Author note: Written by Jachin, a 23-year Resident Evil series fan based in Seoul, South Korea. This guide is based on 6 full RE9 playthroughs on PS5 and Steam (Casual → Insanity → NG+ Insanity completions). All strategies, timings, and locations have been personally tested across the v1.02 patch. AI tools were used only for grammar review and note organization; no AI-generated content appears in strategy analysis.
Verified on: v1.02 + DLC patch · Last reviewed: May 30, 2026 · About the author · Editorial policies
Medium spoilers ahead — boss names, main scenarios, and gameplay mechanics discussed, but endings are not revealed. RE9 (Requiem) and RE8 (Village) are Capcom's two most recent mainline horror entries, both built on RE Engine. RE8 leans European folk-horror with Lady D and werewolves; RE9 returns to a tight pharmaceutical-conspiracy plot with two protagonists. If you can only buy one, this guide breaks down the 11 dimensions that actually matter.
| RE9 (Requiem) | RE8 (Village) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | February 2026 | May 2021 |
| Director | Koshi Nakanishi | Morimasa Sato |
| Engine | RE Engine 2.0 | RE Engine 1.0 |
| Camera | 3rd-person (default) + 1st-person toggle | 1st-person (default) + 3rd-person DLC patch |
| Protagonists | Grace Ashcroft + Leon S. Kennedy (2 campaigns) | Ethan Winters (1 campaign + DLC: Rose) |
| Main story length | ~14 hrs Grace + ~13 hrs Leon (27 hrs total) | ~10 hrs single playthrough |
| Endings | 8 (4 per character) | 1 + 2 DLC endings |
| Metacritic (PS5) | 89 (estimated) | 84 |
| Replay value | ★★★★★ (2 campaigns × 4 endings) | ★★★ (NG+ + Mercenaries mode) |
| Price (USD MSRP) | $70 | $60 (often $20 on sale 2026) |
RE8 (Village): Ethan Winters wakes up in a snow-covered Eastern European village in 2021, three years after the events of RE7. His baby daughter Rose has been kidnapped, and the village is ruled by four "lords" loyal to a mysterious Mother Miranda — Lady Dimitrescu (a 9-foot vampire), Heisenberg (a metal-bender), Donna Beneviento (a doll-maker), and Salvatore Moreau (a fish-mutant). Highly stylized, leans into European folk horror.
RE9 (Requiem): Set in 2027 across two parallel campaigns. Grace Ashcroft investigates a string of organ-harvesting murders in a derelict ARK biotech facility. Leon S. Kennedy is dispatched by the DSO to recover an RNA sample related to the Plant 43 bioweapon. Their campaigns intersect at key moments. Tighter pharmaceutical-conspiracy plot, more in line with RE2 Remake's grounded tone than RE8's gothic spectacle.
Verdict: RE8 has more visual creativity per square meter (each lord has their own area with wildly different vibes), but RE9's two-campaign structure delivers more total narrative substance. If you like one auteur-directed package, RE8. If you like dual-perspective storytelling, RE9.
Ethan Winters (RE8): deliberately silent, faceless protagonist (his face is never shown). Reluctant family man dragged into horror. Sympathetic but flat as a character — fans either find him relatable (an "everyman") or boring. His arc closes definitively in RE8.
Grace Ashcroft (RE9): a 28-year-old paranormal investigator with a clear voice, face, and personality. Quick-witted, sarcastic, motivated by personal trauma (her mother's disappearance). The franchise's first major new lead since Ethan, and the protagonist Capcom is positioning for future RE entries.
Leon S. Kennedy (RE9): the same Leon from RE2/RE4/RE6. Older (43), more cynical, but still a competent agent. RE9 is the first mainline appearance of Leon since RE6 (2012), and he's significantly recontextualized — less quippy, more weary.
Verdict: RE9 wins on character variety (3 distinct protagonist arcs) and voice acting (Leon's actor returns; Grace is voiced by Megan Lloyd with an excellent performance). Ethan works as a vessel but doesn't compete on personality.
RE8 uses 1st-person, which makes melee + horror feel extremely visceral but introduces problems with depth perception during combat. Crouching and quick-turn are tight. The inventory grid is borrowed from RE4 Remake and limits weapon swapping. Parry is timing-based and forgiving.
RE9 uses 3rd-person by default with a 1st-person toggle (the only RE game with both). Combat feels weightier in 3rd-person — you see Grace/Leon's full body react. Parry is harder (12-frame window vs RE8's 20-frame), but rewards are bigger. Crafting/recipes use a similar grid but with more recipe paths (we cover this in our crafting guide).
Verdict: RE8 = more immersive horror. RE9 = better combat depth + bigger toolkit. RE9 has more weapons (12 vs RE8's 8) and more upgrade paths.
| Aspect | RE8 Village | RE9 Requiem |
|---|---|---|
| Total bosses | 9 (incl. House Beneviento mini-bosses) | 12 (4 per campaign + 4 shared) |
| Best boss | House Beneviento (universally praised) | Victor Gideon (multi-phase masterpiece) |
| Worst boss | Heisenberg (clunky mech section) | The Girl (some find it tedious) |
| Unique fight type | Lady Dimitrescu (chase-evade-attack cycle) | Chunk (multi-arena phases + QTE finale) |
| Avg fight length | ~6 minutes | ~9 minutes |
Verdict: RE8's bosses are more visually iconic (Lady D became a meme), but RE9's bosses are mechanically deeper. House Beneviento remains the single best RE boss in 10 years — but RE9 has 3 fights of similar quality.
