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The latest entry in Capcom’s iconic horror franchise, Resident Evil, is finally out. With Resident Evil Requiem, the series is straddling a fine line between the past and the future. Classic hero Leon Kennedy is coming back for another adventure while Grace Ashcroft gets her first chance as a protagonist in a Resident Evil game. This is a series full of lore, which can be intimidating for new players. However, we’ve got everything you need to know about Resident Evil before playing Requiem.

The Resident Evil franchise is “the granddaddy of survival horror in video games,” according to Popverse’s own Nate Clark in the latest entry in our “Explain it to the n00b” series, and he’s full of little pearls of knowledge about this franchise. “I’ll have you know that Capcom’s marketing team coined the term ‘survival horror’ for Resident Evil, so yes, it is the first survival horror game.”

The appeal of Resident Evil, according to Nate, is that it hits every possible note you could want. It’s got action, puzzle-solving, horror, and “dubiously corny B Movie writing that very few games can hope to achieve.”

There is a lot of hype around Resident Evil Requiem, which is the ninth mainline entry in the franchise. What is Nate hoping to see in the latest entry? A passing of the torch moment for our good friend Leon Kennedy.

“Resident Evil games tend to take place in the year in which they come out, and so our lovable protagonists who were in their early 20s in the late 90s are now in their late 40s, early 50s now.” That includes Leon, who first joined the franchise in 1998’s Resident Evil 2. 

If you’re a total noob when it comes to Resident Evil and are intimidated by the fact that this is, in fact, the ninth mainline entry in the series, don’t worry. Nate has given you a reading list for games that will set you up for success. “Personally, I would recommend Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, just so you can understand who our boy Leon Kennedy is and why everyone loves him.”

Want to know more about the Resident Evil franchise before you dive into Requiem? You can watch the full video of Nate Clark talking about the series with Ashley Robinson above.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
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