Resident Evil: Requiem (hereinafter Requiem) is the ninth mainline entry, unleashed on February 27th. It hit the ground running with critical acclaim for its tightrope walk between gut-wrenching horror and visceral action, promptly shifting over 6 million copies. It holds an 88 on Metacritic, securing its status as a critical darling.

While you can jump straight into Requiem and have a bloody good time, newcomers might feel the weight of the series' sprawling history. Fret not—I’ve put together a primer on the Raccoon City incident and the tangled fates of Leon and Grace, alongside a peek at the explosive action and cheeky Easter eggs that make Requiem a true standout.

Leon’s arduous journey began at the R.P.D. station, the stage for Resident Evil 2. Back when he was a wet-behind-the-ears 21-year-old rookie cop, Raccoon City was already rotting from the inside. Thanks to William Birkin, the Umbrella Corporation’s chief scientist, the city was turned into a zombie-infested death trap overnight. Leon arrived late for his first shift—thanks to a massive hangover—only to find his new workplace had already become a charnel house.

Amidst the carnage, he crossed paths with R.P.D. Chief Marvin Branagh, fellow survivor Claire Redfield, and a mysterious woman named Ada Wong, who masqueraded as an FBI agent. After navigating the hellscape, Leon reached Umbrella’s 'NEST' facility, put down the mutated Birkin, and escaped with Sherry Birkin in tow. The saga effectively 'concluded' when the government wiped the city off the map with a tactical missile strike.

That tragedy forged Leon into something else entirely. Recruited by the U.S. government, he shed his rookie skin for the cold, calculated efficiency of a special agent. By Resident Evil 4, he was single-handedly dismantling the 'Los Illuminados' cult, infected with the mind-controlling 'Plaga' parasite, to rescue the President’s daughter, Ashley Graham.

By Resident Evil 6, now with the DSO, tragedy struck again. When President Adam Benford succumbed to a viral terror attack, Leon was forced to put a bullet in the man he served. Branded a traitor, he spent the game chasing the true culprit, Simmons, through the streets of Tall Oaks and Lanshiang, once again saving the world from the brink of collapse.

In comes Grace, the new protagonist, to weave the past into the present. Her mother is Alyssa Ashcroft, a journalist who appeared in the spin-off titles. Having escaped the city with the smoking gun on Umbrella’s atrocities just before the nukes fell, she passed the burden of that truth down to her daughter.

Now a cynical veteran who’s seen it all, Leon is dispatched to investigate a string of bizarre deaths in Requiem. With remote support from a grown-up Sherry Birkin, he faces off against the mysterious Victor Gideon, marking a fresh chapter in this relentless saga.

Leon’s growth is reflected in his combat style. What started as desperate, survival-focused flailing has evolved into a polished, lethal dance. Requiem highlights this beautifully: from his signature roundhouse kicks to precision shots that leave heads popping like overripe melons. It’s incredibly satisfying, whether you’re locked in a power struggle with a chainsaw-wielding lunatic or vaulting over debris on a motorcycle.

Even when faced with towering monstrosities, Leon barely breaks a sweat, opting for a dry, cynical one-liner before pulling the trigger. Watching him deflect chainsaws and RPG rockets with nothing but an axe makes it clear why fans call him the 'man scarier than the zombies themselves.'

Switching weapons on the fly to chain together combos is the real highlight here. Whether you’re shredding a corridor full of zombies with a shotgun or sniping weak points for massive damage, the game expertly turns survival-horror tension into pure action catharsis.

Digging into the lore is half the fun. The R.P.D. station in Leon’s chapter is a masterclass in environmental storytelling, perfectly recreating the ruins of the second game. The decaying office and the dusty party decorations serve as a grim reminder of the first day on the job that never was.

The game is littered with subtle nods. You’ll spot fake wine bottles in Gideon’s office sporting the Dimitrescu family crest from Resident Evil Village. Even the version number in the lab, when read in reverse, reveals 19980121—the exact North American release date of Resident Evil 2.

From license plates referencing past titles to the cheeky inclusion of the cult-favorite 'Tofu' character tucked away in a corner, these details are more than just flavor text; they are a love letter to the fans and a treasure trove for newcomers.