Resident Evil: Requiem

[Teen Tyrant]

The idea of Lisa Trevor having been alive for all this time and mutating further just makes her story so much more tragic and disturbing. And if she survived, then surely William Birkin could have as well.

These would be terrible reveals, right up there with the long-persisting fan theory that Nemesis was so indestructible that it survived the nuclear detonation of Raccoon City. The idea of any of these characters having survived their previously established deaths and just somehow existing in the ruins of the city all this time would finally go too far and make the BOWs have straight-up supernatural power.

The whole thing that makes the RE story work is that all these monstrosities, for all their power and ability to mutate and regenerate, can still be killed with such fundamental things as fire and explosions. Having Lisa survive the explosion of the mansion, or Birkin survive the explosion of the train and then the nuking of the city (even if you accept some of the retcons that it wasn’t an actual nuke, the city burned as a whole), would be ridiculous and undermine the finality of the actions used against them. Might as well expect Marcus, Alexia, Saddler, etc. to all still be alive.

The only villains previously thought dead that would make sense for this game, given the nature of the words of the Hooded Man, would be Spencer or Wesker, and only because of the emphasis the last two games placed upon the Mold of absorbing the minds of people into a collective, allowing either of them to be revealed as having let their minds be cataloged by the Mold at some point never before revealed, and now returning in a new body, establishing why the First Person trilogy introduced the whole concept of the Mold to begin with, to build up to the return of a major villain who would otherwise have remained dead.

 

[Springhosen]

I'm not a super huge fan of these ideas, but them being terrible and too far seems like a bit of a stretch. Especially in the face of the knowledge that most Resident Evil bosses mutate when damaged. Being able to survive a nuke isn't as big of a deal to creatures like that, and I would think that their ability to mutate in protection of the self or for survival instead of being decimated would be wholly dependent upon how far away they were from the initial impact.

With how recognizable the RPD still is in the Re9uiem preview, I think we have proof that not all areas were hit equally. In addition, pretty much all Raccoon City/Arklay Mountain bosses were last seen in underground structures. How far below the surface these labs are is up for debate I'm sure, but they wouldn't have even been on the surface at the time of impact.

Again, not a huge fan of these types of theories myself, I like my bosses to stay down, but I don't think they're quite as far fetched as you're making them out to be.

 

[Teen Tyrant]

Again, not a huge fan of these types of theories myself, I like my bosses to stay down, but I don't think they're quite as far fetched as you're making them out to be.

They are. And there still has to be a limit to constant mitigation and survival of damage. That’s why Nemesis and Ustanak and all the others, eventually, just received so much damage that they couldn’t recover anymore and died. There is a limit to what they can take. Lisa snd Birkin, specifically, not only received massive amounts of punishment, but were caught in the heart of extremely violent explosions many orders of magnitude beyond just being hit by an RPG, and Birkin especially then having his remains caught up in the destruction of the city, which canonically, killed everything inside, and considering how explosions of that size and power work, not evil Resident Evil’s super-science monsters can survive that. Unless some other completely unknown factor is in play, akin to us players never having known that Wesker infected himself with something before dying in the first game and that’s how he came back, there’s no narrative that can explain Lisa or Birkin having survived all this time.

 

[Unknown]

But what exactly have you speculated about?

I don’t see much to go off, just that it will be a horror focused game starring Grace. Having never played Outbreak it’s hard to speculate on Alyssa’s role too. I don’t know what to think about the ruins of Raccoon.

I'm using what we know to fill pieces of a puzzle that happens to align with leaks and because the leaks exist, it's illogical?

Well I don’t buy into leaks, because they are notoriously unreliable. I think it’s fine to acknowledge them, but short sighted to base speculation on them.

Leon’s my bet too for a returning hero but it is not based on any leaks at all. I base it purely on Nick’s resume thingy, but I also acknowledge Capcom reuse their actors and as a stuntman Nick is definitely one to reuse.

I think Dusk talks out of his ass, no surprises there, and many people online are starting to see him as a fake. But he may just happen to be right this time, accidentally.

When people see the RPD, they think about Leon.

Wow… Claire? Jill? STARS? The Outbreak characters, now intrinsically and surprisingly more relevant I might add.

