The hype surrounding Resident Evil Requiem is at an all-time high, and Capcom is working hard to keep fans excited for its release in February 2026 by drip-feeding gameplay and story content. With Gamescom 2025 still underway, gaming outlets have shared previews of what to expect from Requiem’s gameplay, including the new “Stalker” monster that makes Alien: Isolation look tame.
The press embargo for Resident Evil Requiem has been lifted, and gameplay previews are now out in the wild. Players have had a chance to experience the third-person and first-person camera angles, which can be switched seamlessly on the fly. In one preview, players were seen running from the “Giant Mama” monster, a creature that has been the talk of the community since the game’s first reveal.
Requiem’s New Stalker is TERRIFYING
From a lore perspective, the Giant Momma is connected to Grace Ashcroft, the game’s first protagonist, with a second protagonist to be introduced later. This monster stalks Grace throughout the earliest levels, where she has no access to firepower yet. Despite this, players can still find handgun ammo and healing items such as Green Herbs scattered around the area.
Stalker characters have long been a horror staple, and Resident Evil helped define the archetype with Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 Remake and Nemesis in the Resident Evil 3 Remake. After noticing how much players enjoyed these encounters, Capcom leaned further into the formula in later titles, most notably with Lady Dimitrescu in Village and Jack Baker in Resident Evil 7.
In Requiem, the new Stalker is a fresh take on the archetype. She is as relentless as Nemesis but as methodical as Mr. X, approaching slowly and deliberately. She can even track Grace through walls and will not stop until their eventual boss battle.
How it Makes Alien: Isolation Look Tame
Comparing the ‘Giant Mama’ monster to Alien: Isolation’s Alien seems fair, as both games feature a relentless predator that never truly lets up. However, while the Alien’s AI was groundbreaking at the time, it has since been outsmarted by players through exploits and heavy reliance on the flamethrower.
Requiem’s monster, at least in its opening hours, offers no such comfort. Grace Ashcroft has little hope of survival, which sets the stage for the intense survival horror experience Capcom is building for its ninth mainline entry.
To make things worse, the Care Center level is a claustrophobic nightmare with almost no safe hiding spots and very few resources to gather.
Light Plays an Important Role in Requiem
The Giant Mama does, however, have one weakness: light. Having thrived in the dark for so long, her skin begins to melt when exposed to bright light, forcing her to retreat. This makes safe rooms more ‘safer’ but also trickier to identify without any light sources. Smaller flames, such as those from Grace’s lighter, are not nearly enough to frighten her.
Throughout the preview, players were tasked with escaping the stalker while also attempting to restore power and turn on lights inside the Rhode Hill Chronic Care Center. This mechanic of using light as both a tool and a weapon is a new twist on the familiar Stalker formula. Of course, this will eventually evolve once Grace gains access to weapons and can fight back.
It’s still too early to tell how this encounter with this stalker type monster plays out in Requiem’s later levels, but so far, it has been a terrifying new addition and could potentially be a series highlight if done right. And the best part? This is still Requiem’s earlier level. Imagine what awaits further down the line.
Overall, I look forward to experiencing all that it offers as Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, 2026.
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