Technologies

Resident Evil Requiem Review: Classic Survival Horror With Modern Action

Capcom finally found the right formula to give fans the scares they’ve wanted with the fan service they’ve been demanding.

The Resident Evil series is on a triumphant comeback. While Resident Evil 6 was critically panned, the series roared back with the horror-focused Resident Evil 7 in 2017. Since then, the series has seen another mainline entry (Resident Evil Village) and three remakes (Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4), with a majority of the games being highly praised by both fans and critics, which is a far cry from when the series was just a stumbling corpse of itself.

Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth game in the mainline series, and Capcom mixes some of the old with the new in this one. Experimentation with the formula was sorely needed as newer entries reminded fans of the delight of being scared, while the remakes had the fanbase pining for their favorite heroes, who had been hardly mentioned since Resident Evil 6. The result is a game that hits the right notes for fans while remaining approachable to nondiehard players who haven’t consumed every scrap of RE content ever made.

Requiem, like some previous Resident Evil games, has two protagonists: newcomer Grace Ashford and series mainstay Leon Kennedy. Grace is an FBI analyst sent to investigate mysterious murders at a hotel where her mother was killed a decade ago. Leon, meanwhile, goes where the bioweapons are, arriving just in time to meet Grace when all hell breaks loose.

Throughout the game, players switch between controlling Grace and Leon — you’ll spend roughly the same amount of time as each character by the end of the game. Grace is the primary character for the first chunk of the game, with Leon initially playable only briefly. But that changes in the second half, when Leon becomes the primary character.

Requiem in two parts

Playing as two different characters isn’t new in RE games, but in Requiem, Grace and Leon don’t play remotely the same, whereas in previous games, the two characters are relatively similar, aside from access to a couple of weapons and affinity for certain guns. Grace has access to a few weapons, while Leon has a full arsenal at his disposal. In Grace’s sections, the focus is more on stealth, and to preserve the horror tone of Resident Evil 7 and Village, Capcom sets the default camera to first-person. This ramps up the tension and adds plenty of jump scares while controlling Grace, though it can be switched to third-person if it’s too much.

Leon’s default view is third-person, and his sections largely serve as stress relief. You’re not constantly dealing with that same intense horror pressure. Instead, Leon is a full-on badass. He gets access to multiple handguns, a shotgun, a machine gun, grenades and his own special hand cannon, the Requiem. If that wasn’t enough, he also carries a hatchet to pull off melee combos and chop off heads, ensuring that even without ammo, he’s far from helpless.

That dichotomy between Grace and Leon is what the series needed. The previous two mainline games featured a protagonist with seemingly no combat experience who just happened to be resilient, while earlier entries starred highly trained professionals, members of the S.T.A.R.S. team. Feeling helpless as Grace, then exacting revenge in brutal fashion during Leon’s sections, creates an experience that delivers both the horror and the power fantasy the series is known for.

It makes sense, because you can’t bring back some of the series’ mainstays — like Leon — and have them be completely out of their depth. On the other hand, introducing new characters with minimal combat training risks sidelining the fan-favorite cast established across games, films and shows. Having both Grace and Leon keeps some segments scary while others deliver the Resident Evil joy fans crave, which helps explain the remakes’ popularity.

Take me back to Raccoon City

One of the big selling points for Requiem is its return to where the series started, Raccoon City. While time in the now-destroyed city is limited, Requiem is the first time we’re seeing what the city is like since it was destroyed in an attempt to contain the G-virus outbreak.

As a longtime RE fan, this new lore is exactly what many of us have been wanting. It provides more backstory on the events that led to the original outbreak in Resident Evil and more details about the destruction of Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2. While it doesn’t answer everything and may raise additional questions, it’s refreshing to play a new RE game that acknowledges the events of the first three games rather than ignoring them. It’s also hard to express the nostalgia I felt upon entering the remnants of the Raccoon City Police Department. There’s a strange fondness that contrasts with the obvious trauma Leon experiences as he returns to the place where his career as a monster fighter began.