It is so unbelievably biased to suggest that the RPD is only going to make people think of Leon. That is like saying the Spencer Mansion only makes people think of Chris. Or Jill.

Leon may be your fave and the more popular of those but come on man he isn’t the only character people think about.

Just like it's also extremely reasonable to suggest there might be another playable character who is likely intended to be best utilized with the third-person camera

They did say the first person camera was recommended, I imagine that means for the whole game, with third just as a nice bonus.

Otherwise I can’t see them offering that recommendation.

based on similar impressions from people who have played the game and came to that idea for the same reasons any fan or gamer would.

Other fans buying into an unreliable leaker and therefore naturally coming to the same conclusions does not validate the leaks.

People talking about Leon being in this are basing it on what Dusk said. Too many dumb articles propping him up as an "insider".

I also don't understand why withholding key information about a game in its reveal is seen as so strange anyway.

It’s not, but what you’re talking about with MGS2 etc is misdirection, as opposed to simply keeping things under wraps because you don’t want to show too much.

I didn’t think there was any misdirection with Requiem’s reveal. There may be later, but not so far. I think for now they were just like "yeah this is what Requiem is like, it’s horror, first person with a third as an option, Grace is the protagonist, she’s like Ethan, more to come".

Straight up, for now.

Eurogamer says the new stalker enemy has a new mechanic that sets it apart from from previous stalker enemies in the series, but were asked by Capcom to keep its exact nature a surprise.

That’s definitely an interesting tidbit. My theory on why Capcom would specifically tell Eurogamer to tease their readers with the exact nature of the stalker is because:

A: they’re more professional (they’re not streamers or YouTubers who might blab away) with a bigger audience and platform

B: as we’ve had several stalkers now it may be that people will read about that enemy and negatively assume that the same mechanic is being recycled (because it has been, and just gotten worse), so in effect the lack of telling is, in a way, telling. In other words, this enemy is different, be excited.

Agreed. My rule is, if a fan theory ever sounds compelling and ties the series together better, Capcom will always go in the opposite direction.

It do be like that.

But part of me does wonder with RE9 being a huge anniversary game and taking us back to Raccoon City to uncover the long lost truth, if there is a bigger possibility of such fan service nods. The idea of Lisa Trevor having been alive for all this time and mutating further just makes her story so much more tragic and disturbing. And if she survived, then surely William Birkin could have as well. There's so much potential here, but I can't imagine the game will live up to any of it.

If I start thinking Lisa Trevor is coming back, I start thinking of the mansion, and RE1, and the characters in that game, not so much the ruins of Raccoon City and RE2 and its characters.

And I don’t want to start wondering things I would probably like but do not expect. I find with RE maintaining a healthy scepticism prevents disappointment. Capcom are simply not good enough anymore, writing wise.

 

[Ikawaru]

Capcom are simply not good enough anymore, writing wise.

Correct. The first blow to the series was when Kenichi Iwao left Capcom in 1996. The second blow was when Noboru Sugimura died in 2005. Mikami leaving was sort of the final nail in the coffin because at least with him around, there was a chance he could hire a better writer after the hype surrounding Resident Evil 4 died off.

I think it's safe to say that the only Resident Evil Game with a good story after these events was Revelations 2.

 

[Turo602]

I don’t see much to go off, just that it will be a horror focused game starring Grace.

Well I don’t buy into leaks, because they are notoriously unreliable. I think it’s fine to acknowledge them, but short sighted to base speculation on them.

They did say the first person camera was recommended, I imagine that means for the whole game, with third just as a nice bonus.

Otherwise I can’t see them offering that recommendation.

Other fans buying into an unreliable leaker and therefore naturally coming to the same conclusions does not validate the leaks.

That doesn't mean there isn't plenty of stuff to go off of and dig into. You're just choosing not to make any predictions and then calling anything that points to leaks being correct as being based purely on leaks and therefore not logical despite having listed out a bunch of examples of speculation based on official information and general knowledge that have nothing to do with Dusk Golem. It just sounds like you don't want him to be right so you purposely choose to believe the opposite and most dry possibility that everything we know is all there is to know about this game and can't imagine any scenario on how that can change, which itself doesn't sound believable.

