Comprehensive Game Reviews

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Review: I Could Play Pokemon Pokopia Forever I played the hell out of Omega Force’s Dragon Quest Builders 2 . As in, I made additional towns on my private island and set up an underground subway system to connect different spaces . Loved the game. While a totally new thing in many ways, I can tell Omega Force’s Pokemon Pokopia will trigger the same kind of response and expect it to consume hundreds of hours of my life. There’s so much to this game, to the point that I don’t think Nintendo’s trailers and Treehouse: Live did it justice. Referring to Pokemon Pokopia as “ Pokemon Minecraft ” would do it a disservice. You need to experience it to understand what this spin-off offers . Something terrible happened to what appears to be an entire region. All the humans are gone, and their cities are left in ruins. The land seems stripped bare, with vegetation dying and obvious landslides and collapsed areas. We awake as a Ditto who emerged from a Poke Ball and who missed their trainer so much that they replicate their image. We encounter a lone Pokemon named Professor Tangrowth. This marks an opportunity. Between the Ditto’s human-like appearance and ability to replicate other character’s special moves and the professor’s intelligence, they work out a plan to restore habitats and locations to get Pokemon to reappear and revitalize things, perhaps learning what happened to the world and humans along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_bYri9p1Uk While most people might jump to “Pokemon Minecraft” with Pokemon Pokopia, it’s not entirely accurate, as it is much more comparable to both Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2 . This is primarily due to the narrative elements found throughout the game, but also the quest structure, interactions with characters, and building and furniture design elements. There is a clear point to Ditto’s experiences and explorations. Though the trailers ahead of launch might not always have made it clear, there are quests. The Pokemon we meet talk to us. Certain NPCs along the lines of Professor Tangrowth carry weight. Not only that, but there are other means of gathering information and lore that help shape our experiences in Pokemon Pokopia that help it feel richer than a game like Minecraft . One is through the Pokemon themselves. Each one of them will grow closer to us and become more comfortable with their environments via our interactions with them. We learn about who they are, receive gifts, and gain aid from their abilities by taking the time to find and interact with them. Exploring on our own is also helpful, as written texts appear in various places. Encountering these grants us opportunities to learn more about the world. Not to mention the ruins themselves that we see seem to tell their own stories via careful placement and Omega Force's construction choices. Images via Nintendo The terraforming and building of elements of Pokemon Pokopia do feel more similar in nature to Minecraft , but again also feel like a natural evolution of the Dragon Quest Builders blueprints system. You can freeform build, with the ability to hold the ZL button to strafe back and forth or or move the D-pad to shift block positions. There are lots of block recipes and types and architectural parts to use for those more direct creations. However, there are also times when you’ll get a kit that you plop down on a certain X by Y rectangular space or a set mission that involves bringing certain numbers of materials like lumber and stones and specific Pokemon to take part in the building process. (You do need to get takedown kits to move them.) While the hands-on approach is done immediately, these other assignments can involve quests that require you to find certain Pokemon and take place over actual real-world time before they’re complete. Another building and creation element involves the habitat system in Pokemon Pokopia, a brilliant feature that plays into the way we discover the characters in the wild in mainline games. Each creature has a type of environment they favor. By changing the environment via using Ditto’s learned moves like Leafage (grow tall grass), Water Gun (hydrate dilapidated areas), Rototiller (till ground), or Rock Smash (destroy blocks or items), and placing certain crafted, found, or purchased items, you could lure critters back to the community. It’s really easy to find new combinations, thanks to occasional hints in the world, tips you can purchase, quests, and simple experimentation, and satisfying since quite a few habitats can be attractive to multiple types of characters or might attract new folks under different conditions. Images via Nintendo Decorating and customizing itself also feels fantastic, especially since the pacing is such that you unlock access to new areas (and their new Pokemon) regularly. There are so many things you can craft and buy, and finding new Pokemon, making them comfortable, and making regions you gained access to more attractive all means unlocking more recipes, quests, and shop areas. As your Trainer Rank goes up in turn, you’ll be able to unlock gates that grant access to new areas, more potential Pokemon, and additional insights. In fact, I found so much to do in the first few hours that I needed to force myself to halt progress when rebuilding the initial Withered Wasteland area and helping its residents and advance the story so I could get through the game and properly cover it. Pokemon Pokopia invites you to be leisurely , creative, and neighborly. There’s only one quirk to Pokemon Pokopia that left me frustrated, and it is that it can sometimes be difficult to find where certain characters are once you start increasing the size of the population. The plus side is, if someone is needed for an immediate building project or questline, I found they tend to be right where they are supposed to be or attempting to even approach you. Also, since areas are segmented off, you don't need to do massive backtracking to find someone for a quest or blueprint. But if it is one not tied to something about to happen, it might be a bit challenging to work out where they went. In a way it’s nice, as they’ll actually interact with other Pokemon in different regions or basically go visit areas you worked on nearby. But if you want to, say, move Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee into a house together and one hasn’t visited their habitat the whole gameplay session, it’s a little annoying. Image via Nintendo But aside from that, performance in Pokemon Pokopia is perfect. It’s very visually detailed, and you can see for quite a distance to scope out points of interest like shining buried relics. I didn’t notice major slowdowns even after my “towns” started to fill up. We even get access to bag size and storage bin upgrades rather quickly, so I didn’t run into issues with being over-encumbered. It’s stable, it’s solid, and it makes me want to fill up every dilapidated space with both natural biomes and more urban living spaces. Pokemon Pokopia invites us to discover, explore, rebuild, and reconnect, rewarding us for every action along the way. There are so many Pokemon to welcome home. We discover so many insights into their lives and what’s going on. It’s so easy to spend hours building things up so they’re more comfortable for us and our new friends. Pokemon Pokopia is a lovely spin-off and one of the best games on the Switch 2. Pokemon Pokopia will come to the Switch 2 on March 5, 2026 . The post Review: I Could Play Pokemon Pokopia Forever appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 2

