Resident Evil Requiem: 15 Essential Tips and Tricks You Should Know Before You Start

Image via Capcom

Resident Evil Requiem is finally here, and if you're eager to drop into Capcom's latest nightmare, you are not alone. As the ninth mainline installment in the legendary survival horror franchise, this game combines classic tension with new mechanics, dual protagonists, and more intelligent enemies.

Before you step into the darkness, here are 15 things you should know to help you get through the first 10-12 hours.

Resident Evil Requiem: 15 Essential Tips and Tricks

1. You Play as Two Very Different Characters

You’ll control Grace and Leon at different points in the story and they play completely differently.

• Grace is fragile, resource-starved, and survival-focused.

• Leon is combat-ready, aggressive, and well-equipped.

With Grace, avoid fights whenever possible. With Leon, don’t be afraid to clear rooms. Adjust your mindset depending on who you’re playing.

2. Some Areas Can Only Be Accessed by One Character

You may find doors, closets, or objects that don’t work for one character. For example, certain wooden storage units can only be opened by Leon using his hatchet.

If something feels unusable, don’t panic. You’ll likely return later with the other character.

Patience pays off.

3. Stealth Is More Important Than Ever

Stealth is extremely powerful in Requiem.

• Leon can perform repeat stealth kills using his hatchet.

• Grace needs a Hemolytic Injector, which requires crafting (Scrap + Infected Blood).

  
  

If you’re low on ammo, stealth takedowns are your best friend.

4. Aim for the Head… Or the Legs

Headshots deal maximum damage and are usually the best option.

But if you just need to escape:

• Shoot enemies in the legs to stagger them.

• Knock them down.

• Run.

  
  

Not every fight needs to end in death.

5. The Map Is Your Lifeline

Requiem’s level design is complex and interconnected. You’ll revisit areas often.

The map automatically:

• Marks locked doors

• Highlights unsolved rooms

• Tracks key objectives

  
  

If you feel lost, check the map. It almost always points you in the right direction.

6. First Person vs Third Person Choose Smartly

You can switch between perspectives anytime in Options.

• First Person feels more immersive and intense (great for Grace).

• Third Person gives better spatial awareness (better for Leon’s action sections).

  
  

There’s no wrong choice experiment and see what suits your playstyle.

7. Monitor Your Health Carefully

Health states matter more than you think.

• Fine (Green) - You can survive strong hits.

• Caution (Orange) - A powerful enemy might one-shot you.

Don’t waste healing items on basic enemies but if you suspect a boss or heavy foe is coming, heal up first.

Combine herbs whenever possible to save space and increase effectiveness.

8. Crafting Is Different for Grace and Leon

Leon crafts traditionally ammo and healing items.

Grace uses:

• Scrap

• Infected Blood

• Blood Transfusion Bags

Important tip:

Don’t use blood packs when your injector is nearly full extra blood gets wasted permanently.

In a survival game, every drop matters.

9. Zombies Behave Differently This Time

Enemies in Requiem feel more alive ironically.

Some examples:

• Certain zombies obsess over turning lights off.

• Others get enraged by loud noises.

• Some can scream and disorient you.

You can manipulate these behaviors:

• Turn lights on elsewhere to lure a zombie away.

• Throw bottles to trigger chaos between enemies.

• Use the environment don’t just shoot everything.

10. Inventory Management Is Critical

Grace’s inventory is extremely limited.

Use storage boxes wisely:

• Store puzzle items you don’t need yet.

• Offload extra ammo.

• Keep only 1–2 healing items.

• Carry just enough ammo to survive.

Overpacking leads to wasted resources or forced item drops.

Minimalist survival is the smart approach.

11. Don’t Rush Through Doors

One of the easiest mistakes: running blindly into a room.

You can:

• Slowly nudge doors open.

• Peek inside before entering.

• Close doors manually behind you.

Charging through is a fast way to meet a stalker-type enemy face-to-face.

Always check first.

12. Grace’s Push Move Is Extremely Useful

When playing as Grace:

• Shoot a zombie in the head.

• Perform a quick melee push.

• While it’s down, land easy headshots.

This combo saves ammo and reduces risk. It’s one of the safest ways to handle single enemies.

13. Your Flashlight Is Safe to Use

Good news: your flashlight does not alert zombies.

Enemies react to:

• Sound

• Line of sight

Keep your flashlight on at all times. Darkness is scary enough.

14. Learn When to Fight and When to Run

    
    

Combat is important, but not every enemy needs to die.

• With Grace, avoid unnecessary fights.

• With Leon, you can handle larger groups more easily.

If you're low on ammo or healing items, it’s often smarter to stagger enemies and escape instead of wasting bullets.

Sometimes survival means retreat.

15. Not Every Item Works for Both Characters

Some areas and objects can only be interacted with by a specific character.

For example, certain wooden closets can’t be opened by Grace, but Leon can pry them open with his hatchet later. If something seems unusable, don’t stress you might return to it with the other character.

Patience is part of the design.

Bonus Tips

• Your flashlight does not attract enemies.

• Bottles are better saved for Molotov crafting.

• Collectible Bobbleheads are hidden well — they are not marked on the map.

• Shooting heads and legs yields more infected blood for harvesting.

Resident Evil Requiem rewards patience, smart resource management, and strategic thinking. This isn’t a pure action game — even with Leon in the mix. It’s about tension, planning, and knowing when to fight and when to run.