Some of Resident Evil Requiem’s regular zombies remember being alive

Capcom have released a new 13 minute Resident Evil Requiem gameplay showcase, with commentary from director Koshi Nakanishi. About 20% of it is Leon Kennedy kicking zombies in the noggin, doing Wickian dodge-shoots, or chopping torsos with a chainsaw or hatchet (the latter a subweapon that needs periodic resharpening). Another 20% consists of new, stealth-oriented character Grace creeping through ornate chambers in first person; being the “cold bath” to Leon’s “hot sauna”, she doesn’t have serious fighting skills, but she does have a ‘pinch hitter’ handcannon for those times when skulking behind tableware won’t cut the mustard. There’s talk of a new crafting system, whereby Grace turns zombie blood into a vaccine to stop corpses reanimating.

A solid third of the video consists of preorder collectables, GeForce Now promotion, and a much-hyped collaboration with Porsche on the design of Leon’s car. This last bit feels like two marketing teams conspiring to justify each other’s pay rises, and is about as compelling to me as putting go-faster stripes on a jar of mayonnaise. I am, however, quite intrigued by a fleeting mention that Resi 9’s garden-variety shamblers have memories. As Nakanishi puts it, “this time there are zombies that retain characteristics from when they were alive”.

We catch glimpses of this in the footage, mostly during Grace’s segments, which are more about observation. There’s a custodian who carries on cleaning the facilities, scrubbing mirrors in a frenzy. There’s a butcher with a cleaver who mechanically growls “next” to kitchen staff who have, I assume, long since been disassembled. Some of these mundane routines are tactical opportunities for Grace. There’s a zombie restlessly working a light switch, for example, creating pools of shadow for you to sneak through.

I don’t think this is Resident Evil seriously venturing into the realm of pathos, let alone embracing the prospect of a pacifist playthrough. Let’s not forget Leon and his hatchet. There are plenty of partly or fully sentient named undead characters in Resident Evils gone by, and I’m not sure many of them were ‘sympathetic’, exactly. Maybe you carry a candle for Wesker – good luck with that. Still, Requiem promises to make interactions with the rank-and-file infected a little more emotionally complex. Perhaps you will feel a pang now and then while you’re wiping the offal from your boots.

Requiem is one of Callum’s most anticipated games of 2026. Why not go read about the rest?