Pokemon Pokopia Review - The Pokemon Anniversary Gift I Didn't Know I WantedI audibly gasped. My small community of Pokemon friends had been steadily growing in the first hour or so of Pokemon Pokopia, and now Professor Tangrowth asked me to build a house and mark it as my own. I could even invite another Pokemon to live there with me, he said. You mean I can have a Squirtle roommate?! I built my new house as quickly as I could and invited Squirtle to come live in it, and he happily agreed. Childhood dream fulfilled. A few days later, Squirtle told me he wanted to move out. Heartbroken and with nothing to do to change Squirtle's mind, I pressed on. I was determined to learn more, earn more, and do more, so that, one day, Squirtle will come back. Someday I'll make a new house and I'll invite Squirtle to live with me again. Maybe he just wanted his own bedroom? Admittedly, the leaf hut is not a lot of space. Maybe he didn't like my decor at the time--a few items I had arranged slapdash to fulfill the housing requirements. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 2

Pokémon Pokopia Review - A Pleasant Paradise Reviewed on: Switch 2 Platform: Switch 2 Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Koei Tecmo, Game Freak Since its inception, the Pokémon franchise has been about checking boxes; after all, the famous tagline is “Gotta Catch ‘em All!” Pokémon Pokopia evolves the checklist concept beyond collecting gym badges and catching Pokémon, stripping conflict of any kind from the experience and instead giving you nearly endless tasks to improve your various towns and the overall happiness of the Pokémon therein. And it does so with a loop that mixes elements from Dragon Quest Builders, Animal Crossing, and Minecraft, resulting in one of the best laid-back simulation titles I’ve played in years. Though it maintains an emphasis on collection, it shifts the focus from battling to revitalizing a post-apocalyptic region and reforging our connections not only to the world, but also each other. And just like when the mainline Pokémon series is at its best, I had a difficult time putting it down. In Pokopia, you control a Ditto, who wakes up with no trace of their trainer, so they turn into a customizable facsimile of a human. As they venture into the surrounding world, they discover humanity has abandoned the Pokémon world. The area feels lonely, barren, and desolate, but one Pokémon, a Tangrowth, is there to hold your hand as you reenter the world of the living. This creature, who adopts the name Professor Tangrowth, serves as the primary driver of the main narrative, handing out tasks that will reinvigorate the area, with the express purpose of not only attracting more Pokémon, but hopefully also the missing humans. After just a couple of hours, the first biome is no longer brown and empty, but green and bustling with recognizable Pokémon. It’s a supremely rewarding gameplay experience, revitalizing an area and watching various species congregate and collaborate to improve their living situation, which is important since it persists through to the end of the narrative. In each environment, you also have important requests, which involve working with your Pokémon friends to accomplish area-specific tasks, like summoning a rainstorm or throwing a party. These are the culmination of each environment and serve as the main way to push the overarching story forward, but the tasks often require specific Pokémon and resources, putting you on rails more than I prefer with cozy games such as this.   The story is littered with enthralling mysteries I couldn’t wait to further unravel. What happened to humanity that caused it to flee? Why did this world fall into a state of disrepair? And who are these strange Pokémon who look like special variants of existing creatures? As a Pokémon fan dating back to 1998, pulling these threads, which include fun nods to the series’ past, served as a highlight of my time with Pokopia. As part of the revitalization effort, you need to rebuild each town’s Pokémon Center, which involves using resources and recruiting the area’s Pokémon to fill roles like bulldozing, building, and others. Since each Pokémon has specialties, you need to fill