Requiem’s gameplay is essentially the same as other modern RE games. There’s a lot of shooting and slashing at enemies, and it will feel familiar to anyone who has played any of the previous games. The new twist comes with Grace’s sections, where stealth is vital. She will have to routinely sneak around zombies and other monsters to avoid being attacked, as she can’t take as many hits as Leon. Grace does have a few tools at her disposal to go with her gun, including a glass to distract enemies when thrown and chemical concoctions that can cause zombies to explode.

The game’s visual presentation continues the high quality seen in recent games, including the remakes, which all use the RE Engine to power the graphics. The characters are detailed; the monsters are grotesque. Some vast landscapes are visible, but there’s only so much to explore, maintaining the tighter, more enclosed spaces typical of a survival horror game.

Not enough evil

If there is one glaring flaw with Requiem, it’s the lack of replay value. I finished the game in about 12 hours on my first playthrough, which could stretch to 15 if you explore every nook and cranny. That’s on par with other RE games, but that’s about it.

There are two endings available: one good and one bad. The good ending seemingly teases new modes or scenarios to play through, but once the credits roll, the only content unlocked is some new costumes and the highest possible difficulty, Insanity Mode. The game autosaves right before the big decision on determining which ending you’ll see, so seeing the other takes just a few minutes of play after loading the previous save before you have to make the important choice. Capcom confirmed that no new modes unlock after beating Insanity Mode, leaving only the self-satisfaction of completing the game at its toughest level, where just two or three zombie attacks can kill you, and every monster reacts to the slightest sound.

It’s a shame, as the game has so much potential for extra content, like the Mercenaries mode found in previous REs, which is like an arcade game where you try to achieve a high score by killing the most enemies possible. Capcom is rumored to be working on DLC for Requiem, but it won’t be released until later in the year. The good ending teases many possibilities to add to the RE lore via the extra content, which will make the DLC a must-play for diehard fans whenever it comes out.

Resident Evil Requiem is the perfect blend of the two sides of survival horror that Resident Evil established. There’s the genuinely scary survival horror, where you have to manage your items, and then the badass action side, where you can vent your aggression built up from being scared. Requiem nails everything except for providing a bit more content to justify the $70 price tag. Still, it’s one of the best Resident Evil games that both hard-core and casual fans will enjoy.

Resident Evil Requiem will be released on Feb. 27 for $70 on the PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X and S.

Technologies

Dreaming of a Touchscreen MacBook? You’d Better Be a Fan of Apple’s Dynamic Island

Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pros will reportedly include the iPhone’s Dynamic Island feature on their OLED screens.

Apple’s long-awaited first entries into the touchscreen laptop market could be here as early as the fall, according to a new report from Bloomberg. And they could arrive with a feature familiar to iPhone owners: Dynamic Island.

The pill-shaped cutout and alert interface sits at the top of the screen and would presumably offer to people using new touchscreen MacBook Pro models the same kind of conveniences Dynamic Island brings to iPhones — system alerts, app controls, and tracking live activities, among other features — at the top of the screen, using a small amount of real estate.

The Dynamic Island is an evolution of Apple’s much-maligned «notch» from 2017. In 2021, Apple brought the notch over to laptop models around the hardware’s camera.

Dynamic Island aside, the new laptops will not involve a massive redesign, according to Bloomberg’s report. The first touchscreen versions will reportedly be iterations of its 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with OLED screens. They’ll retain the keyboard and large trackpad, but will add a context-sensitive touch menu when someone puts their finger the the screen. Scrolling or pinching to zoom would be part of the touch interface.

Given that it’s Apple, you can expect other enhancements that make the most of to the touchscreen. Bloomberg suggests there may be touch-optimized features for choosing emojis, for instance. But since they’ll also have a physical keyboard, owners likely won’t use the screen to type as they would on an iPhone.

The report also suggests that Apple plans to redesign its Dynamic Island feature to make it smaller on its iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models.

Technologies

TextNow Adds eSIM Option for Immediate Unlimited Phone Data Access

The company’s new eSIM option should allow for a faster sign-up experience.

