During gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show 2025, we spoke with Resident Evil Requiem Director Koshi Nakanishi and Producer Masato Kumazawa via online video chat. The discussion covered gameplay, storytelling, protagonist design, survival horror mechanics, and technical development for the new title.

Returning to Raccoon City and Series Roots

When asked about the overall theme of Requiem and the story’s inspiration, Nakanishi explained that the game revisits the Raccoon City incident. “If you’re asking about the inspiration or where it all started, there is no movie, it’s from the series itself,” he said. The story builds directly from the franchise’s lore while focusing on survival horror.

Grace: A New Kind of Protagonist

Nakanishi elaborated on Grace’s design and her role as a different type of Resident Evil protagonist. “If you’re not afraid, then it’s not horror, so we need a character that’s a little bit scared and probably relates to the player more. And as we play, we will see how the character grows and also the player will grow with her,” he said. Grace’s vulnerability is intentional, helping players connect emotionally while experiencing her growth throughout the game.

Addictive Fear and Player Motivation

Regarding balancing “addictive fear” with overwhelming terror, Nakanishi shared, “The more fear there is, the more you overcome those fears. I think the satisfaction you receive after that is where it’s addictive.” The team focuses on creating tension that motivates players to keep engaging, rather than paralyzing them.

Balancing Cinematics with Survival Horror Gameplay

On collaboration between cinematic direction and gameplay, Nakanishi highlighted the importance of emotional control. “Whether it’s excitement, nervous, fear, all this, as you play a game, you need to have control of those emotions as you play and go through the game,” he said. Requiem emphasizes the emotional experience, ensuring players face fear alongside the character.

Building Player Connection with Grace

When asked how the team ensures players care about Grace, Nakanishi described small design details that make her relatable. “She’s scared of everything, but it doesn’t mean she’s not related to the Raccoon incident because her mom was actually killed in the incident. She’s a journalist, and that’s how she is connected to the whole entire universe.” Players witness her learning to navigate the world, using items like healing herbs, and gradually growing braver.

Family as Motivation

On the theme of family, especially the bond between Grace and Alyssa, Nakanishi clarified, “It’s easy if you’re going to go through all that fear, you have to have a good reason to fight. I think family is probably the most simple and basic reason you would risk your life for.” He stressed that family serves as motivation for survival rather than a thematic focus.

Monster Design and Learning Behavior

Edit: Mention of the word Jessica has been removed after identifying an audio transcription oversight.

When discussing the monster in the demo and her ability to mimic player movements, Nakanishi explained, “We don’t think we’re going to make the monster learn the player and create extra fear. But we do put a lot of effort in trying to make all the monsters scary. Whatever you’ve seen in the trailer, or whatever you’ve seen in the demo, I guarantee you it’s going to be scary.”

Emphasis on Survival Horror

Asked why Requiem leans more into survival horror than previous entries, Nakanishi said, “All Resident Evil was about survival, but in past games, there was a lot of running around and gun-shooting type of horror. So what happened is we just made it more scary.” Kumazawa added reassurance that Grace is not merely fleeing: “She will be shooting too… as she grows in the game, she will be fighting.”

Perspective Switching: First and Third Person

On allowing players to switch between first and third-person perspectives, Nakanishi explained, “Some people like the first-person angle, some people enjoy the third person, so why not have it both?” He highlighted animation details, such as Grace tripping when panicked, to enhance immersion and tension.

Physics and Environmental Immersion

When asked about objects interacting during sequences, Nakanishi explained, “We purposefully want things to move and fall to increase fear… to highlight Resident Evil’s emphasis on emotions.” The RE Engine allows developers to make physics interactions realistic, contributing to the suspense.

Visual Fidelity and Technical Support

Kumazawa discussed how the RE Engine supports visuals and performance: “The most important thing is creating the scare factor… make it more real… enhance the fear within the game. We put a lot of attention to the sweat effect. The amount of sweat is insane, and that has been highlighted to make you feel more tense.” Nakanishi added, “Every small detail that can express fear, we took a lot of focus on that.”

Returning to Iconic Locations

Regarding Raccoon City as the game’s setting, Nakanishi said, “We wanted to go back to the main story. That’s why we went back to Raccoon City, and we wanted to create this whole entire story that possibly is going to connect to the future that is coming.” Kumazawa added that there’s potential to tie in future sequels.

Maintaining Classic Horror Elements

On avoiding overly action-heavy gameplay, Nakanishi confirmed, “You might be seeing her running away, but it’s not just going to be running away… Resident Evil 2 is probably the right reference for this one. Grace will fight through infected people, returning to the series’ survival horror roots.”

Nintendo Switch 2 Development

When asked about adapting the game to Nintendo Switch 2, Nakanishi said, “Originally this game was designed to be played on PC. It was scalable, so it wasn’t that difficult to develop it to suit Nintendo Switch’s specs. We’ve already seen some of the game on Switch 2, and even for us, we thought it was great.”

Technical and Artistic Choices

Finally, on the game’s artistic direction, Nakanishi noted inspiration from the Resident Evil series and director David Fincher. “On the big screen, you get the giant impact of the whole universe, but on the small screen, you see the detailed version. You can enjoy both worlds,” he said, emphasizing that the atmosphere translates across different platforms.

Looking Ahead

With Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom aims to deliver a tense and immersive survival horror experience while letting players grow alongside Grace. From the returning Raccoon City to detailed environmental interactions and dual perspectives, the game promises to challenge and engage players emotionally and strategically, honoring the franchise’s roots while pushing it forward.