those roles with your befriended Pokémon and gather resources before you can build anything, which pushes you to fully explore the area. This means a lot of running back and forth to complete tasks, but thankfully, you can build rail networks to make traversal easier. Unfortunately, I was often so thorough with my curious exploration that, before I triggered the narrative events, I had often already completed the requests, leading to awkward, extended conversations where a Pokémon asks me to do something I already finished hours ago. Each structure you build – along with other tasks you complete – raises the environment level of the biome, progressing the story and unlocking new items in the shop. This makes each construction project feel more monumental, but since some buildings (like Pokémon Centers) aren’t ready until the next day, I was always frustrated that it throttled my progress. It kicked off several races against the clock, making sure I started “ready next day” construction projects before midnight, so I didn’t have to wait 24 hours for them to be ready. I understand the reasoning for having construction projects take time, and there’s rarely a shortage of tasks to complete while I wait, but it’s frustrating when I just wanted to progress the main story. For an otherwise laid-back game, this element adds layers of stress. Your first biome may be dried and dead, but a mid-game environment gives you a flooded and polluted beachfront to reckon with. Though many of the tasks are similar – recruit Pokémon by recreating habitats they like and then craft, build, and organize your way to getting the area back to life – each sprawling, multi-layered environment presents new challenges and exploration opportunities. I cannot tell you how many times I went exploring for a very specific purpose, only to get sidetracked by myriad offshoots and extra tasks that presented themselves. Though I was sometimes underwhelmed by how Pokémon Pokopia rewards you (or, in some cases, doesn’t) for deviating from the beaten path, exploration was often a reward in and of itself, as I would find a new path through the environment or a vista that let me chart areas I hadn’t yet visited. My favorite incentive for exploration, however, is lore drops, which provide hints about what happened to this ruined world to drive humans away and Pokémon into hiding. When Pokémon join your town, some offer their assistance by following you and using their powers, such as Magmar lighting fires or Piplup spraying bubbles to clean dirt. I loved building a small army of followers and running around the environment, completing tasks and cleaning up together. However, the most impactful Pokémon grant you new abilities for Ditto’s Transform, which allows them to copy another Pokémon’s moves. Even 30 hours deep, I was still earning new abilities that vastly improved my expeditions and opened new parts of areas I previously thought thoroughly investigated. While the main campaign is extraordinarily guided – at times to a fault – Pokopia offers a bonus biome that allows for free-form exploration, construction, and Pokémon-attracting. The main story leans heavily into developer Omega Force’s history with Dragon Quest Builders, but this extra area is more in line with Animal Crossing; you have basic goals, but none of the overarching narrative or hand-holdy progression found in the main game. And since this space is so massive, you can sink dozens of hours into this area alone. The narrative-driven elements are positioned as the main attraction, but this free-form area is an excellent way to decompress from the constant checklist chasing. Long after rolling credits on the main story, I will return to my sprawling island to continue shaping my little Pokémon paradise. Pokémon Pokopia is a game of wonder, exploration, and revitalization, delivering a cozy, satisfying experience with no threat of danger. Despite my minor complaints, Pokopia sticks out as one of the best examples of a third-party developer using the Pokémon license to the fullest extent possible. As a kid, I always wished I could spend time in the Pokémon world, and now, 30 years later, I feel like I have. Score: 9 About Game Informer's review system

