Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya has apparently had enough of the series’ scares—and his own team thinks he’s ridiculous.
Kamiya, who worked at Capcom between 1994 and 2006 and directed Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta, was recently filmed playing through the opening chapters of Resident Evil Requiem with staff at his current studio, Clovers. The short clip reveals a hot take that has fans both laughing and shaking their heads.
“I Just Want to Enjoy the Puzzles”
“I’ve been saying forever they should make a ‘non-scary’ mode,” Kamiya reveals in the video. When an employee gently pushes back, suggesting it would defeat the concept of the game, Kamiya doubles down: “Look, I just want to enjoy the puzzles. The puzzles and the combat. I don’t need the scary stuff”.
Anyone familiar with Kamiya’s online persona—he’s become infamous on X (formerly Twitter) for blocking users en masse, to the point where being blocked became an inside joke—will recognize the deadpan humor. But taken at face value, his comments miss the point entirely.
Why a ‘Non-Scary’ Mode Wouldn’t Work
Resident Evil Requiem is a masterclass in tension, and its scares are integral to its identity. To strip them out would be to eviscerate the game.
The first half of Requiem, featuring newcomer Grace Ashcroft, is where the survival horror truly shines. The oppressive atmosphere, the stalker enemy, the limited resources—these elements are inseparable from the experience. Removing them would leave a hollow shell, a game that has lost its soul.
You’d be left with Leon S. Kennedy’s action-heavy sections, which, while excellent, are designed as a counterbalance to Grace’s horror. At that point, you may as well go play Resident Evil 4.
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A Legend Joking About a Legend
The video continues with Kamiya poking fun at Leon’s age in the sequel. “Leon’s no spring chicken anymore, is he?” he says, prompting laughter from the room. “Guess that goes for both of us. People who live in glass houses…”
It’s a charming moment, and it’s genuinely heartwarming to see Kamiya still engaging with the series he helped shape 30 years ago. But his “non-scary mode” request remains a joke—and a bad idea.
Capcom isn’t going to honor it any time soon. And given the critical acclaim Requiem has received, they shouldn’t.