Movies of War

Angela Sant'Albano took on a formidable task when she accepted the role of Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem. Grace wasn't just a new character in a long-running franchise where new characters are rare (and often don't survive their debut game). She was sharing Requiem with Leon Kennedy, the series' de facto poster (or pin-up) boy. The fact wasn't lost on Sant'Albano. "I was really nervous before the game came out because Grace is so new," she tells Polygon over a Zoom call. "I thought people might hate her or not want to play a character like that. Maybe they want to escape a bit more and be the strong, badass hero. I've never seen a hero character like Grace before. Capcom is choosing to create this woman as their lead, and I took that job very seriously and wanted to do her justice." Resident Evil Requiem screenshotImage: Capcom So Sant'Albano approached Grace by filling out the details of her life and personality, like Grace's stutter, and even information that would have little bearing on the actual script, including the fact that Grace doesn't wear perfume. She worked out ways to make Grace's gameplay feel different from Leon's on more than just a mechanical level. Walking down a corridor with untold horrors at the end isn't something Grace would just take in her stride, and Sant'Albano wanted players to feel and hear the anxiety, even if they couldn't see it. She'd run around the studio floor before recording to make herself breathless so Grace's shaky breaths feel believable. Though camera angles during the cinematics don't always let you see it, Sant'Albano also made Grace's posture an influential part of her characterization. "When we were on stage, I was clutching my hands and not quite hunched, but clenched," Sant'Albano says. "Grace never really stood up straight. She always pulled herself in, and her face was always angled in a very specific way, because she would look up at people. These tendencies are still there at the end of the game, but there's more of a strength to her." "I also wanted to create a contrast in the way that you see Grace in the present moment and at the end of the game, and then when you see her in the flashback with her mom. She's still an introvert, and she's still on her computer. But she doesn't stutter, and there's much more of an ease to her, even in the way that she reaches out to touch her mom. After the flashback, Grace is very uncomfortable with physical touch, and I wanted you to see that she hasn't always been that way." Image: Capcom via Polygon The original version of Grace fired off more quips and one-liners like Leon, but Sant'Albano persuaded Capcom that wasn’t true to the character. “She's in fight or flight mode all the time, not in a state of being able to joke. She's not that person yet. Leon is, though. I didn't want to take those moments, because I think that is what makes Leon so funny, when he kills a guy, and he's like, 'Well, you're not getting back up again.' Grace is terrified he will get back up again and is running in the opposite direction in case he does." The work toward making Grace feel real paid off. People who've played the game have told Sant’Albano the thing they love most about Grace felt like playing as themselves. Her fears and foibles made her relatable in a way other protagonists often aren’t. And that's the result Sant'Albano was hoping for. "I want people who haven't seen themselves as a hero look to Grace and finally be able to think 'Wow, that's me.' We all have a monster in our life in one way or another, even if it's not a zombie chasing us down a hallway. I hope people seeing themselves in Grace's fear realize they can be scared, they can be working through trauma, but still be the hero in their story and others too.'" Q&A Gaming Nintendo Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Most Popular Amy Madigan’s Oscar win revives a villain tradition the Joker made famous Firefly returns as an animated series with controversial creator Joss Whedon's blessing Jackbox Games gets into publishing with a truly absurd game: 'We applaud the baby-slapping' Xbox is bringing main character energy 10 years later, Curse of Strahd is still reshaping modern D&D The future of JRPGs lies beyond turn-based combat See More Trending Now All lockpick locations in Resident Evil Requiem 'The Final Puzzle' Resident Evil Requiem challenge walkthrough Resident Evil Requiem walkthrough part 6: The Basement