games still scare us in 2025? Resident Evil Requiem says yes. Now we just need to see how well it follows through.