Summary
After months of speculation, leaks, and rumors,Resident Evil Requiemfinally shows its face, and fans could not be more excited to jump back into Raccoon City once again. Capcom has kept things neatly behind closed doors up until this point, and the first reveal trailer only offers some glimpses of what’s to come, without giving too much away.
But even in a short snippet of just a few minutes, there is more than enough information to piece together some details and get at least a preliminary picture of what’s to come when the game releases.
1Grace Ashcroft
That Name Rings A Bell
The most obvious question that has been on many people’s minds iswho the protagonistof the next game will be. The answer is still a little foggy, but it is clear that Grace Ashcroft will play a crucial role in both the story and the game as a whole. She isn’t a completely new character either, being the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, who keenREfans will know all too well.
Alyssa was one of the many protagonists ofRE Outbreak, a reporter who gets entangled in the infection and horrors of Raccoon City. During her story, she ends up infected with a mutated viral strain and is later cured, preventing any further spreading. In the trailer, her murder is revealed, indicating that she continued to investigate long after the events ofOutbreak,and it is clear that Grace is keen to follow in her footsteps, whether she has a choice or not.
2The Time
The Future Never Looked So Bleak
Timelines are always a complicated thing to deal with in any franchise, but there are very few game series that are quite ascomplex and convoluted asResident Evil. So many spinoffs and mainline titles, it can be hard to pin down exactly when everything takes place, but the trailer gives a good idea about the general era when players will be investigating the city once again.
The detonation itself was back in 1998, and with Grace clearly being in her early twenties, along with a few details from the previous games, it is clear thatRequiemis intended as a modern-day title, so it taking place around 2025 lines up with a letter found inRE7from Alyssa dated 2016, alongside the mention in the trailer that she dies eight years prior.
3Infection
Virus Or Fungus, Or Something In Between
Infections and viruses are the bread and butter ofResident Evil,and it is clear that once again, players will befacing off against horrors beyond comprehensionin the latest installment. As it stands, it is unclear whether the zombies in the trailer are infected with a new virus or one from a previous title, but what is known is that there is some unknown new disease that is on the loose and killing off people one by one.
In the past, Umbrella were very much off the chain when it came to their experimentation and lack of care in terms of their viruses, and it is now clear that another organization or individual is set on seeing the downfall of others with a new form of infection that brings a whole new set of pains and horrors that are yet to be seen.
4Wrenwood Hotel
Returning To The Past
There are a few moments in the trailer, both in the dialogue and the visuals, that hint at a specific location that may be part of the gameplay. Wrenwood Hotel is referenced as the place where Alyssa was murdered, and the flashbacks that are seen show more than just a cutscene.
The flashes of Alyssa that are seen from a first-person perspective, meaning that either Grace was reliving a memory of hers, or simply remembering the death of her mother. Either way, the flashes show a kind of perspective that is very reminiscent of theRE7tapes, which allowed players to step into a memory and relive a moment from the past. Whatever the case, the hotel will clearly play an important role in the story and how players uncover the mysteries within it.
5The Bomb
Not Quite A Nuclear Disaster
AnyResident Evilfan knows that poor old Raccoon City has been blown to pieces countless timesacross various games and eras. The blast itself remains as a single act of annihilation, but the actual specifics surrounding the blast are often misconstrued thanks to the crossing of timelines and complicated stories that overlap and interconnect.
But in the latest trailer, the blast is shown in all its glory, demonstrating the extent of the destruction while also showing that the explosion was never of a nuclear origin and instead a thermobaric bomb. The importance of this is that players will be able to visit the city or at least part of it, which wouldn’t have been possible with a more destructive explosion.
6RPD References
Easter Eggs And Subtle Details
When the RPD sign first showed in the trailer, that was the cue for fans to leap out of their seats. A return to one of the most beloved locations in the franchise blew away any expectations that players may have had, and there are more than a few inclusions that make the whole scene even more exciting.
For one, there is the overall layout of the interior that remains exactly as it was inRE2. The statue, the doors, the staircases, everything is as it was, just with a healthy explosive blast put on top of it. Aside from the obvious, outside, there are a few vehicles, notably a Jeep belonging to Leon, that was left behind on that fateful day and may serve as an easter egg for eager-eyed fans or a reference, as many fans are speculating, that there is still more of his story to come.
7Title Card
What Does It All Mean?
Capcom themselves have been pretty outspoken when it comes to the future of theREseries. They have no intention of ending the narrative with this title, but would like to do away with the numbers to expand the universe in different directions, without being tied down to a set of digits. In this case, the title is another clever insert likeVillage,where the number itself slots neatly into the name of the game.
The title card shows off more than just the number, however, as the text itself is stylized intentionally, appearing to be stitched together in the same way a serial killer may send messages to the world. Text aside, the title speaks to the kind of story that players will be engaging with in the game, with the tagline stating “Requiem for the dead. Nightmare for the living,” showing that the game will be exploring the past in a big way, and bringing plenty of psychological horror with it.