Game Informer ReviewsMar 2

Review: BlazBlue Entropy Effect X Is a Solid Roguelike Action Game BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is 91Act, Astrolabe, and Arc System Works’ attempt to make the original game a little more digestible and coherent and, while it succeeds in some ways, it still isn’t quite there yet. It’s an interesting roguelike along the lines of Astral Ascent, Dead Cells, or Icey filled with folks from the BlazBlue series as playable avatars. There’s tons to do if you want to max out every character. However, the story is still confounding even if you are familiar with the original fighting game and I suspect the Switch might not be the ideal platform. One of the highlights of BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a new story designed to more closely tie in to Arc System Works’ series. Our playable character is an amnesiac researcher known as Ace who is part of the DBS Project led by Dr. Mercurius, a woman who appears to have cat ears, similar hair, and two tails like Professor Kokonoe Mercury. The two are supported by people who seem to be inspired by or tied to Sector Seven members in some way. It is up to us to head into the Boundary to find the Shards of Possibility using the forms of various BlazBlue series avatars that we can build up with abilities on runs and develop for general, overall progress over time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIVQvCHDvmk The general premise behind BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is rather simple. Once you dive into the boundary, you select an avatar from ones you’ve unlocked. The thing about this part is that some playable characters are so much better than others that I’d consider them over-powered. Both Noel Vermillion and Ragna the Bloodedge qualify. The former is just great even from the start and not upgraded, while the latter is best if you focus on his universal. Once you really get accustomed to the flow of the game and his gameplay style, Hakumen is also up there. Depending on your builds, other characters can be viable, but there are some that are just so broken that I had trouble not going back to them for each run. Once you’re in a stage, it’s a bit of a halting process that feels similar to Astral Ascent. You’re in a very small stage with some platforms, and your goal is to defeat all enemies in it. Once you do, you’re able to proceed. That means picking a buff or improvement and your next room to visit. While this typically involves more small rooms that often look similar and have X number of foes to wipe out, there are occasionally the equivalent of shops, rest areas, and spots where you can pick a buff while also getting a debuff. All this leads up to reaching a boss and chance to get a new Shard of Possibility, which advances the story. When you eventually falter and fail, you’ll still build up the character via thing like inheritance abilities. It’s very much a learning process, especially since BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is like the original in that it doesn’t explain its gains at the ends of areas well. There will be text explaining the additional effect or perk, but I didn’t find it especially helpful. I felt more like I was tossed in and expected to know what icons and elements meant, rather than gain any insight into what certain properties mean or how they benefit certain builds. Once you do work things out, it’s great. The game can be a lot of fun, you can work out some fantastic combos, and you’ll be speeding through stages once you’re settled in. But it’s a lot to take in, and it isn’t as well explained as I’d like. Images via 91Act Of course, that also applies to the story as well. I did play a bit of the original game, and BlazBlue Entropy Effect X does feel a bit more closely tied to the original series and its ideas. It’s an improvement, but I still didn’t find it incredibly compelling or feel it added to the overall history of that series. It’s more that I appreciate the effort. I will say that even though BlazBlue Entropy Effect X does run well on the Switch, there are times when I felt like I encountered a few technical issues. For example, in some event rooms there would be a fluorescent green box that clearly wasn’t intended to be in that position. On two runs, one with Noel and another with Taokaka, I noticed some odd lag while fighting Arakune, but it didn’t come up during others. Not to mention the UI and text size isn’t exactly easy to ready when in handheld mode on the system. BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a generally sound roguelike with lots of references to the fighting game series. The story could be better, but at least this time around it feels more directly tied to BlazBlue . I did encounter some issues on the Switch, but they also seemed like problems that could be patched out along the way. If you’re into games like Dead Cells and Astral Ascent , it’s certainly worth a look. BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is available for the Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X. The post Review: BlazBlue Entropy Effect X Is a Solid Roguelike Action Game appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraFeb 28

Marathon Review So FarThe first few hours with Marathon have left us wanting more.

