2/5/2026
Preview: ‘Resident Evil Requiem’ Marks a New Era for Survival Horror
Enter the world of survival horror by preordering the new RE title available now.
By Amina Ayoud
Amina Ayoud
More Stories by Amina
- A Full List of Current 2026 K-Pop Concerts (Updating)
- Kacey Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere Tour 2026: Here’s Where to Buy Affordable Tickets Online
- There Are Still BTS Lightsticks Available: Here’s Where To Buy Online
Add us as a Google Preferred Source
- Share on Facebook
- Share on X
- Share on Pinterest
- + additional share options added
- Share on Reddit
- Share on LinkedIn
- Share on Whats App
- Send an Email
- Print this article
- Post a Comment
- Share on Tumblr
Resident Evil Requiem for the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
I’ve had a long history with the Resident Evil franchise that began back in 2019 with the launch of the two remake.
While I am not as seasoned as some RE vets, my love for the franchise runs deep. The second I picked up my Joy-Cons (yes, I played it on the Nintendo Switch), I was transported into a world where survival was the only option. Dark and rainy streets of Racoon City greeted me as I piloted a well-meaning and naive Leon S. Kennedy to the Raccoon City Police Department in search of answers.
Why had the city become virtually overrun with zombies? Who was Claire Redfield and why was she looking for her brother, Chris? Would I even survive the night? My heart pounded and my hands sweat as I carefully combed through the RPD, now reupped in crisp graphic stylings, battling off hoards of fleshy, meandering undead and drooling Lickers, not to mention Mr. X. What I found along my journey was a story that ran deep, entangled in a twisted web that led me back to, as it always does, the Umbrella Corporation.
Related
23 Best Christmas Gifts for Teens, From TikTok-Approved Finds to Pop Culture Favorites
Watch Ariana Grande Crash an Interview With Her 'Focker-in-Law' Castmates
Explore
Billboard
See latest videos, charts and news
Resident Evil Requiem – Nintendo Switch 2
The ninth game in the Resident Evil franchise. This game is for the Nintendo Switch 2.
The two remakes sparked my love for the franchise, and other survival horror titles like it, and I always longed to return back to the streets of Racoon City, no matter how disturbed my experience was. The fabricated city and the rookie cop held a special place in my heart that I couldn’t rid myself of, even when playing the other titles in the RE universe. Fast forward to 2026 and my prayers for a return to Racoon were answered with Resident Evil Requiem, the latest title in the haunting series.
The game is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 on Feb 27. and is available for preorder now for $69.99 at GameStop and Best Buy. If you don’t already have a Nintendo Switch 2, you can purchase the handheld console now at Walmart, Best Buy, Staples and the Nintendo store. The stunning graphical quality of the new game is thanks to NVIDIA DLSS tech. This upscaling is made to achieve 4K resolution in docked mode, rather than rendering at native 4K. This is a vast improvement, considering that 3rd-party titles like RE2 ran with help from a stable internet connection, which, in my case, would go in and out, lowering the quality and performance.
In Requiem, otherwise known as Resident Evil 9, you’ll be able to play two tracks, a common mechanic in the RE franchise. You’ll pick from two characters, Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft for any Resident Evil Outbreak fans, and Leon S. Kennedy, the fan-favorite rookie cop turned DSO agent who shed his naivety years after his stint in Raccoon City.
Nintendo Switch 2
$449.99
$494.99
$499.99
This is an upgraded version of the original Nintendo Switch. Some versions of the console come with Mario Kart World.
I got the amazing opportunity to play the demo ahead of the game’s release, specifically Grace Ashcroft’s story, and was blown away by how smooth the game ran, especially for how large the game is, with its high-fidelity visuals, semi open-world environments and complex assets. The game is extremely frightening, placing you in tense quarters with little to defend yourself, at least at first. I was tasked with piloting Grace through ornate but pitch-black halls, looking for the usual suspects, a fuse and a key.
What followed was a heart-pounding, pants-soiling chase sequence as Grace is pursued relentlessly by a massive, roughly 10-foot-tall pale-haired blind stalker monster that takes me back to my days dodging Mr. X or the malformed fetus monster from RE8. You’re tasked with grabbing a screwdriver, set high on a shelf, while you duck and weave under furniture as this creature shambles behind, making her escape from any light source through holes in the ceiling (ew). The pace of Grace’s playthrough is slow and intense. She’s clumsy and stuttering, which makes sense for an investigative journalist unequipped to face off against creatures of that magnitude. Later on in Grace’s playthrough, she’ll be given a gun with limited ammo that packs a punch in a pinch.
Kennedy’s story is less of a survival horror romp and more of an action-packed thrillride, as you’d expect from a highly-trained agent. The beloved character pulls off some major melee attacks, crushing skulls and even wielding a chainsaw at one point. The combat is punchy and stylish, similar to how Kennedy’s combat felt in the RE4 remake. While I haven’t gotten my hands on his playthrough yet, I am stoked to try it out for myself. It’ll be amazing returning to Racoon City with Kennedy and now Grace to enter the survival horror experience once more.
Watch the Resident Evil Requiem Trailer Here
Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox
Read More About
Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?
Get in the know on
Visit Billboard Pro for music business news
Trending
-
BTS Plans to Add More ARIRANG Tour Dates & Work on New Music & Solo Projects in 2027
-
Kelly Clarkson Compares 13-Year-Old ‘The Voice’ Singer to Whitney Houston
The Daily
A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry
Email Address
Sign Up Sign Up
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.