5 best RE games to play while waiting for Resident Evil Requiem

The February 27, 2026 release date for Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) is approaching, and fans are quite excited about what comes ahead. To add to the overall excitement, Capcom has recently confirmed that Leon S.

Kennedy is returning.If you are awaiting Requiem, you are advised to play some of the other games to brush up on the overall lore. Essentially, you must revisit the titles that define the setting, characters, and high-stakes horror of the upcoming sequel. Here are the five best Resident Evil games to play while you wait for Resident Evil Requiem.

RE Games to play while waiting for Resident Evil Requiem

1. Resident Evil 2 Remake

Resident Evil 2 Remake is the starting point, which you must surely play.

Basically, Resident Evil Requiem features Leon S. Kennedy returning to the ruins of Raccoon City 30 years after the incidents of Resident Evil 2. Playing the particular remake allows you to experience Leon’s rookie debut and the iconic RPD station, which is a location that you are confirmed to revisit in Requiem. This game sets the stage for Leon’s character and defines the trauma that has shaped him into a seasoned veteran.

2. Resident Evil 4 Remake

Resident Evil Requiem’s producer, Masato Kumazawa, confirmed that Leon will retain his signature martial arts and melee moves from RE4. Accordingly, playing the 2023 remake is the perfect thing that you can play to master the gameplay. The game essentially revolutionized over-the-shoulder action, and it also lays out the blueprint for the high-octane segments you will experience during Leon's chapters in Requiem.

3. Resident Evil Outbreak (File #1 & #2)

These PS2-era classics are harder to play now, but they are arguably the most relevant for Requiem's new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. Grace is the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, who is an investigative reporter and one of the eight playable survivors in Outbreak. As a result, understanding Alyssa’s journey through the collapse of Raccoon City adds weight to Grace’s mission to uncover the truth behind her mother's death.

4. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Resident Evil Requiem is being directed by Koshi Nakanishi, who is the visionary behind the series' 2017 soft-reboot. Nakanishi has stated that Requiem will lean heavily into the horror aspect of survival horror, which you were able to witness in RE7. Thus, if you want to get a feel for RE9, you must try Biohazard, which features a suffocating tension and a sense of vulnerability.

5. Resident Evil 3 Remake

To fully understand the Raccoon City Saga, you must know how it ended.

This is why Resident Evil 3 is the perfect game that you play while waiting for the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem.RE 3 depicts the city's final hours and its eventual destruction via a nuclear strike, which catalyzes Requiem's plot 30 years later. Familiarizing yourself with the city's layout and the sheer scale of the Umbrella Corporation's failure will make the return much more impactful.