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 27

Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes ReviewClassic 2D anime fighting game action with all the modern conveniences

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 27

World of Warcraft: Midnight Review So FarWoW's latest expansion has been a delight in its early hours.

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 27

Review: Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land Has GBC Vibes Exquisite Laundry Pet’s Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land is a love letter to Game Boy Color RPGs. It’s the sort of game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, sticking strictly to a silly Halloween theme. Which can be quite fun, thanks to unusual characters, turn-based battles, and clever writing. However, the limitations also mean it might get a little frustrating. Gumball is an actual gumball. They were in a machine, but after you select a flavor (color scheme), you drop into Trick-or-Treat Land. You want to get home, but the Chaos Sweets are ruining everyone’s day. If you want a mysterious Scarecrow to use magick to send you back, you need to reach every Hallowed Patches to restore it, dealing with unusual enemies and making the world safer along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsOQlg5afQ It’s probably obvious after seeing some screenshots and that trailer, but Exquisite Laundry Pet went for a Game Boy Color aesthetic for Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land , even adhering to those limitations so strictly that it is available on both a cartridge for Nintendo’s handheld and PCs via Steam . It’s the game’s greatest strength, I’d say. The restrictions forced the developer to get creative with its themes and gameplay, and when you keep that in mind with playing, it really does feel as though it’s calling back to that moment in time. The presentation and gameplay do remind me of what it was like to go through the Final Fantasy Legend or Magi Nation games. Still, even with needing to stay within certain boundaries, there is a whole potion ingredient and food and drink system and quite a few sidequests that unlock things like extra shops to add to its range. That is a bit of a double-edged sword, however. While Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land is charming and features a surprising number of side quests in addition to the main storyline, it’s also very open-ended. You need to go everywhere and talk to everyone to figure out where the seven Hallowed Patches. On the plus side, finding quest items isn’t difficult and even the people you talk to who don’t offer valuable information have fun things to say. However, I do strongly recommend having a notebook nearby so you can jot down who wants what, where they are, and maybe even draw a lil’ sketch of their sprite to ensure you won’t forget their fetch quest. Images via Exquisite Laundry Pet While things are very open-ended and require you to pay attention, the Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land combat system is quite simple and sticks to the theme. As you’d expect from a Halloween-themed affair, Gumball uses treats in addition to spells and skills when fighting. The “treat” action is a basic attack that may or may not land, the abilities are also candy-themed items you pick up as you progress through the world and are far more reliable methods of defeating foes at the cost of MP. You’ll even eventually recruit partners who can join in the fight and help you out! The downside to it is, as this is a very freeform game where you aren’t told where to go and when, it’s very easy to wind up in an area with too-strong opponents and perhaps get frustrated by a one-hit KO. Especially when you’ll have only a few points of HP at the very start. Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land succeeds at keeping the Game Boy Color RPG vibe alive. It offers a lot to do while staying within certain limitations. However, those boundaries also mean it can sometimes be difficult to discern your next steps or running into fights you just can’t win at that point. Still, it’s a cute game and Exquisite Laundry Pet embraces that Halloween and GBC aesthetic. Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land is available on the PC and Game Boy Color . The post Review: Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land Has GBC Vibes appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraFeb 27

