Resident Evil Requiem Introduces a New Kind of Protagonist With Grace Ashcroft
The newest installment in the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Requiem, is going back to its roots for the series’ 30th anniversary. Not only has it been confirmed that the series will bring back previous characters, but we will also be going back the the place that started it all, Raccoon City, introducing Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, a main character from Resident Evil Outbreak.
From the trailers and the demo, we saw Grace in action, and the devs really went all out to make Grace one of the most relatable Resident Evil characters in the series. The devs of Resident Evil Requiem have been making their rounds doing interviews to reveal more about the game, the closer we get to launch, and they deep dive into Grace as a character and how different she is as the main protagonist of a Resident Evil game. Here’s what they explain about their decisions in creating Grace.
Introducing Grace Ashcroft
Grace Ashcroft is a new character being introduced into the Resident Evil universe. She is the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, a main character in Resident Evil Outbreak, making her the second legacy character to appear in the series after Rose Winters. In Resident Evil Requiem, Grace is an FBI analyst tasked with going back to the ruins of Raccoon City to investigate deaths related to an unidentified disease.
Through the trailer and the demo we saw at The Summer Games Fest and Gamescom this year, we get a feel of who Grace is as a character. She’s clumsy, timid, easily scared, and above all, an ordinary person, which are the main points to note when thinking about Grace compared to previous main characters of the series, like Leon, Jill, or Chris.
Resident Evil Requiem Devs Reveal Protagonists’ Differences
In an interview with CheckpointGaming, Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa explains their decisions on creating Grace and making her incredibly relatable to players. In the interview, Kumazawa explains that Grace is not an expert like Leon or Chris, opting to make Grace feel more civilian-like, which would add to the psychological horror aspect of the game.
Resident Evil Requiem will be a psychological horror game, which will resemble classic survival horror. It’ll be a change from the action-packed adventures we’re used to seeing in a Resident Evil game. The decision to make this installment scarier than previous installments was the driving force in creating Grace Ashcroft, and I can’t wait to see how she will develop throughout the game.
