Since Resident Evil 7 in 2017, Capcom’s horror series has featured terrifying enemies that chase you relentlessly. From Jack Baker crashing through walls to the towering Mr. X and the unforgettable Lady Dimitrescu, these stalkers have become a fan-favorite part of the series. Resident Evil Requiem continues this tradition with a new, frightening pursuer. After playing a 20-minute demo at gamescom 2025, it’s clear this new enemy might be the scariest yet.
A Creepy Setting and a New Hero
The demo takes place in the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, a dark and eerie location. You play as Grace Ashcroft, the new protagonist, who moves carefully through the clinic armed only with a lighter and glass bottles. There are no guns in this demo, so you must be cautious as you explore a few rooms and a long hallway. The area feels small, with little room for exploration. Instead, the demo focuses on simple tasks, like finding one item to unlock another. It sounds easy, but the arrival of a terrifying new stalker changes everything.
Meet the New Stalker
Early in the demo, Grace finds a lifeless zombie (called an “infected” here). Suddenly, a massive claw grabs the corpse, and a huge creature bites into its skull. This new stalker is as tall as Lady Dimitrescu, with a bulky frame like Lisa Trevor from earlier games and a jaw like a mythical Wendigo. It has bulging eyes, clawed hands, and a hunched posture. Once it notices Grace, it chases her relentlessly, reacting to any sound, sight, or even smell. Like the Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation, this creature can climb into the ceiling and drop down quickly, making it nearly impossible to escape.
Grace has a few tools to survive. Glass bottles can be thrown to distract the stalker, luring it to another part of the hallway so you can sneak past. You can try using a bottle as a weapon, but it won’t hurt or stop the creature. Sneaking is Grace’s best defense. By crouching, you can hide under tables or behind corners to avoid detection. However, even small actions, like using your lighter to see in the dark, can attract the stalker’s attention. No matter how carefully you move, this enemy is always close behind.
A Weakness to Light
The stalker has one weakness: bright light. When it enters a well-lit room, its skin burns, forcing it to scream and retreat. This is a clever twist on Resident Evil’s “safe room” tradition, where enemies like Mr. X can’t follow you. Instead of an unexplained barrier, the light gives a logical reason why the stalker avoids certain areas. It also gives you a small sense of control in an otherwise terrifying situation.
Familiar Gameplay with a Fresh Perspective
The demo feels very much like a Resident Evil game. You manage a limited inventory, examine items, find keys, and solve puzzles like fitting fuses into circuit breakers. Fans of the series will feel right at home. The game uses the first-person perspective seen in recent titles like Resident Evil 7 and Village, which makes the stalker feel huge and terrifying. However, you can also switch to a classic third-person view at any time. Both perspectives are well-designed, with scares tailored to each. In first-person, the narrow view makes jump scares—like the stalker’s claw scraping past a window—more intense. In third-person, the wider view reduces some tension, but Capcom adds unique animations, like Grace stumbling, to keep the fear alive.
A Promising but Short Taste
The demo is short and doesn’t reveal much about the full game. It’s unclear if this scene will even be in Resident Evil Requiem or if it’s a standalone demo, like Resident Evil 7’s “Beginning Hour.” Still, it’s hard not to be excited. The new stalker is terrifying, the atmosphere is creepy, and the ability to switch perspectives adds a fresh twist. If this demo is a sign of what’s to come, Resident Evil Requiem could deliver some of the series’ scariest moments when it releases early next year.