Resident Evil 9 Requiem preview - a new protagonist and a new terrifying threat
The demo put me into the shoes of FBI Analyst Grace Ashcroft, who suddenly finds herself positioned upside down while tied to a wooden examination table. Little does Grace know, she's being stalked by a towering monster that can climb through walls
Resident Evil 9 Requiem, slated for release in February 2026, introduced me to a fresh protagonist and a new terrifying threat.
I played through a 20-minute demo at New York Comic Con 2025 that showcased new gameplay and an up-close look at the new creature we'll be trying to avoid. For the first time ever, developer Capcom gives players the choice to experience RE9 in either first or third person - the latter was overwhelmingly favored by longtime fans, while others, myself included, preferred a more immersive experience.
The demo put me into the shoes of FBI Analyst Grace Ashcroft, who suddenly finds herself positioned upside down while tied to a wooden examination table. Little does Grace know, she's being stalked by a towering monster that can climb through walls. Think of the creature as the a new Mr. X or Nemesis.
Even before I got into the scary portion, my heart raced. Alyssa was forced to rip an IV out her arm in a nail-biting cutscene complete with the unsettling sound of a thick needle being ripped out of her vein. It reminded me of a typical horror movie where the protagonist must hurt themselves to escape a sticky situation.
The dark and spooky hospital didn't help. Armed with only a small lighter, Alyssa must navigate the quiet and ominous hallway while jumping at the tiniest sound. She eventually notices large holes scattered across the ceilings and wonders who, or what, may be responsible.
The answer was made clear a few moments later when a large monster with fangs appeared out of nowhere to chomp on a dead body in the kitchen. It roared in my face and I promptly turned around to run for my life. The creature is slow but agile. Oftentimes, it would opt out of a chase and instead crawl through the holes in the ceilings to cut off my escape path. The only thing that quells the beast is bright light, and the creature knows this, so it does its best to shatter every light bulb in the vicinity. Hope you're ready to spend most of the game in the dark.
This isn't confirmed by the developers, but the monster's eyes don't seem to be too good. I was tasked with retrieving a screwdriver from the toolbox located atop a cabinet in the dilapidated kitchen. As I clutched the too, with the intention of using it to open a gated door, I heard its loud footsteps creep closer.
I hid underneath a medicine table as it entered the room, seemingly trying to sniff me out. I was certain it saw me under the table, but luckily it just knocked a box off of it in frustration.
The demo didn't provide me with a gun to defend myself, so all I could do was hide.
Capcom confirmed during a panel Friday that combat would be a core mechanic of RE9 as it always has been. Aside from the giant creature, zombies will make a return in the latest installment, replacing the afflicted beasts that we dealt with in Resident Evil 7 Biohazard and 8.
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In my opinion, the game is far scarier in first-person than third. There's just something so chilling about monsters you can't see until they rip their teeth into your flesh.
RE9 is set to release February 27, 2026 on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.