At the Summer Games Fest showcase last Friday, Capcom talked about the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Resident Evil series next year. They would then say we would hear about the next game soon, and the show moved on. However, they faked everyone out and the show ended with the trailer for the ninth mainline game known as Resident Evil Requiem. At Summer Games Fest, we got to see a short presentation on the game which showed us the first look at gameplay. Capcom is calling this their “darkest symphony” and that describes what we saw perfectly.

The gameplay we saw had new protagonist Grace Ashcroftwake up in a mysterious hotel room strapped upside down to a table and needing to escape. She improvises her way out, although painfully, and we saw the beginning of her overall journey through the terror of the hotel. The game started out from a first person perspective similar to the recent mainline games, however Capcom did end the presentation with showing that you can switch the game to third person like how the recent remake series is handling the camera. While Village got this option with its DLC, Requiem will allow players to switch the camera from the get go to play how they see fit.

Since Capcom really wanted to return to the franchise’s survival horror roots, we saw that almost immediately as this may be the darkest game I’ve ever seen. The hotel is creepy and terrifying to progress through as its almost constantly pitch black. They even showed that you have to carry a Lighter item to help you see better in the darkness. Speaking of items, the classic inventory system returns with this entry, so no briefcase like the last two games we’ve gotten meaning inventory management will be a must here.

The tension and horror of the gameplay we saw kept ramping up as Grace progressed through the hotel until she found a dead body, and then a horrifying creature started to pursue her throughout the hotel. This was similar to Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake as this creature was encountered multiple times  causing Grace to have to run and hide in a room.

Overall, the game is looking great. Fans won’t have to wait too much longer for the game as it’ll be playable at Gamescom and will release fully early next year on February 27, 2026.