🎮 Sometimes, looking back is the only way to move forward. When Capcom released the Resident Evil 2 (RE2) remake in January 2019, they didn’t just polish an old gem — they effectively rebooted the franchise’s reputation. It was a masterclass in nostalgia combined with modern technology, but as recent years have shown, reaching that high standard has become increasingly difficult.

The resurrection: Resident Evil 2 (2019) replaced the fixed camera angles of 1998 with a claustrophobic over-the-shoulder view, powered by the photorealistic RE Engine. Critics hailed it as the new benchmark for video game preservation, praising how it made the Raccoon City Police Station feel terrifyingly new again. It was a statement that single-player survival horror was thriving, selling over five mn copies in its first year and proving that “scary” sells just as well as “action.”

However, the “Golden Age” of remakes was brief. The follow-up, Resident Evil 3 (2020), was poorly received by purists. Critics and fans alike lamented the missing content that defined the original. It felt less like a labor of love and more like a rushed DLC, focusing more on cinematic set pieces than the intricate exploration that made RE2 a masterpiece.

Then came the Resident Evil 4 remake. While it was a hit commercially, a growing vocal minority claims it shifted the tone too much. By removing the B-movie charm of the 2005 original in favor of gritty realism, some argued Capcom lost what made the series special. The consensus among skeptics is clear: the further we go from 2019, the less faithful these reinterpretations become.

Now, all eyes are on the horizon. Capcom is wagering on the recently released Resident Evil Requiem. Marketed as a massive comeback title, it promises a campaign twice as long as Village, featuring dual protagonists — newcomer Grace Ashcroft and the legendary Leon S. Kennedy. With rumors of a return to “true horror” and a development cycle without the technical gremlins that plagued recent PC ports, Requiem is being positioned not just as a sequel, but as an apology for the uneven quality of recent years.

💯 Rating: 93/100 (Metacritic)

⌛ Hours of gameplay: ~8-10 hours (First Run), ~20+ hours (Completionist)

🔁 Replay value: 9/10

👾 Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox Series

💵 Price: USD 40

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