Chainsaws, reinvented zombies, fear balancing, and more – PlayStation.Blog

Resident Evil Requiem, which launched on February 27 for PlayStation 5, is the ninth and newest entry in Capcom’s iconic Resident Evil series.

We recently sat down with the game’s director, Koshi Nakanishi, to chat about the newest and most in-depth entry in the series.

Koshi Nakanishi Director Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom

PlayStation Blog: When did development start, and how did this project get the green light?

Development began on a small scale six years ago, but only took shape as it is today about three years ago. Ethan’s storyline concludes with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the eighth mainline entry, Resident Evil Village. While Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village were well received, they both deviated from the main storyline heading into Resident Evil 6. So, we decided it was time to get the story back on track, and that’s where development on this title began.

“Leon returns to Raccoon City – the place where his bioterror nightmare began and led to his initial struggles and losses.”

The demo took us straight into the game, so the story felt a little abrupt. Will the final product be accessible to players who haven’t played previous entries?

The game is designed to welcome newcomers who know nothing about the Raccoon City Incident or have never played a Resident Evil title before. Although fans of the series will immediately recognize Leon, Grace is a new character who has never encountered zombies and only knows about the Raccoon City Incident through her mother’s involvement. New players can dive into their first Resident Evil adventure with Grace.

This marks Leon’s first return to the mainline since Resident Evil 6, where he was a little over 30 years old. Exploring character development is one of the central themes of this game. He returns to Raccoon City – the place where his bioterror nightmare began and led to his initial struggles and losses. Throughout the game, players will witness how Leon feels after fighting so hard and what he reflects on after all these years.

Are you exploring a new approach to horror in this game?

Our big focus was reinventing zombies. Zombies are so ubiquitous in games now that their weaknesses and behavior are predictable; for example they are usually weak to headshots. However, the familiarity takes away the fear and tension. The zombies in this game retain some traces of human intelligence and instincts. Some obsessively repeat strange human behavior, while others pick up weapons dropped by enemies to attack. We wanted to turn zombies into a threat that consistently defies players’ expectations and keeps them on their toes.

“Overall, this game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it’s not a constant, suffocating experience.”

Many players find Resident Evil 7 so scary, it makes you return to Resident Evil Village. Where would you place Resident Evil Requiem on the terror scale?

Yes, some players found it difficult to complete Resident Evil 7, so we’ve toned down the horror a bit in Resident Evil Village. However, in Resident Evil Requiem, Leon’s segments lean more towards satisfying action, which allows us to really push the horror in Grace’s section. Sure, Leon’s parts are still scary, but I found them to be more exhilarating than downright scary. Overall, the game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it’s not a constant, suffocating experience.

The demo took place inside a dubious sanatorium. Will the full game open up more areas?

As you can see in the trailer, the game eventually takes you to present-day Raccoon City. Resident Evil games often change locations as time goes by, and Resident Evil Requiem does the same. Additionally, in the demo, Grace and Leon’s parts take place in the same sanatorium, but their stories then progress to different places.

“If you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemy Grace defeats will still be dead to Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground.”

Do the actions of one protagonist impact the actions of the other protagonist?

Yes, for example, if you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemy Grace drops will still be dead to Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground. However, it was difficult for Grace – who always lacked ammunition – to finish off all the enemies. Using Leon to take down enemies running away from Grace is one of the highlights of this game.

With that in mind, it can be fun to strategize and maximize efficiency during your next game.

Appropriate. The more you play, the more you discover how actions in one section affect others, creating different replay value compared to previous games in the series.

Grace can collect antique coins, while Leon considers them unnecessary and doesn’t want to collect them. Is the upgrade system using antique coins exclusive to Grace?

The antique coin upgrade in the sanatorium is exclusive to Grace, so Leon can’t take it. There are still traditional upgrades available for Leon, such as weapon upgrades and modifications. The demo emphasizes Leon’s action-packed gameplay, but as the game progresses, even he will face tough battles. Upgrading Leon properly will also be important.

You can crouch and dodge attacks like Leon in the Resident Evil 4 remake. Can you do it in this game too?

Very. Try to crouch when an enemy is sweeping at you from above. This tactic works for both Leon and Grace, although Grace tends to rely more on survival and items than direct combat.

“This time, we present the concept of a ‘chainsaw for everyone’, which is a new approach that opens up a lot of creative possibilities.”

Was there a particular scene or moment in the demo that your team did specifically?

Near the beginning of Leon’s section, you encounter a chainsaw-wielding zombie doctor. The chainsaw is Resident Evil’s iconic weapon, and with so many variations in previous games, we’re always challenging ourselves to innovate. This time, we present the concept of “chainsaws for everyone”, which is a new approach that opens up many creative possibilities. For example, if a weaker zombie nurse swings a chainsaw, the chainsaw will slip from her grasp and go flying. The team pays great attention to such details.

“We added third-person support with the Village DLC, and some players can finally play comfortably. That inspired us to offer options from the start, and our experience working on DLC made it a pretty seamless integration.”

Why did you add the option to switch between first-person and third-person viewpoints? Were there any challenges or discoveries your team encountered during the development of both viewpoints?

As you know, the main Resident Evil titles used a third-person perspective from Resident Evil 4 to 6, then switched to a first-person perspective in Resident Evil 7 and Village. However, some players have difficulty playing in first person. We added third-person support with the Village DLC, and some players can finally play comfortably. This inspired us to offer options from the start, and our experience working on DLC made it a pretty seamless integration.

We realize that some players find the first person mode too scary but can still enjoy the game in third person. Still, seeing Grace panic on screen caught some of the cast off guard and surprised them unexpectedly, which was a pleasant surprise.

In the first person point of view, Leon and Grace’s hands are visible when aiming the guns, and their responses are clearly different. Grace’s hands were shaking because she was not used to fighting, and her counterattack was also more violent. We encourage players to try different perspectives in their next game.

“The adaptive trigger dynamically adjusts trigger resistance depending on the weapon, while reloading the weapon triggers vibrations and audio from the controller’s microphone.”

Previous games in the series, such as Resident Evil Village and the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4, are available on PS5 and PS4. However, this title is exclusive to PS5. Are there PS5 features, including the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, that contribute to the performance and gaming experience?

Resident Evil thrives on evoking true terror, so we took advantage of the PS5’s features to amplify the horror elements. For example, during a zombie attack, haptic feedback simulates a zombie’s grip and bite on your arm via the controller.

The adaptive trigger dynamically adjusts trigger resistance depending on the weapon, while reloading the weapon triggers vibrations and audio from the controller’s microphone. In puzzles that require players to spin squares filled with gems, we simulated gem rattling through controller vibration and audio to deepen the game’s realism and immersion.

Immersive 3D audio soundscapes are essential to pushing the boundaries of horror gaming. What techniques does the game employ to amplify the terror through sound design?

The game’s ambient sound is captured across 12 channels, including vertical positioning. Unlike simple mono or stereo IR waveforms, this approach offers far superior spatial reverberation, creating a sense of presence like never before.

Is there a PS5 Pro upgrade?

On PS5 Pro, ray tracing can be enabled or disabled. If enabled, players can enjoy the game in 4K resolution at 60fps with full ray tracing. When disabled, this feature supports up to 120fps (average 90fps) on high refresh rate monitors. We spend a lot of time on optimization.

Resident Demon’s Requiem launches on February 27 for PlayStation 5.