Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in Capcom’s beloved survival horror franchise, and it packs all the usual tension and thrills into a tight 10-12 hour campaign that fans have come to adore. Before you dive in, you may want to know a bit about what to expect, though. While there are a ton of surprises we don’t want to spoil as the story unfolds and the game’s two main characters find themselves in ever-increasing peril, we’ve compiled a list of some basic tips you should know as you get started working through the game’s opening hours.
This article contains minor spoilers for the first few hours of Resident Evil Requiem, so read at your own risk.
Leon and Grace’s playstyles are drastically different
You’ll play as both Grace and Leon during different sections of Resident Evil Requiem, often overlapping in the same area but at different times. When playing as Grace, you’ll need to engage with crafting, intense inventory management, and limited combat options–all of which provide a more traditional survival horror experience. However, Leon’s sections are more action-focused, as he has access to powerful weaponry, melee and finishing moves, and a much larger inventory for storing things like ammo and guns. In other words, you’ll want to approach things more deliberately with Grace and try not to overextend yourself–maybe even running from many battles–but play more aggressively with Leon and make use of his unique combat mechanics.
Some things can only be used by a certain character
Not only do Grace and Leon’s sections have different playstyles, but they also have unique mechanics and interactions. For instance, you may notice wooden closets located around the Care Center that you can’t open as Grace, but when you have control of Leon shortly after, you’ll be able to pry these open with his hatchet to find some worthwhile loot within. So, if you’ve exhausted an area and still found something that just doesn’t seem usable as one character, rest assured that a bit of patience goes a long way.
As Grace, a simple push can open zombies up for free headshots
Fighting zombies as Grace can be considerably more challenging than as Leon due to her having fewer options for dealing with them. But one simple trick can make quick work of lesser foes: a quick push. After a shot or two to a zombie’s head, you’ll be prompted to melee them. This will push them to the ground, and they’ll take a few moments to get back up, during which time you can place 3-4 more bullets in their head to finish them off fully. This sure beats having to aim at a moving target!
Leon’s hatchet is arguably his strongest asset
Leon comes equipped with a powerful hatchet for slicing and dicing through zombies. While it’s great for melee finishers and conserving ammo, it’s a particularly important defensive tool. It can be used to parry enemy attacks, including those from large bosses, which can save you from taking unnecessary damage and open up opportunities for some retaliation. However, it’s imperative that you sharpen the hatchet every chance you get–even mid-battle–as both attacking and parrying will rapidly deplete its durability. When it depletes entirely, you won’t be able to use it until it’s sharpened again, leaving you more vulnerable than ever.
Sometimes, running is better than fighting
While you’ll absolutely need to make use of Grace’s push and headshot tactic, you don’t necessarily have to fight every zombie you come across. In some cases, it’s a better idea to simply evade them altogether and save your ammo and healing items, such as if you’re leaving an area you know you won’t return to. A quick shot to a zombie’s leg will slow them down, or you can always kite groups far away from an area you need to access, then run back and enter more safely.
You can change your camera perspective at any time
By heading to Options > Camera, you can swap between a first and third-person camera for both main characters at any time. There’s no wrong answer on which is better, but it’s widely agreed upon that Grace’s sections are more suitable for a first-person perspective, while Leon’s faster-paced encounters lend themselves to a third-person camera. Your mileage may vary, so experiment with this and see what works best for you.
Explore the Care Center thoroughly for Antique Coins
Antique Coins can be found in a variety of ways while exploring the Care Center, including defeating specific tough enemies and opening safes–though you’ll often just find them sitting around on surfaces throughout a level. Explore each location thoroughly for these, as they’re immensely important in helping improve Grace’s survivability via inventory, health, and firepower upgrades that can be purchased in specific locations.
It’s worth backtracking to store things
You will find a lot of items in Resident Evil Requiem, and your inventory will be exceedingly limited–especially in the opening hours. As such, don’t be afraid to backtrack and store items in safe rooms. Leaving behind even a single healing item or ammo stack because you just couldn’t make space could make the difference between surviving an upcoming battle and dying, which means lost progress. In most cases, there’s also a typewriter nearby, so it’s also a good idea to save when you’re done sorting through your items.
Craft to clear inventory space in a pinch
Even with capacity upgrades and liberal use of storage, your inventory is always at risk of being full. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to make use of crafting to clear up spaces on the fly. Whether you’re trying to make space for a simple green herb, a stack of ammo, or a quest item, you can head into the crafting menu and use some of your materials to craft an item that will take up less space. For instance, combining a few of your green herbs into a single more powerful healing item might grant you an extra slot or two, ensuring you can snag whatever you’ve found around a level that you don’t want to leave behind.
Your flashlight doesn’t attract zombies
It’s perfectly reasonable for you to assume that your flashlight will alert enemies, but that’s actually not the case. You can leave your flashlight on indefinitely to aid in navigation without worrying that it will attract the attention of nearby zombies’. Sound and line of sight are the only things to be concerned about in terms of alerting this game’s terrifying monstrosities, so keep that light shining bright.
You can drop the difficulty, but you can’t raise it
Resident Evil Requiem is a fairly well-balanced game from start to finish, providing a solid number of resources and opportunities for you to strategically dispatch your foes using the environment. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can choose to drop the difficulty lower on the Game Over screen, giving you a better chance at survival the next time around. However, keep in mind you can not raise the difficulty again after you’ve lowered it, so make sure you want less of a challenge before making this decision.
