Summary
In addition to giving players their first look at the franchise’s ninth game, the reveal trailer forResident Evil Requiemduring this year’s Summer Games Fest appeared to channel theFalloutseries with its chosen setting. WhileResident Evil’s latest games have focused on new and even unexpected locations, ranging fromResident Evil 7: Biohazard’s Louisiana swampland toResident Evil Village’s rural Eastern Europe, it seems thatResident Evil Requiemwill instead return to the series' most iconic setting, Raccoon City. However, with the events ofResident Evil 3likely fresh in players' minds following its 2020 remake, this setting could prove to be the series' most dangerous yet.
Featuring an aerial view of an unmistakable crater amidst Raccoon City’s ruins,RE Requiem’s latest trailer has teased the aftermath of a missile strike that occurred during the ending ofResident Evil 3: Nemesis. Although it may not have been explicitly confirmed, in-game cutscenes and fan theories seem to suggest that the missile used was nuclear, which could have major implications forRE Requiem’s setting if true. Just as theFalloutseries has embraced its nuclear post-apocalypse with radiation-based lore and mechanics, so too mightResident Evilas it returns to a nuked Raccoon City.
Resident Evil Requiem Could Benefit From Fallout’s Influence
As per its namesake,Fallout’s story and gameplay have arguably been most defined by its nuclear wasteland backdrop, with the fallout of a nuclear detonation leading to mutated creatures and irradiated landscapes. But whileResident Eviland its mutated monsters have traditionally centered around viral, parasitic, or fungal bioweapons,RE Requiemcould break new groundfor the franchise if it takes notes from theFalloutseries. WithRE Requiemreturning to Raccoon City after its nuclear detonation, the upcoming game could useFalloutas its inspiration to explore its own potential radiation mechanics, mutations, and more.
For instance, had Capcom kept its open-world plans forRE Requiemfrom early development, then the game could have adaptedFallout’s use of radiation to prevent players from straying out of bounds as they explore Raccoon City. However, even with the traditional survival horror approach of classicResident Evil, radiation could still influence the next game’s mechanics and storylines, especially givenRE Requiem’s ties to the likes ofResident Evil OutbreakandRE 3: Nemesis. More specifically, should viral bioweapons like the G-virus also return inRE Requiem, thenFallout’s irradiated mutations could be a significant source of inspiration.
Resident Evil Requiem Might Return To The Series' Roots With A Twist
After Alyssa Ashcroft’s name cropped up inRE 7: Biohazard,RE Requiemhas directly connected its protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, to one ofRE Outbreak’s playable characters. As a result,RE Requiemappears to be building on the original stories ofRE 3: NemesisandRE Outbreakin combination with the series' most recent games. While this could mean thatRE Requiem’s gameplay could be first-person like the latest games, it could also use the ties to these older games as a way to return toResident Evil’s roots through its characters, stories, and, in particular, settings.
WhereasResident Evil’s t-virus only caused minor mutations and zombie-like necrosis, the greater threat posed by the G-virus’s exponential mutations inRE 3: NemesisandRE Outbreakultimately led to Raccoon City’s destruction. However, should the G-virus have survived the nuclear detonation, its potential return inRE Requiemcould mutate the virus even further due to the radioactive fallout. With the G-virus’s ability to repair, revive, and even evolve its hosts,RE Requiemhas unlimited enemy potentialwhen it comes to its irradiated mutants, much likeFallout’s own Radroaches, Death Claws, Ghouls, and Super Mutants.
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Requiem for the dead. Nightmare for the living.
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth title in the mainline Resident Evil series.
Prepare to escape death in a heart-stopping experience that will chill you to your core.
Technological advancements combined with the development team’s depth of experience combine in a story with rich characters and gameplay that’s more immersive than ever before.
