Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 Review

Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Many readers will know that I am not a horror game person at all. In fact, the first horror game I ever reviewed was Cronos: The New Dawn, and while I thought it was excellent, it pushed my blood pressure through the roof. Now Resident Evil Requiem is here and, before we even get properly into this review, I can say without hesitation that it is the most terrifying thing I have experienced in my 42 years on this planet. What’s it like? Turn on the lights, take your blood pressure medication, and think happy thoughts as we review Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2.

Resident Evil Requiem puts you in the shoes of two protagonists: newcomer Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst with a traumatic past, and Leon S. Kennedy, a seasoned Resident Evil veteran who has faced horrors most can only imagine. Grace’s latest assignment is to investigate a string of mysterious bodies found at an abandoned hotel, all showing symptoms linked to the T-Virus and eerily tied to the old Raccoon City incident. Leon’s journey unexpectedly crosses over to Grace’s as he is tracking a doctor named Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella Corporation researcher now obsessed with completing a secret biotechnological project. Gideon’s actions bring both Leon and Grace together in violent and unsettling ways as Leon hunts him, hoping to uncover answers to a new outbreak that threatens to spiral out of control.

This dual protagonist system is driven by a gripping narrative, often showing you story beats from two different perspectives (both figuratively and literally with 3rd and 1st person options). While the series may be known for its campy elements, Requiem manages to deliver a story with an incredible amount of impact and heavy emotional themes. Without spoiling anything, there were moments where you feel like you’ve achieved a great victory, only to be hit with an emotionally wrought scene that breaks your heart.

This is a common theme with Grace, who is experiencing the horrors left by Umbrella’s legacy for the first time. You feel both helpless and overwhelmed when playing as her, and that is what makes Requiem shine. Even early on, while trying to escape the Shadow Ghost, I felt genuine dread, with chills running down my spine as Grace sprinted and stumbled toward the light. When playing as Grace, you will have to sneak and try your best to avoid combat in order to survive. Ammo is scarce, fighting zombies with knives is ineffective, and double-mutation T-Virus zombies will often deplete too much of your precious ammo. Even with crafting, you still won’t have enough to fight your way out. Instead, Grace’s sections lean into the puzzles and survival horror that the series is known for, examining items to uncover secrets and ultimately trying to survive.

Leon, on the other hand, has seen it all before, and his gameplay sections are more action-oriented and make you feel powerful. If Grace is trapped in an asylum with zombies, it’s clear that when playing as Leon, the zombies are trapped with you, and you’ll be shooting and slashing your way through enemies to complete your mission. Leon’s sections are usually less about puzzle solving and more about the fight, and when the gameplay switches between the two, it changes the pace and highlights just how different the characters are, making Grace’s sections feel much more impactful.

The world of Resident Evil Requiem is brought to life with the incredible RE Engine, which has been fine‑tuned to perfection on the Switch 2. From the opening scene on a busy street, to the chilling Grand Horizon Hotel, and the Asylum, the atmosphere is so thick you could cut through it with Leon’s axe. There are other incredible moments and environments that venture into spoiler territory, and they are all so well done. Characters look amazing, and the zombies in particular have a lot of crazy details that are easy to miss in the heat of the moment. Bullet grazes can appear on them, or shooting a zombie in the face might cause an eye to hang out of its socket.

The attention to detail extends to the animations. Zombies stumble and shudder around, flailing while mumbling about the lights being too bright, clinging to the last remnants of their humanity. Boss characters deliver an overwhelming sense of dread as they skulk about. Then there’s the difference between Grace and Leon. Leon holds his weapons firm and steady, with his aiming reticle locking onto targets, while Grace holds her weapons with uncertainty, shaking as she lines up a shot. Even the giant Magnum “Requiem” is handled differently by both of them, with Leon wielding it with ease, while Grace struggles with its weight. There’s also a ton of smaller details, too, like how each character pins the torch between their cheek and shoulder while using both hands to reload, or how they check ammo by moving the slide if you try to reload when already full. That level of detail is consistent throughout the game and really shows a high level of polish throughout. Performance-wise, the game runs at a fluid 60 frames per second for the most part, with only a few minor areas that appear to have slight frame pacing dips. They don’t impact gameplay at all and are few and far between, but they’re worth noting.

For my survivors looking into accessibility, Resident Evil has an accessibility suite to make your time in Requiem more comfortable. There’s a myriad of control, camera, HUD, graphics, and audio options to tweak. There are also accessibility presets you can select, focusing on:

• Visual accessibility – tweaks HUD and UI scale.
• Auditory accessibility – adjusts subtitles and caption colours.
• Motion sickness – removes camera wobble and motion blur, and changes some HUD options.
• Physical accessibility – tweaks motion controls, button presses, and reticle deceleration.

The game is still quite dark at times, and despite having gamma and brightness settings, it may prove challenging for visually impaired players. As always, I recommend further research to see if Resident Evil Requiem suits your needs.

At just under $108 AUD, or $147 for the generational pack that includes Resident Evil 7 and 8, Requiem is a premium-priced AAA title. The game warrants multiple playthroughs, and a Challenge Point mode that unlocks cheats and secrets will keep completionists entertained for around 40 hours. Resident Evil Requiem is a masterclass in game design. It takes survival horror to an entirely new level with excellent world-building, complemented by its incredible graphics. It’s a terrifying experience driven forward by a well-written narrative featuring two protagonists at opposite ends of the spectrum. One will have you terrified by every noise and thing that goes bump in the night, while the other will make you feel powerful and brave. As I said at the start of this review, I don’t usually do well with horror games, and despite being overwhelmingly terrified for the duration of Requiem, I still couldn’t put it down. Resident Evil Requiem is simply phenomenal, and it’s fair to say it’s one of the most, if not the most, exceptional games to grace the Switch 2’s hardware.

So, What’s it Like? Resident Evil Requiem is like the other Resident Evil games, only refined close to perfection.

Resident Evil Requiem is a What’s it Like Certified Exceptional game.

In the Interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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