Resident Evil Requiem is lurking just around the corner. Get ready to take a hesitant and shaky peek at it as Grace Ashcroft. Or bust through a door and start roundhouse kicking zombies in the face as Leon S. Kennedy. And while these actions prove intuitive, there are a few things Requiem doesn’t tell you. As such, check out these tips and tricks as a guide for getting started.
Oh, and since Requiem comes out tomorrow, this guide won’t contain any major spoilers. That said, if you want to dive in knowing absolutely nothing, you may want to skip until you’ve started the game. Mainly, this guide will just go over tips for starting out in Requiem in the first hour. The survival horror game has a few mechanics that are easy to miss, which can impact the rest of a playthrough.
Save Requiem Bullets as Grace, Let Them Loose as Leon
In the last few months, Capcom has shown off one weapon for Resident Evil Requiem in particular. That weapon? The Requiem. When you have a gun named after the game itself (or is it the other way around?), you know it means business. The Requiem is a weapon that Leon starts with, before sharing it with Grace. You’d be forgiven for thinking this revolver is the game’s default handgun. But it most certainly is not.
The Requiem is essentially Requiem‘s answer to the rocket launcher, a series staple. Except this time around, you get it at the very start of the game. Despite its smaller size, it still packs an incredible punch. It can easily stop a boss in its tracks. And against regular enemies? It can decimate a zombie, the one standing behind it, and the one standing behind that one. You even get a trophy for doing this.
As such, you should know that while Leon gets access to a decent amount of ammo for the Requiem, Grace finds it harder to come by. This makes sense, as Leon’s sections are more action-heavy while Grace’s rely on survival horror. In Leon’s first section at the Care Center, feel free to go wild. Grace will start with just one bullet regardless. She can then craft more with rare metal found through lock-picking. But save some ammo, as one boss-like encounter pretty much necessitates it. You’ll know it when you get there.
Don’t Forget to Upgrade Grace’s Gear in the Parlor
Resident Evil Requiem has two different upgrade systems for its characters. I won’t spoil Leon’s, since it arrives later in the game and reappears frequently. For Grace, her upgrade system only shows up in the Rhodes Hill Care Center. This is the first main area of the game, and you can’t revisit it once you move on. As such, you’ll want to make sure to upgrade Grace here.
While exploring the Rhodes Hill Care Center as Grace, you’ll frequently find Antique Coins. You may use these to unlock upgrades for Grace once you reach the parlor room. Behind glass cases, you’ll see a few items, which can boost health, damage, crafting, and inventory space. Each item requires a set amount of Antique Coins to unlock. Don’t worry about getting all of them, as Resident Evil Requiem actually has more Antique Coins than you’ll need. You can get them by opening safes, killing powerful zombies (like the singers), and finding the coins lying around.
And if you miss this upgrade system (like I somehow did on my first playthrough), don’t despair. Through unlocking various optional rooms in the Care Center, you can still find other upgrades for Grace. Some of these are even duplicates of the ones in the parlor. That said, after the Care Center, upgrades for Grace prove scarce. So take care to peruse the Care Center when you can.
Pick Up Dropped Melee Weapons and Go Wild
Aside from the Requiem, Capcom has also showcased another weapon. Resident Evil Requiem lets you use chainsaws for the first time in the series. If you can get a chainsaw-wielding enemy to drop its beloved blade, you can pick it up to wreak havoc. Chainsaws don’t appear frequently, so absolutely take advantage of them whenever you can. And why wouldn’t you? They’re chainsaws! But safety is important, so make sure to wait for them to stop spinning before you scoop them up.
And chainsaws are far from the only melee weapon Requiem lets you grab off the ground. Zombies can also drop axes, sledgehammers, and other melee weapons. These are much more plentiful than chainsaws. But while chainsaws last a good while before running out of gas, these weapons are one-use. Thankfully, Requiem will actually tell you when a melee weapon may cause damage. If there are no enemies around to take a hit, the game won’t even let you pick them up. So if you see the option to grab these weapons and throw ’em, go for it.
Prepare Yourself for Resident Evil Requiem
I don’t want to say much more than this, as you can experience Resident Evil Requiem for yourself soon. While it doesn’t have the side quests of 4 Remake, the latest game still has a number of secrets and optional areas to investigate.
In our review of Resident Evil Requiem, we called the game “a horror experience sure to thrill fans and newcomers alike.” Check it out to hear what we thought.
And if you want to know more about Requiem before diving in, be sure to check out our Resident Evil Requiem Spoiler-free Discussion.
Resident Evil Requiem launches tomorrow, February 27th, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
