Resident Evil Requiem was the standout surprise of the Summer Game Fest showcase this year, taking the series back to Raccoon City in the aftermath of its destruction. Requiem is Resident Evil's sharpest zag since RE7, starring a new character in Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of a character from 2003's Resident Evil Outbreak.
Grace's trip to Raccoon City isn't the only thing bridging the old and the new in Requiem—for the first time in Resident Evil, you can swap between third- and first-person at any time. Capcom debuted the feature in a behind-closed-doors, hands-off demo at Summer Game Fest as a "one more thing" surprise.
It's not a graceful transition—the option is a toggle in the pause menu, so Capcom probably doesn't intend for players to switch camera angles constantly. Similar to Resident Evil Village, which received a third-person mode post-launch, the third-person option is there for folks who can't stomach the thought of Resident Evil without a character on-screen.
To my eye, the toggle represents a divide in the Resident Evil fanbase that Capcom is keen to address. The studio has championed RE7 and Village's first-person camera as a distinguishing feature from its earlier games, but the enduring popularity of the RE2 and RE4 remakes makes a great case for the legacy camera (I mean, RE4 wouldn't be the same if you couldn't gaze at Leon's short-sleeved arms).
A toggle sounds like the best of both worlds, but as someone with a proud first-person bias, I have concerns. It's hard to imagine that Requiem will match RE7's claustrophobic horror while designing around two very different viewpoints. Supporting both cameras means Requiem's levels will necessarily be designed around third-person, which means wide hallways and minimal clutter that could snag the floating camera.
That said, Capcom did demo Requiem entirely in first-person before revealing third-person at the end. Perhaps director Koshi Nakanishi has a first-person preference too?
Resident Evil Requiem won't be out of reach for long between announcement and release. It's coming February 27, 2026.
