lets Talk about Resident Evil 9

With the recent announcement of the next instalment in the Resident Evil franchise ,Resident evil Requiem, set to release on February 27th, 2026, we get to see Raccoon City,30 years after the events of resident evil 2 and 3. The story explores the consequences of the nuclear strike on the city’s landscape. We follow FBI Agent Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from resident evil outbreak, as she returns to the very same hotel where her mother met her dark end. She’s investigating a string of malicious murders, only to uncover horrors with dark origins.

Based on the trailer shown at Summer Game Fest, I think the game looks very promising, especially with the return to Raccoon City, possibly for the last time...?

As for the new protagonist, unfortunately, I can’t say that Grace Ashcroft stands out to me at this point. I don’t feel much connection to her yet, and her character model feels a bit too generic. Honestly, she resembles Rose Winters just a little too much, which makes her design feel somewhat forgettable. That said, these are just my initial impressions, and my opinion could change before the release of the next game.

One thought I keep coming back to is that I kind of hope she doesn’t end up being the main character for the entire game. If she were to die early on and the perspective shifted to an original character like Jill or Claire, I’d be all for it. (Though I doubt Leon would return as the main protagonist since he led the most recent game.) I know it’s unlikely, but that kind of narrative shift would be a needed twist and could really set the tone for the game.

So what are your thoughts? Do you like the introduction of a new character, or would you prefer the return of one of the originals?