It’s been four years since the last mainlineResident Evilrelease. While2023’sResident Evil 4 Remakedid a great job of keeping fans content, there’s been a growing desire among the fan-base for something completely new, and something that pushes the series' timeline forward.Resident Evil Requiemis that game.
The closing announcement in Summer Game Fest’s opening ceremony,Resident Evil Requiemis the ninth mainline installment of the long-running horror franchise. It’ll see players take control of Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst sent to investigate a series of mysterious deaths at the Wrenwood Hotel, the site of her mother’s death eight years prior. Thankfully, fans won’t need to wait too long to uncover these secrets, asResident Evil Requiemalready has a confirmed release date of June 03, 2025. The seven months between now and then might feel like a lifetime to some, but there are plenty of relevantResident Evilgames fans should play in the meantime.
Games to Play While Waiting for Resident Evil Requiem: Resident Evil 7
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (Cloud), PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS
Part one of the Ethan Winters duology,Resident Evil 7might not end up having many direct ties toResident Evil Requiem’s story, but it’s still worth a playthrough beforeRequiem’s release for a few key reasons. The first of which is thatResident Evil 7’s director, Koshi Nakanishi, is also directingRequiem. By playing throughResident Evil 7, fans will hopefully get a good idea of Nakanishi’s directorial style, and what type of mood, atmosphere, and scares they can expect to find inResident Evil Requiem.
Playing throughResident Evil 7will also give fans a refresher on the series' first-person gameplay systems, which are set to return again inResident Evil Requiem.
Resident Evil 7is also home to a collectible that references Alyssa Ashcroft, a character directly tied toResident Evil Requiemprotagonist Grace.
Games to Play While Waiting for Resident Evil Requiem: Resident Evil 2 & 3 Remake
Capcom has already confirmed that players will be heading back to the charred ruins of Raccoon City inResident Evil Requiem. What’s more is that, according to the recent batch of developer interviews during the Capcom Showcase,Requiem’s title refers to the new game being a sort of “eulogy” to those who were affected by the initial Raccoon City outbreak.Resident Evil 2’s Leon Kennedyand Claire Redfield, andResident Evil 3’s Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira are the most important characters tied to that event.
Though no cameos have been confirmed just yet, it’s very likely thatResident Evil Requiemwill feature references to these previous protagonists, along with featuring key landmarks and locations from those games, with the Raccoon City Police Department already appearing inRequiem’sfirst trailer. It’s also been heavily rumored that Leon Kennedy will appear as asecond playable protagonist inResident Evil Requiem, so it’d be great for players to get a refresher of his character’s origin before its launch next year.
The original versions ofResident Evil 2and3are worth a playthrough as well, but the remakes should have priority asResident Evil Requiem’s version of Raccoon City is more likely to draw inspiration from them than the originals.
Games to Play While Waiting for Resident Evil Requiem: Resident Evil 4 Remake
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, iOS
IfResident Evil Requiemdoes end up bringing Leon Kennedy back into the fold, then a playthrough of the recentResident Evil 4 Remakemight be worthwhile. Not only would fans get a refresher on Leon’s post-Raccoon City adventures, they’d also get to experience the latest entry in the franchise, whichResident EvilRequiem’s third-person gameplaywill likely borrow from.
Games to Play While Waiting for Resident Evil Requiem: Resident Evil Outbreak
Platforms: PlayStation 2
Mentioned up top,Resident Evil Requiem’s story begins with Grace Ashcroft being sent to investigate the Wrenwood Hotel, the place where her mother mysteriously died eight years before the game’s events. Grace’s mother is Alyssa Ashcroft, a reporter by trade and one ofResident Evil Outbreak’s eight playable characters.
Released in 2004 in North America,Resident Evil Outbreakis a PS2 exclusive that saw players teaming up via online co-op and escaping from Raccoon City during the height of the T-virus outbreak. If players want to get the full picture of Grace Ashcroft’s family history, they should giveResident Evil Outbreakand its sequel a go.