Leon’s my bet too for a returning hero but it is not based on any leaks at all. I base it purely on Nick’s resume thingy, but I also acknowledge Capcom reuse their actors and as a stuntman Nick is definitely one to reuse.

Considering Nick's resume has him listed as a lead with full performance capture, he's definitely not just filling the role of stuntman. The guy has only ever played Leon for Capcom.

Wow… Claire? Jill? STARS? The Outbreak characters, now intrinsically and surprisingly more relevant I might add.

It is so unbelievably biased to suggest that the RPD is only going to make people think of Leon. That is like saying the Spencer Mansion only makes people think of Chris. Or Jill.

Leon may be your fave and the more popular of those but come on man he isn’t the only character people think about.

Yes, the collective public is very biased and you just admitted Leon is more popular than any of those other probable candidates. How is this statement wrong? I never stated people can ONLY think of Leon. But Resident Evil 2 is unequivocally the game that comes to mind seeing the RPD and Leon is usually the character most associated with it, despite Claire starring in it equally.

It’s not, but what you’re talking about with MGS2 etc is misdirection, as opposed to simply keeping things under wraps because you don’t want to show too much.

I didn’t think there was any misdirection with Requiem’s reveal. There may be later, but not so far. I think for now they were just like "yeah this is what Requiem is like, it’s horror, first person with a third as an option, Grace is the protagonist, she’s like Ethan, more to come".

Straight up, for now.

Well, misdirection has been a recurring theme of this game's marketing. From its stunt reveal at SGF to the demo which was shown off entirely in first-person only to switch to third-person at the very end. They're playing with audience expectations.

If I start thinking Lisa Trevor is coming back, I start thinking of the mansion, and RE1, and the characters in that game, not so much the ruins of Raccoon City and RE2 and its characters.

And I don’t want to start wondering things I would probably like but do not expect. I find with RE maintaining a healthy scepticism prevents disappointment. Capcom are simply not good enough anymore, writing wise.

That's fair. I'm definitely curious about what exactly they're going to uncover about Raccoon City. Many seem to think it'll be related to the US Government's involvement, and honestly, I think that would be a perfect conspiracy to uncover, especially if Leon is involved. I had a feeling Death Island would be thematically setting the stage for 9, which even ties into Village with the BSAA's corruption. The good guys have always been working for the bad guys and maybe this game will finally address that.

 

[Springhosen]

@Teen Tyrant I'm not trying to be rude, but you're acting like characters, bosses and other creatures haven't survived despite insurmountable odds. Odds that aren't wholly realistic. Or that this series doesn't have a history of reconning canon to fit a new narrative they'd like to tell instead.

At the end of the day, I'm not going to argue over a theory that isn't one I hold. I just love how every new RE announcement has all the experts flocking back to explain to everyone how superior their theory is.

Cheers.

 

[Unknown]

It just sounds like you don't want him to be right so you purposely choose to believe the opposite and most dry possibility that everything we know is all there is to know about this game and can't imagine any scenario on how that can change, which itself doesn't sound believable.

I don’t want him to be right. Last thing I want is Leon coming in and taking over the game. But it sounds to me like you just want him to be right and are supporting the leaks for that reason.

I never support leaks, even when I want them to be true. Dusk also said a CV remake is in the works, I would love that, but I think it’s bs. I’m not gonna snort the hopium.

Considering Nick's resume has him listed as a lead with full performance capture, he's definitely not just filling the role of stuntman. The guy has only ever played Leon for Capcom.

You’re still trying to convince yourself, "it has to be Leon!! It has to be!

It might be, jesus I hope for your sake it is, and there’s a solid chance it will be, but the fact that he is a stuntman makes him a good re-hire for any character that stunt work would be also be appropriate for.

He’s not only played Leon either, he was (randomly) the mocap for the truck driver in RE2 and was in the "additional cast" part of the credits for Separate Ways (aside from his original work as Leon).

Yes, the collective public is very biased and you just admitted Leon is more popular than any of those other probable candidates. How is this statement wrong?

Admitted? Was I guilty of saying or even implying he wasn’t? Being the lead in RE4 will do that.

I never stated people can ONLY think of Leon.

