Resident Evil Requiem interview: Chainsaws, reinvented zombies, fear balancing, and more

Resident Evil Requiem, launching on February 27 for PlayStation 5, is the ninth and latest entry in Capcom’s iconic Resident Evil series. 

We recently sat down with the game’s director, Koshi Nakanishi, to chat about the latest and most immersive entry in the series yet.

Koshi Nakanishi Resident Evil Requiem director, Capcom

PlayStation Blog: When did development start, and how was the project greenlit?

Development began on a small scale six years ago, but it really took shape in its current form about three years ago. Ethan’s storyline concluded with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the eighth mainline entry, Resident Evil Village. While both Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village were very well-received, they veered away from the main storyline leading up to Resident Evil 6. So, we decided it was time to steer the story back on track, and that’s how the development of this title started.

“Leon’s back in Raccoon City – the place where his bioterror nightmare began and caused his early struggles and losses.”

The demo threw us right into the game, so the story felt a little abrupt. Will the final product be accessible for players who haven’t played the earlier entries?

The game is designed to be welcoming to complete newcomers who don’t know anything about the Raccoon City Incident or haven’t played any Resident Evil titles before. While series fans will instantly recognize Leon, Grace is a brand-new character who’s never faced a zombie and only knows about the Raccoon City Incident through her mother’s involvement. New players can dive into their first Resident Evil adventure right alongside Grace.

This marks Leon’s first mainline return since Resident Evil 6, at which point he was a little over 30 years old. Exploring his character development is one of the central themes of this game. He’s back in Raccoon City – the place where his bioterror nightmare began and caused his early struggles and losses. Throughout the game, players will witness how the battle-hardened Leon feels and what he reflects on after all these years.

Did you explore any new approaches to horror in this game?

A big focus for us was reinventing the zombies. Zombies are so ubiquitous in games now that their weaknesses and behaviors have become predictable; for instance they’re typically weak to headshots. However, that familiarity kills the fear and tension. Zombies in this game retain some traces of human intelligence and instincts. Some obsessively repeat bizarre human behaviors, while others pick up weapons dropped by other enemies to attack. We wanted to transform zombies into threats that consistently defy player expectations and keep them on edge.

“Overall, this game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it isn’t a continuous, suffocating experience.”

Many players found Resident Evil 7 intensely frightening, leading you to dial things back in Resident Evil Village. Where would you place Resident Evil Requiem on the terror scale?

Yes, some players found it hard to finish Resident Evil 7, so we toned down the horror a bit in Resident Evil Village. In Resident Evil Requiem, however, Leon’s segments lean more into satisfying action, which allowed us to really push the horror in Grace’s sections. Leon’s parts are still spooky, of course, but I’d say they’re more exhilarating than purely horrifying. Overall, this game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it isn’t a continuous, suffocating experience.

The demo took place within a dubious sanatorium. Will the full game open up to more areas?

As you’ve seen in trailers, the game eventually takes you to present-day Raccoon City. Resident Evil games often switch up locations as you go, and Resident Evil Requiem does the same. Also, in the demo, Grace and Leon’s sections both took place in the same sanatorium, but their stories branch out to different spots later on.

“If you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemies Grace took down stay dead for Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground.”

Do one protagonist’s actions impact the other’s?

Yes, for example, if you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemies Grace took down stay dead for Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground. However, it’s tough for Grace – who’s always short on ammo – to wipe out all the enemies. Using Leon to take down enemies that Grace fled from is one of this game’s highlights.

With that in mind, it’ll be fun to strategize and maximize efficiency during subsequent playthroughs.

Exactly. The more you play, the more you discover how actions in one part affect the other, so it creates a different kind of replay value compared to previous games in the series.

Grace could collect antique coins, whereas Leon found them unnecessary and would not pick any up. Is the upgrade system using antique coins exclusive to Grace?

Antique coin upgrades in the sanatorium are exclusive to Grace, so Leon can’t pick any up. There are still traditional upgrades available for Leon, like weapon enhancements and modifications. The demo emphasized Leon’s action-packed gameplay, but as the game progresses, even he will face uphill battles. Properly upgrading Leon will become crucial too.

You were able to crouch and evade attacks as Leon in the Resident Evil 4 remake. Can you do that in this game too?

Absolutely. Try crouching when an enemy sweeps at you from above. This tactic works for both Leon and Grace, although Grace tends to lean more on survival and items rather than direct combat.

“This time, we came up with the ‘chainsaws for everybody’ concept, which was a fresh take that unlocked a lot of creative possibilities.”

Were there any specific scenes or moments in the demo that your team put particular effort into?

Near the start of Leon’s section, you encounter a chainsaw-revving zombie doctor. Chainsaws are an iconic Resident Evil weapon, and with so many variations across past games, we always challenge ourselves to innovate. This time, we came up with the “chainsaws for everybody” concept, which was a fresh take that unlocked a lot of creative possibilities. For example, if a weaker nurse zombie swings a chainsaw, it’ll slip from her grip and go flying. The team put a lot of care into those kinds of details.

“We added third-person support with the Village DLC, and some players were finally able to play comfortably. That inspired us to offer the choice from the start, and our experience working on the DLC made it a pretty smooth integration.”

Why did you add the option to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives? Were there any challenges or discoveries that your team encountered during the development of the two viewpoints?

As you know, mainline Resident Evil titles were in third-person from Resident Evil 4 through 6, then shifted to first-person in Resident Evil 7 and Village. However, some players struggled playing in first-person. We added third-person support with the Village DLC, and some players were finally able to play comfortably. That inspired us to offer the choice from the start, and our experience working on the DLC made it a pretty smooth integration.

We recognized that some players found first-person mode too frightening but could still enjoy the game in third-person. That said, seeing Grace panic on-screen caught some players off guard and startled them unexpectedly, which was a nice surprise.

In first-person view, you can see Leon’s and Grace’s hands when aiming a gun, and their responses are clearly different. Grace’s hands shake because she’s not used to combat, and the recoil hits her harder, too. We encourage players to try a different perspective in subsequent playthroughs.

“Adaptive triggers dynamically adjust trigger resistance depending on the weapon, while gun reloads trigger vibrations and audio from the controller’s microphone.”

Previous games in the series, such as Resident Evil Village and the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4, were available on both PS5 and PS4. This title, however, is a PS5 exclusive. Did any PS5 features, including the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, contribute to the game’s performance and immersion?

Resident Evil thrives on evoking genuine terror, so we harnessed PS5 features to amplify the horror elements. For example, during a zombie attack, haptic feedback simulates the zombie’s grip and bite on your arm through the controller.

Adaptive triggers dynamically adjust trigger resistance depending on the weapon, while gun reloads trigger vibrations and audio from the controller’s microphone. In puzzles requiring players to rotate a box filled with gems, we simulated the clattering of gems through vibrations and controller audio to deepen the game’s realism and immersion.

3D audio’s immersive soundscape is crucial for pushing the boundaries of horror games. What techniques does this game implement to amplify terror through sound design?

This game’s ambient sounds are captured across 12 channels, including vertical positioning. Unlike simple mono or stereo IR waveforms, this approach offers far superior spatial reverb, creating an unprecedented sense of presence.

Are there any PS5 Pro enhancements?

On PS5 Pro, ray tracing can be turned on or off. With it enabled, players can enjoy the game in 4K at 60fps with full ray tracing. Disabled, it supports up to 120fps (averaging 90fps) on high-refresh-rate monitors. We spent a lot of time on optimization.

 Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27 for PlayStation 5.