Resident Evil Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi compares the dual protagonists of Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft in the upcoming ninth entry in the horror series to sushi, where the combination of the rice and fish is more delicious than the “sum of their parts.”
Speaking to Eurogamer, Nakanishi invites players to reconsider their thoughts on Resident Evil games that feature multiple protagonists. One of the least popular games of the series, Resident Evil 6, famously featured four separate protagonists and was criticized for the disjointed feeling this produced.
In a long sushi-based analogy, Nakanishi urges potential Resident Evil Requiem players to consider Grace and Leon’s different sections as part of one tasty package. “If sushi hadn’t been invented yet, a fish lover would just want to eat sashimi, raw fish. A rice lover would just want rice,” Nakanishi says.
While some may want to only play as a completely new protagonist, or our series veteran, he begs us to reconsider. “We’re the ‘inventors of sushi’ here,” Nakanishi continues. “Even if you think you want one style, the ‘flavor’ of this game comes from the combination of the two styles.”
He goes on to compare Grace’s sections to Claire Redfield’s in the series’ popular reimagining. “Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 4 Remake – those games have essentially offered us a template for the two characters,” Nakanishi says. “Our shorthand is that Grace is Resident Evil 2 style, and Leon is Resident Evil 4 style.”
He concludes the sushi analogy saying, “the idea is that, by combining them together, they are more than the sum of their parts.” Sounds thoroughly delectable.
Going hands-on with Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem turned me into a skull-popping pro, and I can’t wait to play more