TextNow has built a business on free calling and texting, as long as you’re fine with using its app over Wi-Fi, viewing ads and letting TextNow determine which data is free and which you’ll need to pay for.

If you want to communicate away from Wi-Fi, you can sign up for a free or paid data plan, but that requires purchasing a physical SIM card and waiting for it to be delivered.

Now, customers can circumvent the wait and the cost (just $4 for the card, but still) with TextNow’s new eSIM option, which is set up from within the TextNow app. eSIM is currently available on iOS and will be coming soon for Android, according to the company.

Once people decide to sign up for cellular data, they want it right away, said TextNow CEO and founder Derek Ting, noting that eSIM reduces the friction of a physical SIM. «They can download a fully functioning phone plan on their phone without spending a nickel,» he said.

Upon activation, the eSIM defaults to the Free Essential Data plan, which offers unlimited talk, texting and data «for apps like email, maps, rideshare and finance,» according to TextNow. Or, customers can sign up for one of the following unlimited data plans that open up wireless data to any app: Day Pass ($3 a month), Week Pass ($9 a month) or Month Pass ($36 a month).

During setup, FaceTime and Messages can be enabled. However, phone calls still need to be made using the TextNow app. Ting also said that support for using a phone as a mobile hotspot is not yet available, but the company is working on it.

While this eSIM option should provide a fast way to activate service on most modern phones, TextNow will still offer a physical SIM option.

TextNow also said its 5G network infrastructure has been improved, but didn’t point to specific improvements. Ting declined to disclose which network provider TextNow relies on, whether that’s T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T or a mix, such as the way US Mobile straddles all three.

«It’s not just eSIM. There’s a lot of stuff we did underneath the hood,» he said, noting that customers will see improvements in coverage and connectivity.

While TextNow’s free service could get customers in the door, ramping up to its $36 monthly pass to use it for all purposes puts it squarely into the same price range as other prepaid carriers like Verizon’s Visible and US Mobile.

Technologies

We Learned How to Share Info About ICE and Police Raids on Apps Like Ring Neighbors

If you’re wondering how to post about ICE on neighborhood apps, here are some tips.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has been in the spotlight due to its repression of immigrants and targeting of protesters, not only in Minnesota but across the country. The FBI has also been investigating related Signal chats, and Facebook is taking down posts about ICE. Earlier this month, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression accused the Department of Homeland Security of forcing tech companies to censor «protected speech» on social media platforms.

I contacted two social platforms — Nextdoor and Ring Neighbors — to see what they allow and what happens when you see ICE activity from your video doorbell or in person. I learned what sort of posts they allow, what gets taken down and how to talk about nearby raids. Here’s what you should know, too.

Are posts getting banned on apps like Ring Neighbors?

I reached out to Ring about its Neighbors app policies regarding recent events and police raids, as well as Reddit reports about posts being taken down. The company provided information about its policies and explained why Ring tends to remove certain posts or prevent them from going live on Neighbors.

Posts about a general law enforcement presence can get nixed. So if someone said ICE was spotted in «Bell Gardens,» their post would be denied because that’s too vague. Or if a post asked, «Hey, is there any ICE activity in town?» it wouldn’t be allowed. Other posts get banned if they:

Explicitly obstruct law enforcement
Voice political opinions
Assume immigration status or other types of prejudice
Don’t pertain to local events

Read more: Is it Legal for Police to Seize Your Home Security Videos?

What’s a safe way to post about police activity?

Posts that cite an exact location or images showing agents directly connected to an event tend not to be taken down. If someone said, «I saw ICE knocking on doors at the IHOP on Florence and Pico,» that would be allowed under Ring’s guidelines. Other allowed posts provide information on the exact cross streets, addresses, complexes, blocks and so on.

Bans aren’t always immediate. Sometimes posts that violate guidelines are taken down after the fact, either through post-published moderation, flagging or user deletion. Customers can usually appeal moderation decisions to ensure consistency.

When I turned to Nextdoor, another popular neighborhood app used for discussing events, a company spokesperson said something similar: «Our platform fosters discussions of local issues and, as such, our Community Guidelines prohibit broad commentary or personal opinions on national political topics.»