Review: Scarlet Hollow Proves Black Tabby’s Storytelling Prowess Slay the Princess proved to be a stunning accomplishment for Black Tabby Games. The team crafted an exceptional story that defied expectations and felt like a refreshing addition to our visual novel libraries. Scarlet Hollow , an episodic follow-up, proves that wasn’t a one-off. The developer once again shows it knows how to handle compelling narratives with many possible outcomes. While there’s still The Final Chapters to close things out and we typically don’t review early access games here at Siliconera, I feel confident in already stamping a seal of approval on this already-impressive title. You’ve never been to Scarlet Hollow. You know the Scarlet came from there and is renowned, or rather notorious, but your mother Vivian never brought you to her hometown. After learning your cousin Tabitha’s mother and owner of the town’s Scarlet Mine died, you take the bus in to stay with her for a week to be there for her and attend the funeral. However, something you soon learn your mother had good reason for leaving, as things are off in the small town. It isn’t that it’s a dying community with a failing mine. There are otherworldly and supernatural things going on, and it seems things will only get more dangerous the longer you stay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBop46lTn8 While Scarlet Hollow is a traditional visual novel in that involves reading the story and making choices at certain points that change the course of relationships and directions, there are a few elements to it that almost make it feel a bit more like going through a D&D campaign due to the way you establish yourself early on. You aren’t a default and predetermined individual. You select two out of seven traits at the outset, which can determine different responses or possibilities when exploring the town and dealing with situations. So Talk to Animals perk will let you talk to the critters around the area. (But at the same time, you need to be careful about doing so in front of people so they don’t get suspicious!) If you select Powerful Build, you’ll be able to get physical to solve problems. Going with Mystical as one of your innate abilities means you’ll be more aware of the supernatural elements. Another thing that makes Scarlet Hollow stand out is how involved the choices can get. With most visual novels, you make a choice and it sets you down a certain route toward a certain ending. (Black Tabby Games’ Slay the Princess worked like this.) But there’s so much going on here with a staggering number of variants that can affect certain outcomes, relationships with individuals, information you do or don’t possess, and possible options available to handle situations. I feel like sometimes it can feel more like an adventure game, given how often I’d need to think critically about how a choice might affect my character heading into future episodes in terms of their capabilities or potential allies and enemies. Images via Black Tabby Games This is especially true with Tabitha, our cousin in Scarlet Hollow . While there are some more friendly and even romantic-leaning relationships with other characters, there’s a sense of nuance to the dynamic with her that really makes the game stand out. There are many times when I felt like choices I made or responses I chose, even if they weren’t directly to her, shaped her opinion of me. Given the connection throughout the episodes and storyline, it results in some fascinating outcomes. Even better, the reactions made me want to know what would happen if I did choose other extremes or possibilities. Which is another plus about Scarlet Hollow , as it’s evident this will be another Slay the Princess style game where Black Tabby Games makes replaying seem so appealing that it’d be mandatory. The number of cogs and factors here seem staggering. Especially when you factor in the traits. Different combinations feel like they could be so fun! I have two save files going right now with different builds so I can (hopefully) see two different endings from different extremes, but I’m still tempted to go through even more. Images via Black Tabby Games Also stunning is the visual direction in Scarlet Hollow , as Black Tabby Games went with a similar artistic direction as Slay the Princess . There are occasional bits of color, which feel muted and sepia-toned, but it’s largely a monochromatic kind of affair. Everything looks hand-drawn and sketchy, like the kind of art you’d see used in dark, original Grimm’s Fairy Tales or the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark illustrations. It’s eerie, haunting, and gorgeous. Between Slay the Princess and Scarlet Hollow , Black Tabby Games is fast turning into a developer whose titles you can’t afford to ignore. The creativity, character development, and world-building are excellent in this latest visual novel, and the degree to which our experiences can change based on our choices is astonishing. It’s so well-thought out and impressive, and a perfect example of “your choices matter.” Scarlet Hollow episodes 1-5 are available in early access for PCs via Steam , and the first episode is free in the demo. The post Review: Scarlet Hollow Proves Black Tabby’s Storytelling Prowess appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraFeb 26

