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Capcom’s talked a lot about how the Grace Ashcroft segments in Resident Evil Requiem are designed to feel like more classic installments’ experiences and, I’d say that feels accurate after some hands-on time with the Switch 2 version. I got a chance to step into her shoes as she started to explore the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. Even in these earliest moments, it felt like caution and thoughtful exploration proved critical to my survival.
My demo session began with Grace strapped upside-down into bed in a room at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, with her blood being drained for an unknown reason. After she managed to free herself in a cinematic, I was thrust right into the unknown. The space seemed dilapidated and dated, with the initial spaces offering little answers. She was trapped in part of a floor with no immediate details about how to get forward beyond needing a fuse to open a gate. There were areas that seemed wrecked, but is that due to age or something else?
As with older Resident Evil games, these initial moments in Requiem meant exploration and constant checking rewarded me with insight. One door with cherubs on it was locked. Exploring around led to a key. While there was a fuse in one room, I’d need a tool to get it. However, there was a lighter in that room that made it possible to proceed further into an area that was previously too dark to explore.
Getting there led to the revelation that yes, even in these early moments Grace is in danger in Resident Evil Requiem. After opening that door, a dead, infected doctor’s corpse falls. It’s immediately eaten by a hulking, monstrous beast that then turns its attention to Grace. Running leads to the revelation that those holes in the ceiling from earlier would allow that entity to “fast travel” to surprise my avatar. After running a bit, I got away. However, that hulking menace remained on the floor, and that room I hadn’t gotten to explore yet held the screwdriver I’d need (and a helpful green herb) to get by.
This early experience offered a chance to see the sort of level design Capcom put into Resident Evil Requiem. The creature stalking Grace pays attention to light and sound. Using the lighter? Dangerous! Moving a cart to reach the toolbox with the screwdriver I need that’s on top of a cabinet? It will make noise and the things on top of it will fall! However, there are things to help give Grace an advantage. There’s a window directly beside the area where I’d need to move the cart to reach the toolbox, so I could see if my enemy was moving down the hallway to reach me in that dead-end space. Both that room and the one in which this segment started out involve spots where I could put furniture between Grace and her opponent, so a dead-end would turn into a place where I could outmaneuver it.
More importantly, this slice gave me a chance to really see how Resident Evil Requiem runs on the Switch 2. It performed so well. It was fluid, with no delays or lag. Which is critical, considering how responsiveness is the key to keeping Grace alive when she’s being stalked. It looked fantastic, with the high level of detail allowing me to really appreciate how grotesque the hulking behemoth tracking my character was. The haptic feedback also felt quite appropriate. I would say that during this part, the third-person perspective felt most helpful since it was more helpful when keeping track of my enemy. But first-person view also looked good on the Switch 2.
From what I experienced, the Resident Evil Requiem Grace sections feel true to form and felt great on the Switch 2. It really makes you think and explore an area’s nooks and crannies for useful items, then follow certain steps to successfully escape and progress. Meanwhile, the level design also feels executed in a way to help you stay aware of what might be around you and evade opponents. Not to mention it seemed quite responsive on Nintendo’s console. Her segments seem like they could be a highlight.
Resident Evil Requiem will come to the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and Epic Game Store on February 27, 2026.
