Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village have been broadly well-received, going a long way to make up for some of the series’ prior departures from the classic survival horror formula. For the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, the developers have once again opted for a more grounded and distinctly terrified horror protagonist in Grace Ashfield. The message is clear: it’s time to dial up the scares even further, with less emphasis on gun-toting action and more on genuine horror.
This approach nicely summarizes the team’s attitude towards the creation of Requiem, as explained by the game’s producer in an interview with Press Start (spotted by Eurogamer). Producer Masato Kumazawa shared that he’s always eager for player feedback on his games, joking, “My mental health is very strong, I am fine to read the comments.”
One important takeaway from previous projects in the series, Kumazawa said, was that they had become too combat-oriented. For Requiem, classic survival horror is the key focus. He noted, “Towards the end, Village and 7 became very action-heavy, very ACTION ACTION ACTION.”
Avoiding this balance is challenging, he explained, because a game filled with “non-stop scares” can become exhausting and may actually dilute the impact of the more intense moments. This concept mirrors horror movies, which often need moments of exposition and slower-paced scenes that allow tension to build gradually toward the next big shock.
According to the director, this balance was crucial in planning the gameplay progression and plot for Resident Evil Requiem.
### The Tricky Horror-Action Balance
Kumazawa elaborated: “You have horror, but then you put a bit of action in there. We have thought about what order [of scenarios] will be important, and what will be the best sequence of events to keep players scared for the whole duration.”
As previously reported, the development team has noted that the veteran character Leon S. Kennedy was deemed a poor fit for Requiem’s starring role. Though it seems he will feature in the game in some capacity, there’s definitely some truth to that decision.
In Resident Evil 4, one of the most beloved entries in the series, Leon spends much of his time blasting through enemies like a classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. While it’s one of my favorite games ever, I just felt too powerful to be truly scared.
Resident Evil Requiem aims to change that by dialing back the action and focusing on delivering a more intense and terrifying survival horror experience. Fans of the series can likely look forward to a game that emphasizes atmosphere, suspense, and carefully paced scares over nonstop combat.
https://www.dualshockers.com/resident-evil-requiem-producer-details-plan-to-keep-players-terrified/