Resident Evil Requiem doesn’t launch until tomorrow, but reviews for the game went live across websites on February 25. That means we can check review aggregator Metacritic to get a big number summing all of them up, and the result is impressive. Capcom’s horror sequel is the best-reviewed mainline, non-remake Resident Evil game since Resident Evil 4 arrived over 20 years ago.
Announced in June 2025, Resident Evil Requiem brings back fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy, as well as introducing new playable character Grace Ashcroft. It’s the first Resident Evil game to feature both first-person and third-person camera options at launch, and it returns the franchise to its roots with a story involving the ruins of Raccoon City. Kotaku’s own Kenneth Shepard reviewed the game and mostly liked it, saying it has some of the best action and horror in the series, even if it feels like it relies a bit too much on nostalgia and the past. What about other reviews? Well, Resident Evil Requiem is scoring well across multiple outlets, leading to one of the franchise’s best Metacritic scores.
Resident Evil Requiem’s overall Metacritic score after 100 PS5 reviews sits at 89 as of February 25 at around 10:40 a.m. EST. If this score holds, it would be the highest-rated mainline Resident Evil game since 2005’s Resident Evil 4. Here’s the list of the last few games and their respective Metacritic score with the most reviews to provide some context:
- Resident Evil Village – 84
- Residetn Evil 7 – 86
- Resident Evil 6 – 67
- Resident Evil 5 – 84
- Resident Evil 4 – 96
While Metacritic has its flaws, it is a solid way to get a snapshot of roughly how critics felt about a game. And to be clear, we are only talking about mainline games and not including the remakes. RE4‘s remake from 2023 scored better than most games in the series on Metacritic with an impressive 93.
But remakes of good games aren’t comparable to a new entry in the franchise. The mainline Resident Evil series has had some wild ups and downs, so it’s never a given that a new entry will be a hit with critics and fans. It seems people really like Resident Evil Requiem‘s mix of action and horror, and the way its two playable characters each emphasize one over the other. Now, Capcom is likely hoping the high reviews and positive reactions lead to big sales.