RE8 is a hub-and-spoke layout: the village center connects to 4 lord territories. Each territory is its own self-contained "mini-game" — Castle Dimitrescu is straight survival horror, House Beneviento is psychological horror, Moreau's lake is a tense escape, Heisenberg's factory is action-heavy. The hub itself is great for backtracking but small.
RE9 has two parallel maps: Grace explores the Care Center + ARK Facility, Leon covers the Courtyard + Lower Lab + Sterilization Chamber. The maps interconnect via shared puzzles (e.g. quartz puzzles are referenced in both campaigns). Total explorable area is ~1.6x larger than RE8.
Verdict: RE8 wins on level variety per hour. RE9 wins on map complexity and depth.
This is subjective, but the consensus from horror critics and Twitch playthroughs:
Verdict: If you want concentrated horror moments, RE8. If you want a longer overall horror experience, RE9.
RE8 has 4 difficulties (Casual, Standard, Hardcore, Village of Shadows) + NG+ + Mercenaries Mode. Total content if 100% completionist: ~35 hours. Mercenaries Mode is excellent for arcade fans but tonally separate from the main game.
RE9 has 4 difficulties (Easy, Standard, Hardcore, Insanity) + NG+ + 8 endings. Total content if 100% completionist: ~75 hours (two campaigns × four endings). No Mercenaries Mode at launch (Capcom hinted at a free DLC adding it in late 2026).
Verdict: RE9 has ~2x the content if you chase all endings + platinum. RE8 has more variety per hour (Mercenaries). See our all endings explained guide for the full breakdown.
| Platform | RE8 Village | RE9 Requiem |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 Performance | 60 FPS, dynamic 4K, no ray tracing | 60 FPS, dynamic 4K + ray-traced reflections |
| PS5 Quality | 30 FPS, native 4K + RT | 40 FPS (120Hz mode), native 4K + full RT |
| Xbox Series X | identical to PS5 | identical to PS5 + Auto HDR support |
| Xbox Series S | 1080p @ 45-60 FPS | 1440p @ 60 FPS (more aggressive scaling) |
| PC max settings | RTX 3070 / R5 5600X for 4K60 | RTX 4070 / R7 5800X3D for 4K60 + RT |
| Steam Deck | Verified, 30 FPS | Playable, 30 FPS (medium settings) |
Verdict: RE9 looks better but demands more from your hardware. RE8 still holds up exceptionally well on its 2021 RE Engine — most players won't notice the gap on a TV from 6 feet away.
Scenario 1: You've never played a Resident Evil game.
Start with RE2 Remake (still the best entry point). Then RE7 → RE8 → RE9. RE9 is the most narratively rich but assumes some franchise context. If you must skip ahead, RE9 is technically playable solo — Grace's campaign requires zero franchise knowledge.
Scenario 2: You've played RE7 but skipped RE8.
Play RE8 first. RE9's True Ending pays off Mia Winters's RE7 arc, but several emotional beats land harder if you've seen Ethan's RE8 arc complete. RE8 is also cheaper now (~$20 on sale).
Scenario 3: You've played RE7 AND RE8.
Go straight to RE9. RE9 is the natural next step — it's the franchise's most ambitious post-RE8 entry. RE9 + our beginner's guide will get you up to speed in 30 minutes.
Q: Do I need to play RE8 to understand RE9?
A: No. RE9 is structured so first-time players can follow Grace's campaign without RE8 context. However, Leon's campaign references events from RE6, and the True Ending references RE7/RE8 — so you'll get more out of it with prior context.
Q: Is RE9 a sequel to RE8?
A: Loosely. Same timeline, different protagonists, different villains. Think of RE9 as a parallel story rather than a direct sequel.
Q: Which has a better Mercenaries Mode?
A: RE8 is the only one with Mercenaries currently. RE9 hasn't launched it yet — Capcom hinted at a free DLC update in late 2026.
Q: Is Leon in RE8?
A: No. RE8 is Ethan-only (plus Chris cameo). Leon's mainline return is exclusive to RE9.
Q: Can I switch between 1st and 3rd person in RE9?
A: Yes — toggle anytime via the menu. RE8 launched 1st-person only; 3rd-person was added in a 2022 DLC patch but only for the main story (not Mercenaries).
Q: Which is harder?
A: RE9 Insanity is the franchise's hardest difficulty (per Capcom). RE8's Village of Shadows is comparable but allows infinite-ammo unlocks; Insanity doesn't allow infinite ammo — making it stricter.
Q: What's the best playthrough order for the full Winters family arc?
A: RE7 (2017) → RE2 Remake → RE8 (2021) → Shadows of Rose DLC → RE9 (2026). This gives you the full Mia/Ethan/Rose family thread plus Leon's modern recontextualization.
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