As of this writing, there are precious few days before the release of "Resident Evil: Requiem," ostensibly the ninth mainline title in the long-running video game franchise. Ostensibly, because if you include remakes of the first four numbered titles and spin-offs like "Resident Evil Zero" and "Resident Evil: Code Veronica" that are vital to the overall story but didn't get a traditional numerical designation, there's a whole lot of survival horror for newcomers to wade through.
If you're a relative newcomer to the series and you want to dive right into "Requiem," then go right ahead. The "Resident Evil" saga is like a soap opera, and like any good soap opera, you can get onboard at any point. However, if you want to do a little homework, there are some games that you might want to play first, and even some CG animated movies to watch before you get around to the newest game.
But which "Resident Evil" stories are 'essential' to this latest game? Barring a couple of non-canon spin-offs like "Operation Raccoon City" and "Resident Evil Gaiden," as well as the live-action films, everything in Resident Evil is canon. The series has never been rebooted. When Chris Redfield appeared in "Resident Evil: Village," he was the very same character audiences first played with in the original 1996 game. Not many games have such a long-running continuity, and it's part of what makes "Resident Evil" so special in the realm of video games and pop culture in general.
If you want maximum context for the setting of Raccoon City and protagonists Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft, here's everything you need in order to catch up before "Resident Evil: Requiem."
"Resident Evil: Requiem" features two protagonists. One of them is Leon Scott Kennedy, who was first introduced back in 1998's "Resident Evil 2." Nearly 30 years later, the game holds up tremendously well. If you can't handle the old-school tank controls and 2D pre-rendered backgrounds of the PS1 era, then the 2019 remake will do in a pinch (though I prefer the original). The game follows Claire Redfield (sister of Chris Redfield from "Resident Evil 1") and Leon, a rookie cop whose first day on the job turns into an undead nightmare. By the time of "Resident Evil: Requiem," Leon is a hardened action hero. Going back to "Resident Evil 2" shows just how far he's come over the course of nearly 30 years. This game also introduced Ada Wong, a mysterious agent working for the highest bidder who frequently crosses paths with Leon. She's not confirmed to appear in "Resident Evil Requiem," but I wouldn't be surprised at all if she and Leon cross paths again. Both the original and the remake are easily accessible on modern platforms like PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC.
The other protagonist of "Requiem" is Grace Ashcroft. She's a newcomer to the series, but she's Raccoon City royalty. Her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, was one of the eight playable characters of 2003's "Resident Evil: Outbreak" and its 2004 sequel, "File #2." These games were notable for being the first "Resident Evil" to feature online multiplayer. The game's servers went offline nearly 20 years ago, but tech-minded gamers have found ways to keep the game online and fully playable on modern systems. Alas, there's no official way to play "Outbreak" and its sequel, but if you know your way around the emulation scene and have some friends, there's nothing quite like the experience of playing "Outbreak" with friends, sharing the horror. With "Requiem" reigniting interest in the "Outbreak" sub-series, don't be surprised if these get a remaster or remake within the next year or two.
If you paid really close attention to the trailers for "Resident Evil: Requiem," you may have noticed that Raccoon City is less of a bustling metropolis and more of a bombed-out ruin, a charred husk of a city. The story of how that happened is chronicled in "Resident Evil 3," originally released on PlayStation in 1999. Like "Resident Evil 2" before it, "RE3" got a remake in 2020, so if you have some kind of aversion to PS1-era sensibilities, then maybe you'll have a better time with the remake, though I recommend both versions. Leon isn't in this title, which follows Jill Valentine of the original "Resident Evil" as she makes her last escape from Raccoon City as it falls to the zombie horde, all the while pursued by one of the most legendary monsters in the history of horror, Nemesis.
The title, "Resident Evil: Requiem" is also called "Resident Evil 9," stylized as "Resident Evil: Re9uiem," which positions the game as a sequel to "Resident Evil: Village," the eighth numbered game in the saga ("Resident Evil: 'VIII'age," get it?). "Village" itself is the second part of the pseudo-reboot that began with "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard," which marked a fresh start for the series, bringing things back to its survival horror roots after the over-the-top action spectacle of "Resident Evil 6." This one kind of splits the difference, so to speak, upping the action quotient but still focusing on horror first and foremost. It even features a DLC epilogue chapter, "Shadows of Rose," which is set 16 years after the rest of the game (and 11 years from 2026) and offers a sneak peek at the next generation of Resident Evil. It's hard to say if "Requiem" will pick up any story threads from "Village," but gameplay-wise,the newest game definitely looks like a direct follow-up to the combination of action,horror,and exploration utilized in "Village."
This one isn't actually a game, but a CGI animated movie, so consider it something of a bonus entry. Released in 2023, a few months after the release of the remake of "Resident Evil 4," this is the fourth (fifth, if you include the four-episode "Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness," and I certainly do) CGI movie in the "Resident Evil" series. Unlike the live-action movies by Paul W.S. Anderson or the upcoming reboot by Zach Cregger, these animated movies are actually part of the games' canon. "Death Island" is set in 2015, which makes it the most recent appearance of Leon Kennedy before "Requiem." The movie is a direct sequel to the previous film, "Resident Evil: Vendetta," which is notable for having the most meme-worthy close-quarters gun battle in the history of cinema, between Chris Redfield and Glenn Arias. It's a must-see, not because of anything to do with "Requiem," but because it's dumb, absurd, and beautiful. I can't help but love it. "Death Island," by comparison, is much more grounded and is a much better movie overall. Plus, it's great to see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire, and Rebecca all together in one story.