'Resident Evil Requiem' Debuts as the Best Game of 2026, According to Metacritic

Resident Evil Requiem is out in just two days, and review scores are in. Unsurprising to most during what some fans call the "CapGod" era, Capcom has yet another winner and notch to add to its now almost-overcrowded belt.

According to Metacritic, Resident Evil Requiem is sitting at a metascore of 88, as of this writing, making it the best-reviewed game of 2026 so far, when compared with the rest of Metacritic's Best Games of 2026 list.

Critics are praising the game's mix of horror and action, scope, fan service, graphics, and level of gore. Some critics are noting pacing issues, while others argue the game is perfectly paced. That point of contention is due to the character swapping and tone shifts between the two lead characters.

In Men's Journal's review of RE Requiem, I said the game was, in many ways, "Capcom's greatest hits" for the entire RE franchise, but noted the weak narrative and boss fights as areas of criticism. I also praised newcomer Grace Ashcroft as "the best new character since the original four" and also praised the portrayal of fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy.

The second-place game on Metacritic's list is Mewgenics, which was also released earlier this month. Ironically, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Resident Evil 7 also cracks the top three, despite the game originally releasing in 2017.

Additionally, with a score of 88, Requiem is the best-reviewed mainline Resident Evil game since Resident Evil 4 in 2005 —over 20 years ago--scoring higher than both Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village. Its metascore is lower, though, than the remakes of Resident Evil 2 from 2019 and Resident Evil 4 from 2023, which are two of the best-reviewed games of the entire series.

Resident Evil Requiem releases on Friday, February 27, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.