As long as it’s a local issue and users follow the basic community guidelines (be respectful, don’t discriminate and use your true identity), then posts should be fine.

What are the guidelines for posting on Ring Neighbors?

When I visit my own Neighbors app, I see — contrary to some reports — that users frequently post about hearing sirens or police activity in their own neighborhoods, ask about masked strangers or raise questions about law enforcement.

You can still post about security concerns on Ring Neighbors and other apps, even and especially when they involve police activity. You can also post about people you don’t recognize and strangers knocking, which opens the door (not literally) to talking about masked federal ICE agents who aren’t wearing any identifiers.

In other words, it looks like what Ring said mostly tracks. Explicit information citing current, local events, preferably with address data, is allowed.

«Focus on the behavior that raised your suspicion,» Nextdoor recommends. «Describe the potentially criminal or dangerous activity you observed or experienced — what the person was doing, what they said (if they spoke to you). Include the direction they were last headed.» If you post with an eye toward your neighborhood’s safety, your post is less likely to be removed.

Finally, avoid posts that include gruesome content or violate someone’s privacy, as these are also red flags likely to lead to a block.

Is Ring currently sharing information with ICE?

You may also be concerned that Ring is sharing your security videos with ICE or the surveillance company Flock Safety. In early 2026, Ring canceled its pending contract with Flock and has not announced any direct arrangements with law enforcement services.

Ring’s published guidelines say the company doesn’t share information with the police or federal agencies without a binding request, such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order. However, since Ring’s plans have changed abruptly over the past several months, they could shift again in the future. CNET will continue to report on further developments.

Can users coordinate on apps like Ring Neighbors?

This is a gray area, and it’s hard to know whether discussions will be removed. In my experience on the Neighbors app, many discussions about sirens and unexplained police presence were left up, allowing people to share their own perspectives and what they heard on police scanners.

It’s possible that the more these posts mention ICE or federal enforcement, the more likely they’ll be removed, and if conversations move into discussions about national issues or general legal advice, they may be taken down. But many people have reported successfully using apps like Neighbors to discuss nearby law enforcement raids, so I don’t see any evidence of a blanket ban.

Groups using the Neighbors app to communicate important information or provide help should also be aware of the Neighbors Verified tag, which is available to public safety agencies and community organizations. This tag makes it easier for Neighbors users to trust information and announcements from specific accounts. Verified accounts don’t have access to any additional user information.

Can agents cover up my security cam or doorbell?

In the past, published footage and news reports have shown federal agents covering up a video doorbell during an ICE raid. While it’s not common, civil rights attorneys have said actions like these are illegal. This issue connects to a larger fight over filming ICE in general, something the Department of Homeland Security has said is illegal, and US courts have said is protected under the First Amendment.

Devices on your own property should be fine if ICE follows the current law — you can find more details here — but it’s always a good idea to immediately save any pertinent video footage, preferably in more than one device.

What are my rights if I’m worried about ICE raids?

Whether you’re concerned about federal immigration raids, curious about what law enforcement is doing or just want clarification about your rights, it’s a good idea to consult the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigrant Justice Center. Here is some advice they give.

Don’t escalate: In cases where federal agents or people appearing to be agents have knocked on doors, people have done nothing and simply waited for agents to leave. Remember, without a warrant, they usually can’t enter a house, and if you have a video doorbell, it can still record everything that happens. Avoid confrontation when possible, and don’t give law enforcement anything to act on. Remember, everyone still has the right to remain silent.
If you feel your safety is endangered, call 911 or seek help from a nonprofit: Calling 911 is very helpful if you feel unsafe because of nearby events. You can explain the situation and have a record of the call. 911 is an emergency response service and isn’t in the business of reporting to federal agents. There are also local immigrant rights agencies you can contact to report ICE, and groups like the ACLU can usually point you in the right direction.

For more information, take a look at the latest news on what Ring is letting the police see (it’s good news for privacy fans), the legal ramifications of recording video or audio in your home, and what you and landlords can legally do with security cameras.