Minor spoilers for Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village follow.
A recent interview with the developers of Resident Evil Requiem has revealed that the game almost put the new protagonist, Grace, through one of the worst moments Ethan Winters had to experience in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The detail was revealed alongside some other comments regarding how the developers are working to shape Resident Evil Requiem without trying to amplify the action of Resident Evil Village.
In terms of being a survival horror series, Resident Evil has gone through ups and downs over the course of its 30 years. Resident Evil 4 was the first game to move away from the classic formula, with Resident Evil 5 and 6 moving in a distinctly more action-oriented direction. The response to Resident Evil 6's action, in particular, was negative enough that the franchise pivoted and went back to intense survival horror, starting with Resident Evil 7.
Resident Evil Requiem May Offer the Freedom of Choice, But There's Clearly a Favorite Child
Resident Evil Requiem lets players switch between first and third-person, but one clearly packs a bigger punch over the other.
Grace Nearly Lost a Piece of Herself in Resident Evil Requiem
In a talk with IGN, Resident Evil Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazama sat down to talk about the game and its direction. One element brought up is that the developers, at one time, were considering having Grace lose a leg, similar to how Ethan loses a hand in Resident Evil 7. Koshi Nakanishi explained that the team was looking for ways to make the game scarier, and talked about the notion of Grace having a severe leg wound or losing a leg entirely being "so scary," but that they pulled back from the idea before it ever made it to the game's actual development process.
Fans of Resident Evil 7 will remember that Ethan's hand is eventually reattached by the Baker family by way of a staple gun. It's also possible for him to lose a leg in the game, which he's able to fix himself by putting it back on the stump and pouring a first aid med over the wound. However, considering that Ethan also went through something similar in Resident Evil Village, players may have had a more blunted reaction to seeing it happen again, rather than finding it terrifying.
While this particular scary concept didn't make it into the game, it seems that there are plenty of frights present in Resident Evil Requiem. Players will be able to tailor the frights somewhat through Resident Evil Requiem offering third-person and first-person views, so players can either choose to have a more disconnected, over-the-shoulder experience, or put themselves right in Grace's shoes with a first-person perspective. A lot about the game, including Leon's potential involvement, remain a mystery, but early impressions seem to indicate that the game will be plenty scary, at the very least.
OpenCritic Reviews
