Resident Evil Requiem Review: RE9 Is a Franchise-Best Masterpiece — Sales Records, Dual Campaigns, and Everything You Need to Know
Resident Evil Requiem is here. Capcom's Resident Evil 9 launched February 27, 2026 ET across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2 — and it has already shattered franchise sales records, earned near-universal critical acclaim, and reignited a global conversation about what survival horror can truly deliver in 2026.
Resident Evil Requiem Release Date and Release Time — What You Need to Know
Resident Evil Requiem officially launched on PC via Steam at midnight ET on February 27, 2026 — a simultaneous worldwide release meaning all PC players received access at the exact same time. Console players received the game at midnight in their local time zone, meaning Eastern time zone players accessed RE9 first across the United States.
Capcom confirmed the Resident Evil Requiem release time well in advance, with preload going live across all platforms prior to launch. The New Zealand clock trick remained functional on Xbox for players who wanted extremely early access — a tradition Capcom has never officially blocked.
Resident Evil Requiem Review — Critics Call It a Series Best
Resident Evil Requiem launched to widespread critical acclaim. Critics praised the gameplay for its balance between survival horror and action, its dark tone, story, and atmosphere, though some reviewers were divided on pacing and consistency in certain sections.
PC Gamer awarded RE Requiem top marks, with its reviewer writing that it has entered their personal top Resident Evil games list — a title they plan to replay nearly as often as Resident Evil 4. The review praised Grace's sections for generating genuine dread, noting clammy hands and knotted tension turning every corner — particularly in the basement sequences.
IMDb users have awarded Resident Evil Requiem a 9.5 out of 10 rating, with early player reviews describing it as beautifully tense, gorgeously crafted, and brimming with atmosphere. One reviewer noted it delivers real scares and clever design — particularly in the first half — calling it a memorable horror experience for both fans and newcomers.
How Long Is Resident Evil Requiem — Story Length Explained
Resident Evil Requiem is built for density rather than sprawl — puzzles gate progress, locked routes open later, and upgrades steadily transform earlier spaces from threatening to manageable. The more you play like a cautious survivor, the longer the game becomes.
The dual-protagonist structure changes how the length feels significantly. Even if your clock reads 12 hours, Grace's sections feel slower because you measure danger in footsteps and shadows, while Leon's sections move faster as confidence turns movement into momentum. That contrast makes RE9 feel longer than it is for some players and shorter for others depending on preferred playstyle.
Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy — The Dual Campaign Breakdown
Resident Evil Requiem features new protagonist FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft alongside returning series icon Leon S. Kennedy, with gameplay alternating between the two characters. Grace's missions carry forward the survival horror DNA of Resident Evil 7 and Village as she evades monsters inside a hotel with limited resources. Leon's missions lean into action-forward gameplay reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, with direct confrontation and series callbacks throughout.
Grace is pursued by a freakish stalker monster throughout her campaign — a creature that provides some of the scariest horror sequences in Resident Evil history. When Leon arrives, the game shifts rhythm toward more direct confrontation, embracing the franchise's legacy. For some players that pivot is the payoff; for others it is the central complaint, as nostalgia can flatten what made Grace's opening sections feel so distinct.
Resident Evil Requiem Sales Records — Bigger Than Village and RE4 Remake
Resident Evil Requiem debuted at number one in the UK physical games chart in its opening weekend, with 54 percent of physical copies sold on PS5. The Game Business editor-in-chief confirmed its launch weekend was significantly larger than both Resident Evil Village and the remake of Resident Evil 4 — the two previous major entries in the series.
One analyst noted they would not be surprised if RE9 ultimately exceeds 30 million copies sold — a figure that would make Resident Evil Requiem one of the best-selling entries in the franchise's 30-year history.
RE Engine, Path Tracing, and Technical Excellence in RE9
Resident Evil Requiem is the first Resident Evil game developed exclusively for ninth-generation consoles and was built with ray tracing as a core design pillar. The Windows version features full path traced lighting including ray traced global illumination, ray traced reflections, ray traced shadows, and ray traced ambient occlusion — the first Resident Evil game to natively support complete path tracing.
Resident Evil Requiem is set in October 2026, 28 years after the destruction of Raccoon City — returning players to the ruins of the iconic police station and city streets that defined the franchise's origins, now reimagined with the full power of the RE Engine at its technical peak.
