The Resident Evil series is one of the most iconic game sagas of this generation, famously known for Agent Leon Kennedy and the story of Ethan Winters. I’ve recently gotten into the franchise and have played through the majority of the games, save for the OG versions of 2, 3, and 4. Capcom announced Resident Evil 9 back in June 2025, during the Summer Game Fest, and from then, it has been one of the most anticipated games of 2026. It finally came out on February 27th, 2026, and I immediately played it the second it released. I finished it in under a week, and I can say, RE9 is definitely one of the most unique games I have ever played.
One of the most memorable features of the game is its game play. Resident Evil 9’s story is split between two main characters, Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy (who is a returning main character from Resident Evil 2, 4, and 6), and their different POVs. Grace, who the story mainly follows, is an FBI analyst sent on her own to investigate a crime scene that mirrors multiple mysterious deaths prior to the game starting. It is important to note that while she does work for the FBI, she does so as a desk worker, making her significantly inexperienced in combat as opposed to our other main character, Leon Kennedy.
Leon is a well-seasoned government agent who originally survived the Raccoon City incident from prior games and then turned into the mission specialist he is now. The difference in experiences between the two characters is obvious, but the way that the game is played emphasizes this gap even more. The default perspective option for Grace is first person. When playing from this perspective, not only does it make walking and running speed slower, it also enhances the horror elements of the game. Playing in first person limits your view of your surroundings, which is a major disadvantage, especially for Grace and her resources (which will be elaborated on later). While in a facility with multiple different creatures coming to hunt you down, it heightens your senses to the max, since you now have to worry about what could potentially be around the corner or behind you. However, Leon’s default perspective option (third person) makes it easier to focus on combat rather than what could be following you, since the camera can look in all directions to cover all potential threats that could be lurking.
RE9 especially promotes focusing on action rather than the story through Leon, because not only is it easier to fight, but the game also easily provides resources in Leon’s route. Each kill as Leon has a chance to drop resources and ammo, and later in the game, there’s a shop where you can buy different upgrades, weapons, and more.
However, resources in Grace’s route are very limited.There’s an option to craft healing items and ammo, but that’s the only additional support given to Grace aside from the scavenging for items throughout the map, which is again what makes Grace’s play through significantly harder than Leon’s. Grace’s disadvantage in game play, while frustrating, does a good job at showing her inexperience in comparison to Leon.
For the game’s story itself, I loved Grace’s segments, but surprisingly, I initially hated Leon’s. At the beginning of the game, I spent a lot of time as Grace looking for all the hidden things around the map, and taking my time with each segment as her. However, playing as Leon almost felt forced, like a ‘here’s Leon for no other reason other than making the fans happy’ moment from Capcom. During his parts at the beginning of the game, it was evident that the intention was more on the action, rather than the story. Because of this, his parts were rushed and felt like he was just there for the fans’ entertainment. Again, this was most definitely intentional on Capcom’s part; it was mentioned multiple times in the trailer; however, in my opinion, it could have been better portrayed. Though it all evens out later, and the game does make up for the abruptness of Leon’s parts later in the game, including an entire segment that features elements from Resident Evil 2.
Overall, I’d rate this game an 8.5/10 for the story, a 10/10 for the actual game play itself, and a 7/10 for its impact on me. The game was for sure amazing and featured a new, unique way to play; however, compared to previous Resident Evil games, it didn’t have an impressive, lasting effect.
