After years driven solely by vague speculation and widespread rumors and leaks, fans now have a much better idea of whatResident Evil Requiemis shaping up to be. With the latest upcoming mainline installment, Capcom is honing sharply in on a psychological horror approach that the franchise has only dipped into throughout its storied history.Resident Evil Requiemis set to take a notable turn away from the series' usual balance of action and traditional horror and into a more intensely personal journey through some harrowing territory, both literally and figuratively.
One of its most enticing aspects is thatResident Evil Requiemwill be bringing players back to Raccoon City. As was revealed in its surprise announcement at the Summer Game Fest, and further additional information provided about it during the recent Capcom Spotlight,Requiem’s story will see players revisit the familiar city nearly a generation after it was initially overrun and wiped out, seemingly left largely abandoned in the time since. And given that Raccoon City is so well-known toREfans, and even those only more casually familiar with the IP,RE Requiemtaking this direction should hopefully be much more than merely Capcom seeking to capitalize on the nostalgic nature of it.
Resident Evil Requiem’s Return to Raccoon City Shouldn’t Be for Old Time’s Sake
Raccoon City is Where it All Began
It’s not hard to argue thatRaccoon City is the most iconic locationin the entire franchise, even if a number of other entries have sent players to memorable places:
The difference is thatRaccoon City is ingrained inResident Evilloreas ground zero for its inciting events. Oswald Spencer, Umbrella, and their conspiracy involving the testing of the virus on the unsuspecting populace of the otherwise quiet and unassuming Midwestern town are at the center ofRE. Technically, even the very first game took place just outside the city proper, in the Spencer Mansion nestled away in the nearby Arkady Mountains. It wasn’t until the second title and again inRE3: Nemesisthat fans first explored the heart of the city, and it became indelibly etched into the IP’s identity, with a few later entries being set there too.
Not counting the remakes ofRE2andRE3, the most recent entry to feature Raccoon City wasResident Evil Zero, though again one can split hairs on whether that “actually counts.” Regardless, the fact thatResident Evil Requiemwill be in Raccoon City is significant, and should come along with elements that go well beyond the simple fact that the City is instantly recognizable and nearly synonymous withREas a whole.
Resident Evil Requiem Going Back to Raccoon City Should Come With New Revelations
The ground zero description seems doubly applicable forResident Evil Requiem, as trailers contain images of bomb craters and locations like the RCPD shown lying in ruins.New protagonist Grace Ashcroftis known to be related toResident Evil Outbreak’s Alyssa Ashcroft; that game was also set in Raccoon City and followed a group of survivors concurrent to the plots ofRE2and3.
While going back to Raccoon City is an intriguing idea, and certainly promises to bringResident Evilfull circle from its roots, Capcom’s decision to placeRequiemin it will hopefully also provide meaningful story and character developments. Grace’s investigation into her mother’s alleged murder in the city’s Wrenwood Hotel could potentially shed more light on that as well as other unanswered mysteries andlingeringResident Evilplot threads.Requiem’s grand return to Raccoon City should be sure then that it does the job of satisfying longtime fans, while simultaneously using this framework to push the overall narrative forward and set up interesting future possibilities, rather than banking on players' nostalgia for the setting to do the heavy lifting.
