Playing Resident Evil Requiem feels like bungee jumping over a pool of snapping crocodiles, and the act of portraying its characters apparently mirrored that in-game experience as Capcom sometimes turned down all the lights in its motion capture studio.
Angela Sant'Albano – the voice and mocap actor behind Grace Ashcroft, one half of the game's two hander – describes the slightly unorthodox mocap recording sessions in an interview with PCGN. "We would turn off all the light [in] the studio, and we would only operate by flashlight or camera light on our head," Sant'Albano says.
The series newcomer thought Capcom was "very good at trying to make the situation feel as close to what it was [in the game] without, you know, having a real-life zombie running at you." Short of manufacturing the T-Virus and hiring an actual zombie, Capcom resorted to simply switching the lights off (and probably saving money on its energy bill in the process) to create the same effect.
Sant'Albano isn't just a fresh face in the Resident Evil series, she's also totally new to horror games in general and "watched a ton of gameplay" to prepare for Requiem's biggest scares. Capcom apparently put a big emphasis on wanting "to go back to the horror Resident Evil games," so Sant'Albano "really wanted to make sure that I was capturing that and leaning into that slow, creeping tone that you really need to achieve."
The dedication to the horror craft seemingly paid off. Our Resident Evil Requiem review says it's "the most cinematic, bloody, surprisingly emotional moment for the franchise to-date" and a " seesaw of terror and wonder." It also briefly became the highest-user-rated game on Metacritic of all time, neck-and-neck with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
If you're playing Capcom's latest horror game, be sure to check out our Resident Evil Requiem safe codes guide.
