Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem delivers a visually stunning experience across all current-generation consoles, but truly shines on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Building upon the foundation of the RE Engine – first introduced with Resident Evil 7 nine years ago – Requiem represents a significant leap forward in graphical fidelity and performance, particularly for those leveraging Sony’s latest hardware. The game’s atmospheric environments, detailed character models, and accomplished effects perform establish a novel benchmark for survival horror visuals.
The ambition of Resident Evil Requiem is immediately apparent, with rain-soaked city streets serving as a masterclass in detail, lighting, and ray tracing. This sets the stage for a game that’s a showcase for the RE Engine’s capabilities. Even as the PS5 Pro aimed to deliver a balance between 30fps quality modes and 60fps performance, Requiem arguably surpasses expectations, achieving a largely locked 60fps in its ray tracing mode with a wealth of visual features enabled.
The difference between the PS5 Pro’s ray tracing mode and the standard console experience is substantial. The Pro’s implementation doesn’t just offer superb ray-traced reflections and global illumination; its upscaling technology is a generation ahead of the 120Hz mode, which remains visually identical to the base PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This is achieved through a temporal upscaling solution that delivers an image quality remarkably close to native 4K, despite the underlying pixel count hovering just over 1080p.
While some minor low-resolution reflection noise and denoising artifacts are occasionally visible, the overall enhancement is clear. The 120Hz mode, by contrast, disables both ray tracing and the advanced upscaler, relying on a less impressive spatial scaler that resembles the PC version running with FidelityFX Super Resolution 1 (FSR1). However, performance in 120Hz mode remains consistently high, and the game supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for a smooth experience on compatible displays.
Beyond the technical achievements, Resident Evil Requiem boasts exceptionally detailed character models. The realism is striking, with impressive material quality, cloth rendering, skin shading, and eye refraction. The strand-based hair system, previously seen in the Resident Evil 4 remake, returns and integrates seamlessly into every scene without significantly impacting performance.
Performance across platforms is generally strong, with only minor issues. The Xbox Series S experiences some cutbacks, losing the strand-based hair and running at a lower resolution, but maintains solid frame rates. In comparison, the PS5 Pro stands out as the definitive console experience. As Digital Foundry notes, it’s one of the most convincing upgrades seen for the system.
The PS5 Pro’s 120Hz mode effectively mirrors the 60fps presentation of the standard PS5, meaning ray tracing and global illumination are disabled. However, the strand-based hair system remains intact. The Xbox Series X delivers a similar experience to the PS5, utilizing a “slightly higher than native 1080p with spatial upscaling” setup. The Xbox Series S, however, is more limited, employing FSR1-like scaling from a base resolution of approximately 720p, resulting in a noticeable reduction in image quality and the complete removal of the strand-based hair system.
Resident Evil Requiem isn’t just a technical showcase; it’s a compelling game in its own right. Beyond the impressive visuals, the game features excellent black levels – addressing a previous issue in the series – and superb 3D audio design, effectively conveying enemy positions and building a convincingly creepy atmosphere. The RE Engine’s ability to scale gracefully across different consoles is evident, but the PS5 Pro undeniably provides the most immersive and visually stunning experience.
The game’s technical prowess extends to its handling of lighting, and effects. The rain-soaked streets, a key visual element, demonstrate a mastery of detail and atmospheric rendering. The combination of these elements creates a truly immersive and terrifying experience for players.
While Resident Evil 7 laid the groundwork for the RE Engine’s success, Requiem demonstrates its full potential. The game’s visual fidelity and performance, particularly on the PS5 Pro, set a new standard for the series and for survival horror games in general.
Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how Capcom continues to refine the RE Engine and leverage the capabilities of next-generation hardware. The success of Resident Evil Requiem suggests a bright future for the series and for the ongoing evolution of visual fidelity in gaming. The game is now available on PlayStation 5, with the Gold Edition also available for purchase, including additional content and features – currently priced between $18.99 and $19.99 at GameStop.
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