"When people see the RPD they think of Leon" implying just him.

But Resident Evil 2 is unequivocally the game that comes to mind seeing the RPD and Leon is usually the character most associated with it, despite Claire starring in it equally.

I think if Dusk Golem hadn’t said anything nobody would think of Leon just from seeing the RPD.

Well, misdirection has been a recurring theme of this game's marketing. From its stunt reveal at SGF to the demo which was shown off entirely in first-person only to switch to third-person at the very end. They're playing with audience expectations.

In this context I mean plot misdirection.

 

[Teen Tyrant]

@Teen Tyrant I'm not trying to be rude, but you're acting like characters, bosses and other creatures haven't survived despite insurmountable odds. Odds that aren't wholly realistic. Or that this series doesn't have a history of reconning canon to fit a new narrative they'd like to tell instead.

Irrelevant. There are still limits explicitly shown of what these characters/creatures can and cannot survive. To simply toss that away would be to upend every established victory in the series. As I said previously, if one is going to even entertain the possibility of the survival of these earlier, long-gone characters, then we must, by necessity, realistically entertain the survival of every character that has died. And at that point, the series just straight-up becomes DragonBall.

 

[Ikawaru]

I think it's becoming apparent at this point that Dusk just says the stuff that he says thinking that he can make something a reality just by saying it.

He has a platform and he's using it to try to conjure up the game he wants but it's now becoming apparent that Capcom isn't listening to a damn thing he or any of these leakers are saying, which actually does make me respect Capcom more, tbh.

 

[Turo602]

I don’t want him to be right. Last thing I want is Leon coming in and taking over the game. But it sounds to me like you just want him to be right and are supporting the leaks for that reason.

I never support leaks, even when I want them to be true. Dusk also said a CV remake is in the works, I would love that, but I think it’s bs. I’m not gonna snort the hopium.

It's quite ironic how you can keep accusing me of having biases while simultaneously revealing your own. Which explains a lot. I've already been upfront with you and you still want to run with your own narrative about me because you're afraid some leaker is being vindicated?

I only bring up info from leakers to share with the rest of the room because it encourages discussion, not because I agree with it or want it to happen. In this specific case, sure, Leon being in this game would be cool, but so would any of the other characters. But you clearly have some weird bias against Leon that you refuse to see any sign or even entertain how his involvement can serve his character and the story because you dislike him. That's your own problem, not mine or any leaker's.

I enjoy and encourage speculation. I don't hinder it because it might get my hopes up like some leaker did in the past or because it goes against my own personal wants and wishes. You don't have to engage with leaks if you don't want to nor do you have to accept anyone's speculation. But you definitely don't get to control it or pretend that you're better for going against it. Especially when you're operating on pure spite, which just makes anything you say as disingenuous as you claim the leaks are.

You’re still trying to convince yourself, "it has to be Leon!! It has to be!

It might be, jesus I hope for your sake it is, and there’s a solid chance it will be, but the fact that he is a stuntman makes him a good re-hire for any character that stunt work would be also be appropriate for.

He’s not only played Leon either, he was (randomly) the mocap for the truck driver in RE2 and was in the "additional cast" part of the credits for Separate Ways (aside from his original work as Leon).

I'm basing this entirely on what he has written on his resume and the job description isn't "stunt man." It's obvious you only bring it up because you want to convince yourself that there's a chance the role isn't Leon.

Admitted? Was I guilty of saying or even implying he wasn’t? Being the lead in RE4 will do that.

No, but the fact that you can say he's more popular and then find issue with saying people think of Leon when they see the RPD is weird. The imagery of Leon and the RPD is all over the trailers for RE2 Remake. It's who people most likely picked first and got to experience getting to and exploring the RPD as for the first time.

"When people see the RPD they think of Leon" implying just him.

I think that's just how you want to read it, seeing as it was part of a larger point that you don't want to support.

I think if Dusk Golem hadn’t said anything nobody would think of Leon just from seeing the RPD.

That's a stretch, but it's definitely reasonable to suggest that maybe nobody would be talking about Leon right now if it weren't for him being all over every single "leak" for the last few years. Regardless, I'm sure the fandom would have still been clever enough to uncover the signs and paint the narrative themselves.