Review: Resident Evil Requiem Delivers Consistent Fun Despite its title, Resident Evil Requiem feels like a celebration of the series with its myriad mechanics from past titles. It beautifully blends different play styles in one coherent title, but what could have been the best Resident Evil game in the series is marred by its strange story. Grace Ashcroft is an FBI analyst and nervous mess. She's looking into a string of bizarre deaths, with all victims survivors of the Raccoon City Incident. After a new body’s discovered, her boss sends her to the Wrenwood Hotel, which happens to be the place her mother Alyssa (a playable character from Outbreak ) was killed. The investigation goes south, and the mysterious, creepy Victor Gideon kidnaps Grace. She has to use her wits and limited resources to escape. At the same time, Leon S. Kennedy is looking into the same deaths. His own probing leads him to meeting Grace and kickstarts his side of the tale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXVy4mALHLY As playable characters, Grace and Leon don't feel like they're in the same game. Capcom maximized the potential of Resident Evil 6 when it introduced the notion of different campaigns playing like different games. From things like the health meter and inventory UI to overall play style, there's barely anything in common between the two. Leon is faster and more agile. Grace’s segments feel a return to traditional survival horror while mixing in elements from the 2 and 3 remakes and Ethan Winters games. Leon’s segments feel straight out of Resident Evil 4 (remake specifically), 5 , or 6 . His new points-based customization system encourages you to kill enemies to rack up credits, which you can then spend on new guns or tune-ups. Grace feels unique for a mainline protagonist in that she only ever gets a handgun, forcing you to employ stealth and resource management. She relies more on crafting than Leon, as she can make powerful insta-kill items with Infected Blood. This is a new mechanic that involves collecting blood from specific locations or felled enemies and combining it with other items. Grace has a preset amount of resources available. You can kill everything. However, you might get stuck with no way around an opponent. Do you want to use your limited resources on this enemy now or sneak past it and hope it doesn’t bother you later? These questions are constant, making her levels exhilarating in a different way than Leon’s adrenaline-filled fights. Grace levels are also really spooky, especially during the first playthrough. If she's not navigating tight hallways full of enemies that might chase you into the path of more if they spot you, she's shuffling in the darkness while the game's invulnerable stalker stomps about. Capcom limiting her resources and firepower, forcing us to maintain a stealthier approach, is a smart way to stop the game from turning into action-horror. It kept me on my toes even on subsequent playthroughs. Screenshot by Siliconera Now, let's talk about the story. Well, the plot of Resident Evil Requiem is something . There's a lot I'd like to say! To sum it up, it's weird, and not in a fun way. There's a pervasive feeling of wrongness. Leon is a playable character, yet this doesn't feel like a Leon game. It's not because of Grace, either. Many of the events have more to do with the other core characters of the series than with him. There are also plenty of references that would confuse newer fans who got in after remakes, and some scenes may bewilder older fans. I do want to shout out Angela Sant'Albano 's incredible performance as Grace. She sounded like the voice director was actually forcing her to experience the horrors. Despite that, Resident Evil Requiem gameplay's really enjoyable. I feel it's the most consistently fun entry. Whereas previous games featured annoying sections that I despise replaying ( RE2R 's Sewers, RE5 4-2, and RE6 Jake Chapter 2), almost all the segments here were fun in their own ways. Though some are stronger than others, nothing is significantly better or worse. The game balance, both the difficulty and pacing, is immaculate, making it a comfortable game to replay. Performance-wise, the Switch 2 version is not fantastic. The frame rate consistently poops itself in the clinic’s Bar & Lounge. It sometimes drops during fights as Leon. That's annoying, but thankfully never fatal. As you might see from my screenshots, the game can look pretty chopped on the Switch 2. Screenshots by Siliconera Other graphical issues include Leon looking terrible with a gun strapped onto him. Instead of the strap of a gun going around him, it stretches out from behind like it’s T-posing. The game also bugged out so badly on me that I had to quit, as I couldn't even open up the main menu anymore. This was especially annoying, since the last auto-save had been before one of the more difficult segments as Grace, forcing me to have to replay it. Resident Evil Requiem feels like if Capcom took parts from 2R , 4R , 6 , 7 , and 8 , then sanded them all down to fit together. As a game, it might be the most fun installment I've played in a very long time. It combines both classic survival horror and fast-paced action-horror without feeling completely incongruent or like it's compromising something. Its strong level design is a promising step in the new direction the series is taking, yet it's dragged down only by a weak and forgettable story. Resident Evil Requiem will come out on February 27, 2026 for the PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. The post Review: Resident Evil Requiem Delivers Consistent Fun appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraFeb 25