RE9 Requiem — Beginner's Guide

Everything you need to know before starting Resident Evil Requiem — combat fundamentals, what to upgrade first, missables to avoid, and how to reach the True Ending on your first playthrough.

Quick Facts

12–15 hrs

First Playthrough

14 total

Missable Items

3 endings

Endings

All 25 🦝

True Ending Req.

⚠️ Do These Before Anything Else

Collect Mr. Raccoon #1 — Prologue — behind the blue sedan in the parking lot. BEFORE entering the hotel front door.

Collect Mr. Raccoon #3 — Prologue — Hotel Manager's Office shelf. BEFORE opening the safe.

Collect Mr. Raccoon #21 + BSAA Code — Chapter 5 — Orphanage Chapel altar. BEFORE ringing the Chapel Bell.

🗺️ Exploration

💡

Always explore every room fully before moving to the next area — locked doors often open from the other side after progressing.

💡

Blue Request notes (posted on Merchant boards) are time-sensitive — read them immediately and complete them before advancing.

💡

Breakable crates and barrels respawn between chapters — always smash everything near the Merchant before buying ammo.

💡

The shared item box is free — use it constantly to pass excess ammo between Leon and Grace to avoid waste.

⚔️ Combat

💡

Aim for the head — headshots deal 1.5–2× damage and create stagger windows for melee finishers.

💡

The Hatchet parry (hold L1/LB when enemy swings) is the most ammo-efficient tool in the game — master it early in the Prologue.

💡

Shoot enemy legs to knock them down, then approach for a free melee kick — this saves 4–5 shots per enemy.

💡

Never waste Magnum Ammo on standard enemies — save all Requiem Revolver rounds for bosses.

💡

Blister Borne (cyst enemies): always use MSBG 500 or Incendiary Rounds — never melee at close range.

🎒 Resource Management

💡

Sell ALL valuables immediately at the Merchant — Gold Bars, Spinels, boss drops. They have no use other than Credits.

💡

Craft Green Herb + Gunpowder to produce Med Injectors — never leave Gunpowder sitting in your inventory unused.

💡

Antique Coins are for Exclusive Upgrades and Infinite Ammo — do not spend them on regular shop items.

💡

Keep at least 1 Flash Grenade in inventory at all times — they are essential for The Girl (Grace) and The Commander Phase 2 (Leon).

💡

The blood collector (Grace) fills automatically from combat — use Hemolytic Injectors liberally, they regenerate quickly.

📖 Story & Endings

💡

True Ending requires: all 25 Mr. Raccoon statues + Synchro Score ≥ 75% + choose DESTROY ELPIS in Chapter 7.

💡

Check the Pause Menu → Synchro Score regularly — if it drops below 75% you still have time to recover by sharing items.

💡

The Merchant's Bonus Content shop unlocks fully after first completion — buy Infinite Ammo for Requiem Revolver (12 Antique Coins) before your second run.

💡

Chapter Select unlocks after completion — you can replay any chapter to mop up missables except those locked by in-chapter events.

🩸 Grace-Specific Tips

💡

Walk (never run) when The Girl is nearby — running triggers Alert Mode and she becomes significantly faster.

💡

Activate every light switch you find — all 14 Care Center lights are needed for the Let There Be Light trophy.

💡

Hemolytic Injector Tier 3 (Alloy Plate + Blood ×4) heals 100% HP and grants brief Elpis immunity — craft it before every boss.

💡

Freya's Needle in burst mode (3-round burst) kills standard infected in 2 bursts to the head — ammo efficient at close range.

📈 Recommended Upgrade Order

1 Leon Alligator Snapper

Power Lv.2 → Magazine Capacity Lv.2 → Reload Speed Lv.1

Your primary weapon for Chapters 1–3. Power Lv.2 makes headshots one-shot staggers.

2 Grace Freya's Needle

Burst Fire Rate Lv.2 → Magazine Capacity Lv.2 → Stability Lv.1

Faster burst = more DPS during The Girl stalker phases.

3 Leon MSBG 500

Power Lv.2 → Choke Lv.1

Required for Chunk Attic (Ch.2) and Titan Spinner (Ch.3) cyst phase.

4 Leon Requiem Revolver

Piercing Enhancement (Exclusive)

The Piercing Enhancement is essential for Chapter 7 Phase 2 orbital core destruction if RPG is unavailable.

5 Both Hatchet

Mortal Edge (Exclusive — 3 Antique Coins)

Unlocks after 20 successful parries. Doubles parry-counter damage across the entire late game.

🏁 True Ending Checklist

☐ Destroy all 25 Mr. Raccoon statues (5 are missable — see Missables Guide)

☐ Maintain Synchro Score ≥ 75% (check Pause Menu regularly)

☐ Choose DESTROY ELPIS at the ARK Central Chamber terminal in Chapter 7

All three conditions must be met simultaneously in a single playthrough. True Ending adds a 3:40 post-credits scene and unlocks the Witness to Hope (Gold) trophy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What difficulty should I start RE9 Requiem on? ▼

Standard difficulty is recommended for first-time players. It provides a balanced survival horror experience without being overwhelming. Casual mode is available if you want to focus on the story. Insanity difficulty unlocks only after completing the game once.

Should I play as Leon or Grace first? ▼

The game alternates between Leon and Grace automatically — you do not choose. The Prologue and Chapter 1 start as Leon (Wrenwood Hotel). Chapter 1 then switches to Grace (Care Center). The story is designed to be experienced in this alternating order.

Can I miss items permanently in RE9 Requiem? ▼

Yes. There are 14 missable items including 5 Mr. Raccoon statues, 3 files, and 3 Blue Requests. The most important: collect Mr. Raccoon #1 before entering the hotel front door, and do NOT ring the Orphanage Chapel Bell before collecting Mr. Raccoon #21 from the altar.

What should I upgrade first? ▼

Upgrade the Alligator Snapper (Leon's starting pistol) to Power Lv.2 and Magazine Capacity Lv.2 first — this carries you through the first three chapters efficiently. For Grace, upgrade Freya's Needle Burst Fire Rate first.

How does the Synchro Score work? ▼

The Synchro Score tracks cooperative resource sharing between Leon and Grace. Transfer items via the shared item box, complete both characters' optional objectives, and pick up key items for both protagonists. Keep Synchro Score at 75%+ for the True Ending.

Related Guides

⚠️

Missables Checklist

All 14 missables with exact locations

💀

Insanity Mode Tips

Survive Insanity difficulty

📖

Full Walkthrough

All 7 chapters step-by-step

🦝

All Mr. Raccoon

25 statue locations with maps