Resident Evil Requiem has "a different kind of replay value" than the rest of the series, director says: you can use Leon to steamroll the zombies you're too scared to deal with as Grace

1. Games
2. Survival Horror Games
3. Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem has "a different kind of replay value" than the rest of the series, director says: you can use Leon to steamroll the zombies you're too scared to deal with as Grace News By Jordan Gerblick published 29 January 2026

"The more you play, the more you discover how actions in one part affect the other"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Capcom) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

Ever since Capcom confirmed the worst kept secret in Resident Evil fandom to be true - that Leon Kennedy is in fact one of the heroes of Resident Evil Requiem - the studio has really been emphasizing how much gameplay variety is opened up by having dual protagonists. Grace is the timid, anxious, newcomer while Leon is the battletested hot uncle who's perhaps become a little too cozy with his new ax.

In a new interview with the PlayStation Blog, director Koshi Nakanishi revealed yet another layer of depth that wouldn't have been possible without two playable characters: enemies and items that persist when you switch between playing as Leon and Grace. According to Nakanishi, this adds a new level of replayability.

"If you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemies Grace took down stay dead for Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground," Nakanishi said. "However, it’s tough for Grace – who’s always short on ammo – to wipe out all the enemies. Using Leon to take down enemies that Grace fled from is one of this game’s highlights."

You may like

• Resident Evil Requiem's protagonists are so different, Capcom says "it’s almost like having 2 games"
• Resident Evil Requiem's dual protagonists aim to marry "the most terrifying horror and the most thrilling action"
• Resi 9 devs "tried to make a genuine horror game with Leon," but realised he should splatter zombies than be "timid"

As a self-proclaimed scaredy cat myself, I'm excited about this for a whole different reason. I'm a massive Resident Evil fan, but there are moments in the series that have tested the limits of what I can handle, most notably the first half of Resident Evil 7, which Nakanishi himself directed. The fact that I'll be able to nope out of some combat encounters with Grace and take them on as the more physically confident Leon is genuinely assuring.

And sure, I'm also intrigued by what sounds like a strategy of adequately equipping both Leon and Grace and balancing the combat load so that you're not needlessly overloading or underloading either one.

"The more you play, the more you discover how actions in one part affect the other, so it creates a different kind of replay value compared to previous games in the series," added Nakanishi.

Going hands-on with Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem turned me into a skull-popping pro, and I can't wait to play more

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Capcom CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch 2 Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Nintendo Xbox PlayStation Jordan GerblickSocial Links Navigation

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Show More Comments

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Resident Evil Requiem's protagonists are so different, Capcom says "it’s almost like having 2 games"    Resident Evil Requiem's dual protagonists aim to marry "the most terrifying horror and the most thrilling action"    Resi 9 devs "tried to make a genuine horror game with Leon," but realised he should splatter zombies than be "timid"    Resident Evil Requiem producer says "Leon's counterpart" Grace is easily scared, but the game's stalker is worth fearing    Capcom says Uncle Leon gives Resident Evil Requiem "the dry wit and subtle sarcasm that only an older guy can bring"    Going hands-on with Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem turned me into a skull-popping pro    Latest in Survival Horror Games Resident Evil Requiem director wants you to think "what's wrong with you Leon?" when he swings "his bloody ax"    Resident Evil Requiem director claims development began 6 years ago but the final version "came to be" 3 years later    Dead by Daylight codes (January 2026) for banners, badges, and cosmetics    Resident Evil Requiem director says you can thank the "strict" women at Capcom for "hot uncle" Leon Kennedy    Silent Hill legend Akira Yamaoka says horror isn't as important to the franchise as "emotional complexity"    "We're the 'inventors of sushi'": Resident Evil Requiem director says Grace and Leon pair together like fish and rice    Latest in News Resident Evil Requiem has "a different kind of replay value" because Leon can mow down zombies Grace leaves behind    After 16 rocky years and a terrible attempt to crowdfund a Mega Man successor, troubled Japanese studio shuts down    Arc Raiders players think there's a new duplication exploit, and all the rare ducks I'm seeing suggest they're right    Baldur's Gate 3 boss doesn't like mean criticism amid Highguard backlash, but he knows "good games are being mutilated"    007: First Light devs were in a "really, really bad spot" with only "3 months to survive" before Hitman saved them    Nintendo fulfills a 12-year-old promise by bringing non-binary characters and queer relationships to Tomodachi Life    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1This hidden role board game makes me feel like a puppet master, so Traitors fans should listen up | Veiled Fate review
2. 2Cairn review: "This climber has a grip on me – even when it loses its footing with awkward systems"
3. 3The Doom Arena Board Game is hell on Earth (in the best way) | Preview
4. 4This award-winning board game is a five star must-have
5. 5Code Vein 2 review: "This vampire take on Elden Ring almost works, but the dungeons themselves lack bite"

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”