With Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom returns to its creepiest roots, and it works. In a hands-on demo at Gamescom, the next entry in the franchise channels the dread of Resident Evil 7 while keeping one foot planted in the modern evolution of the series. From unsettling environments to an actual fear of being hunted, this one delivers.

Resident Evil Requiem opens with a raw jolt

You start the demo as Grace Ashcroft, upside-down on a gurney inside the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. She’s disoriented, afraid, and alone. Within minutes, she frees herself and begins exploring, no guns, no explanation, just a lighter and a pulse. This first slice of Resident Evil Requiem immediately recalls the claustrophobic tension of RE7, and the pacing wastes no time pulling you into the terror.

Grace Ashcroft grounds the horror in reality

Grace isn’t a supersoldier. She’s a woman trying to understand why she’s trapped in a crumbling medical facility stalked by something not quite human. Her dialogue is grounded, her fear believable. She swears, questions, and panics like a person would in her situation, especially when that “something” finally appears.

A monstrous creature, something between a stalker and a predator, enters the scene by devouring a corpse inches from Grace’s face. It doesn’t just chase her. It hunts. Its one weakness is light, which gives Grace temporary safety, but that never lasts.

The monster in Resident Evil Requiem is terrifying and tactical

This creature doesn’t just lurch after you. It screeches, stalks through air vents, and telegraphs its presence with subtle cues: falling debris, distant thuds, the crunch of its steps in the dark. It’s not just scary, it’s smart.

Grace’s challenge is simple: solve puzzles while not dying. But when every inventory item is on the other side of the room and a monster’s listening to your every move, nothing feels simple. A noisy medical cart, a dropped object, or even running too loudly can summon death.

Here’s what you’re up against:

• A relentless, light-sensitive monster
• Puzzle-solving that forces risk and movement
• Tight inventory spaces and classic survival items
• Audio cues that mess with your nerves
• Optional first- or third-person gameplay

Resident Evil Requiem feels great from both perspectives

Capcom lets players choose between third-person and first-person views. Both are effective. First-person lets you experience jump scares in real time, seeing your own shadow flicker, hearing the monster breathe behind you. Third-person, though, gives you a better sense of distance and positioning useful when dodging a hallway ambush.

Each camera angle changes how the horror hits. And both are brutal.

Releases in early 2026

Capcom plans to release Resident Evil Requiem on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 27, 2026. While the full game is still months away, expect this playable demo to arrive sooner. Based on what we’ve seen, it delivers the creeping dread fans have been waiting for, and Grace Ashcroft might just be the series’ most human protagonist yet.