Resident Evil: Requiem "conveys the romanticism of a delicate girl fighting with a rugged revolver," director says, but its RE2-style boss battles prioritize subtlety over "gun shooting action"

Grace Ashcroft looks at a computer in Resident Evil Requiem screenshot — (Image credit: Capcom)

Resident Evil: Requiem protagonist Grace Ashcroft is an intelligent FBI analyst who has not only weathered the untimely death of her mother, but also seems to willingly brave the scene of the murder out of professional and spiritual calling. Plus, she wears very sensible leather boots. However, have you considered the fact that she's a little lady?

Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi explains in a new translated interview with Automaton that the ninth Resident Evil installment won't prioritize ostentatious combat with guns, but Grace is happy with a weapon in her hand because the image "conveys the romanticism of a delicate girl fighting with a rugged revolver."

Based on Requiem's current drip of promotional material before the survival horror game launches February 27, I wouldn't describe the mousy, but scrappy Grace as "delicate" – in the gameplay overview I watched during this year's Summer Game Fest, she forces her way out of a restraint chair she's strapped into even as she's dizzy from dangling upside down, with a bag-worth of blood leaking out of her.

Resident Evil Requiem protagonist Grace hangs upside down — (Image credit: Capcom)

But, breakable or not, Grace won't be using her gun much anyway. Nakanishi also explains to Automaton that while "of course, there will be boss battles," Requiem players should expect subtle fight scenes in the style of 1996's Resident Evil or 1998's Resident Evil 2 rather than "flashy" opportunities for bloodlust, "like in games that emphasize gun shooting action." People will instead have to "expand their exploration area in a closed space and overcome obstacles using their wits," Nakanishi explains.

As you adjust to Requiem's environment, Grace will too. She's "scared at first," Nakanishi says, "but the situation eventually causes her to snap, and she becomes able to fight her enemies.

"Being able to experience this process of growth together with the protagonist is one of the highlights of the game." Even the most delicate skin can grow calloused.

Capcom says Resident Evil: Requiem is "almost an upgrade" of Resident Evil 2 horror but the devs honestly aren't sure what's scary anymore: "We've made so many of these that we can't tell."

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