Resident Evil Requiem Preview - Could Be The Scariest In The Series

Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa from Resident Evil Outbreak, wakes in a blind panic, strapped upside down on a grimy operating table connected to tubes taking her blood. To be fair, who wouldn't go into utter panic in a scenario like that?

This opening sequence perfectly sets the tone for what I was about to encounter in this brief but memorable hands-on demo with Resident Evil Requiem.

Eventually setting herself loose, confused and scared, Grace cautiously begins to explore an abandoned hospital where she is held captive. However, this hospital, located in Raccoon City, appears to have been recently used, but by whom and for what purpose? A question that may soon be answered.

The hospital corridors are almost pitch black, and even with the Zippo lighter found, it doesn't do much to illuminate the area, but it helps a little. There were a few flickering lights active, hinting at the path I needed to take.

Further down a corridor, a means of escape is locked by a metal gate, and the only way to open it would be to discover the whereabouts of a misplaced fuse to power its electricity box. This began a panic hunt to not only find the missing fuse but also a screwdriver that would later be required to access it.

Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom

My panic certainly wasn't eased when I noticed various big holes in the ceiling that were not for me to traverse. Instantly, it gave me vibes of the vents in Alien Isolation, one of the various methods used for the terrifying Xenomorph to torment and hunt you down, a clear inspiration by Capcom for Resident Evil Requiem.

After a bit of rummaging about, I saw a toolbox located at the top of a small cabinet, high up on a wall in a small reception office. To reach the toolbox, I had to manoeuvre a cart so that I could climb onto it, and to access the item I needed to escape this hellhole.

My Spidey senses were already tingling long before this point, so I attempted to move the cart as silently as possible. I failed miserably. Before I knew it, I was knocking gas canisters all over the place. It was at that moment that I heard a blood-curdling screech and heavy footsteps approaching my room, and my inner voice was pleading, hoping that whatever lurked outside the door would not come to greet me.

To no surprise whatsoever, the creature outside was all too keen to say hello and to get up close and personal. I told myself, “I’ve played Resident Evil practically my whole life. I’ve dealt with the likes of the Nemesis, Mr X and Lady D countless times. So, how bad can this creature be?” It was bad, very bad.

This new stalker enemy is massive and looks to be some kind of horrific, mutated zombie with a seemingly functioning brain. Its sole purpose was to hunt me down and kill me in the most brutal way possible. In the previous gameplay trailers, we’ve seen glimpses of this creature, with many speculating that it could be Lisa Trevor, from the 2002 Resident Evil remake.

Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom

After seeing this creature, that theory makes some sense. Lisa Trevor was a near-indestructible character who got to the stage she was at as a result of cruel experiments by her own family. Her tale is probably the most heartbreaking in the entire Resident Evil series.

In the Resident Evil remake, Lisa Trevor is seemingly killed, but we never see her dead body. The golden rule in movies and video games is that unless you see a dead body, there’s every chance a character isn't dead. Lisa Trevor has unnatural strength, is nearly indestructible, and has the capabilities of living longer than any normal human.

Lisa Trevor was born in 1953, and the events of Resident Evil took place in 1998, making her 45 years old at that point. If this is Lisa Trevor in Resident Evil Requiem, that would make her 73. Typically, there’s a good chance that she might have died of natural causes before now, but Lisa Trevor is far from natural.

In Resident Evil Requiem, 28 years have passed since the events of Resident Evil, and this creature is not only huge, but she has chain cuffs on her wrists, wears rag clothes and has a relentless desire to hunt you down. However, unlike Lisa Trevor, this creature's face is not covered by cloth, and my god, her face is horrendous.

Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom

I don’t know for sure if this is Lisa Trevor or just a creature with some similarities, but I feel it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Plus, a long time has passed since our first encounter with her, and during that time, she may have mutated into a larger and much stronger entity. We’ll just have to wait to see if this creature’s identity is revealed in the coming months.

I was able to play the demo in both the third-person and first-person perspectives, and as much as I love the old-school third-person camera, in first person, the experience is more personal and ultimately scarier. It’s worth mentioning that the perspectives can be changed in-game via the pause menu.

As my time with the preview came to an end, I thought I had escaped this area, but oh boy, was I wrong. This demo left me terrified and wanting more. If this demo sets the tone for what’s to come in the full game, Resident Evil Requiem has the potential to be the scariest game in the series.

Resident Evil Requiem is out on 27 February 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.