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Screenshot from Resident Evil Requiem, courtesy of Capcom

Resident Evil Serves A Bloody Good Vintage

Originally posted on Total Apex Entertainment
By David Gilbert | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 9:17 AM ET

The newest installment of Resident Evil throws players back into the familiar, decaying streets of Raccoon City. Still, it packs the trip with a ridiculous number of winks and nods for longtime fans. Players knew two things for certain going into Resident Evil Requiem: first, that Leon S. Kennedy would be co-starring. Secondly, if this were true, everyone expected a whole bunch of Easter eggs. What other little treasures does the game hide beneath its gruesome surface?

A Resident Evil Reunion Thirty Years Brewing

Capcom brings one of the best survival horror game series back to Raccoon City, celebrating thirty years of Resident Evil, and it proves impossible to resist dropping one or two little nods along the way. Some references are more pointed than others, while others might not even cross a player’s mind. The game offers a constant stream of callbacks, acting as a playful Requiem for the series’ own history.

It pays tribute to the monsters, items, and characters that came before. How many of these hidden gems can one player realistically spot in a single playthrough? Alyssa’s lockpick skill from Outbreak makes a direct return. The Resident Evil Requiem lockpicks used by Grace serve as a direct call-back to her mother’s special item from Resident Evil Outbreak. Players find these throughout the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care facility, using them to pick simple locked drawers.

It allows Grace to take a leaf out of Alyssa Ashcroft’s investigative journalism book, uncovering secrets and, most importantly, bullets. Lots of bullets. Then, the game treats players to more bathtubs with questionable contents. When Leon peers into a blood-filled tub, a curious feeling of déjà vu comes over the player. That is when they realize that goopy bathroom facilities are kind of a mainstay in all the Resident Evil titles.

Bolt Cutters Return With A New Name

Ah, the infamous bolt cutters return in a new form. Resident Evil Requiem features a pair of wire cutters just the once, right near the start of Grace’s visit to the now-derelict Wrenwood Hotel. The tool might have a different name this time around, but any self-respecting fan of the best survival horror games knows that it is simply not Resident Evil without a hefty lock-breaking tool.

A little later, Lady Dimitrescu’s wine makes a surprise appearance. While rifling through an office next to the Care Facility’s helipad, Grace can inspect a bottle of fine wine with a very familiar label. Sanguis Virginis, the precise vintage concocted by the tall vampire momma herself, features in a few puzzles in the series’ eighth installment. Could there be a bottle hidden in every corner of this universe?

Leon Fights In Yet Another Chaotic Chapel

Leon finds himself fighting in a chapel yet again. Watching the RPD’s finest rookie wreak carnage in a place of worship immediately reminds players of a very similar encounter in a very different chapel from Resident Evil 6. Familiar enemies also swarm the player from every direction. Long-time fans of Capcom’s series will pick these out from a mile off. Plant 43, as seen in Resident Evil 1, rears its many ugly, sharp-toothed faces.

Lickers return in all their icky, blind glory. A nasty, huge spider skitters about, and chainsaw zombies make a comeback, just like in Resident Evil 4 Remake. Crimson Heads are reborn as the far more aggressive Blisterheads. Honestly, fans are in for one shotgun blast from the past. The game serves as a monster-filled Requiem for the creatures they have spent decades running from.

HUNK Gets His Due In Raccoon City Ruins

Screenshot from Resident Evil Requiem trailer shown at PlayStation’s State of Play, courtesy of PlayStation and Capcom

HUNK and the Umbrella Security Service squad also get their due. Dubbed the grim reaper of his squad, HUNK is the tactical gear-clad Umbrella soldier featured in a Resident Evil 2 Remake additional game mode. The red carpet rolls out for him and his iconic crew in Requiem, too. Leon stumbles upon the soldiers’ corpses while exploring the ruined streets of Raccoon City.

Later, when he faces off against one of them, the Mortal Edge axe looted from the body clearly alludes to HUNK’s reaper nickname. Is it the guy himself, or just another clone? Jill Valentine’s STARS cap sits atop a desk in the ruins of the RPD, covered in dust and detritus. Seeing that logo makes some of Valentine’s valentines swoon just a little. It is a small, quiet Requiem for the team’s former glory.

Tofu bounces in the windows of the RPD. After the first run-in with the Tyrant, players should listen out for a strange boing sound and pay attention to the windows. They might just see Tofu, the RPD hat-wearing big white block, bouncing his way around the perimeter. The character was born of a gag over at Capcom, and seeing him still hopping around the deserted city after all these years brings a smile.

Tyrants Still Come Standard With A Coat

Dead by Daylight’s crossover map also gets a subtle nod. The fact that Leon can now jump down into the RPD main hall from an upper landing has to be a nod to the asymmetrical horror game, where players can do the exact same thing. Mr. X, or a version of him, makes his presence felt. This Tyrant is not the same big brute from 1998, but a monster of the same line of creatures produced by Umbrella.

The product catalog notes that the Tyrants typically come with a coat as standard for effective human disguise. Finally, a character named Zeno appears, sporting all of Albert Wesker’s trademarks. White-blonde hair, cool sunglasses, a slick black leather trenchcoat. Players lose their heads when they realize Wesker could well have been cloned. The game acts as a final, joyful Requiem for the series’ most iconic villain, bringing him back in all but name.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Entertainment and was syndicated with permission.

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