TL;DR

RE9 has 4 difficulty options — Casual, Standard (Modern), Standard (Classic), and Insanity.
Casual — Easy mode. Auto-aim assist, weaker enemies, no Ink Ribbons, frequent autosaves.
Standard (Modern) — Balanced experience. Free saves at typewriters, autosaves, recommended for most first-time players.
Standard (Classic) — Same enemy difficulty as Modern but Grace must use Ink Ribbons to save. Less autosaves. Suits veteran RE fans.
Insanity — Post-game only. Harder enemies, fewer resources, different item locations, Ink Ribbon saves, exclusive rewards including 40,000 CP.
You can drop from Standard (Modern) to Casual at the Game Over screen — but you cannot go back up.
Completing Insanity gives the most CP of any difficulty — ideal for farming unlocks like Infinite Ammo.

Resident Evil Requiem does not use a simple Easy, Medium, Hard label for its difficulty options. It has four distinct modes — each with different rules around saving, enemy strength, and item placement. Picking the wrong one for your experience level can make the game either frustrating or too easy to enjoy.

This guide breaks down every difficulty option in RE9, what changes between them, which one is right for you, and what you unlock by completing the harder modes.

Table of Contents

How Many Difficulty Options Are in RE9?

Resident Evil Requiem has four difficulty settings that you can choose from. Three are available from the start — Casual, Standard (Modern), and Standard (Classic). The fourth, Insanity, unlocks after you beat the game once on any difficulty.

The most important thing to understand before picking is the save system. It works differently across each mode, and that difference changes the feel of the entire game — especially during Grace’s sections.

Casual Difficulty

Resident Evil Requiem’s Casual mode describes itself as a way to relax while enjoying the story and puzzles. It trivializes encounter difficulty, making standard enemies and bosses alike go down much more quickly.

Casual mode gives players a powerful auto-aim tool to help with shooting and drastically reduces the challenge that enemies will pose. That means reduced health for almost all enemies, and they inflict less damage on you. Puzzles and item locations remain the same as the two Standard modes. You will not have to worry about Ink Ribbons, and autosaves are frequent.

Who Should Play on Casual?

If you are new to Resident Evil or survival horror games in general, Casual mode is the right pick. The game is a lot more generous with ammo and healing items, and the stronger aim assist makes combat easier to handle.

Casual is also the best choice if you want to unlock Insanity as fast as possible. The shorter, easier run means you can complete the game and access the post-game difficulty sooner. It is also the recommended difficulty for CP farming runs since you can speed through the game and stack challenge completions quickly.

Can You Switch Off Casual?

No. Once you select Casual, you stay on Casual for that playthrough. You cannot upgrade to Standard (Modern) mid-run.

Standard (Modern) Difficulty

Standard (Modern) difficulty is what players fresh from the likes of Resident Evil 4 Remake will be expecting. In this difficulty, enemies pose a reasonable threat, but both Grace and Leon are capable of taking down pretty much every foe they encounter. Ink Ribbons will not be a concern, and autosaves are still plentiful.

You can save on Typewriters without limit in Standard Modern, and you can also change the difficulty to Casual when you get stuck on a difficult enemy. That flexibility makes it the most forgiving of the Standard options.

Who Should Play on Standard (Modern)?

This is the recommended starting point for most players. If you have experience with modern survival horror titles and want balanced tension without punishing save mechanics, Standard (Modern) is the best starting point. It gives you the full experience without the extra pressure of managing Ink Ribbons.

Can You Switch Off Standard (Modern)?

If you start on Standard (Modern) and find it too difficult, you can lower the difficulty to Casual after dying and reaching the Game Over screen. However, once you drop from Standard (Modern) to Casual, you cannot switch back on the same save file. Anyone who wants to return to Standard (Modern) will need to start a new game.

Standard (Classic) Difficulty

Standard (Classic) will be most familiar to those who played the Resident Evil games on the original PlayStation or on certain higher difficulty settings in recent games. While Leon’s campaign sticks to a standard save system, Grace’s segments require Ink Ribbons to save when playing on Classic. These items can be picked up throughout the world or crafted from partial items, turning save management into part of the resource management experience.

Standard (Classic) keeps enemy damage roughly the same as Modern, but dramatically increases tension through its save system. Autosaves happen less frequently, and during Grace’s segments, you will have to use Ink Ribbons to save manually. Since these ribbons are limited, every save counts. In case you die without saving, you can lose all your progress.

Who Should Play on Standard (Classic)?

For those who crave the authentic classic survival horror pressure where every save matters, Standard (Classic) is the one. If you have played older Resident Evil games and want that same resource tension back, Classic delivers it. The enemy encounters are no harder than Modern — the pressure comes entirely from the save system.

Can You Switch Off Standard (Classic)?

No. Casual, Standard (Classic), and Insanity cannot be adjusted once selected. Choose carefully before starting your run.

Insanity Difficulty

Insanity is the hardest mode in RE9 and it is not available on a first playthrough. Insanity unlocks after you have completed Resident Evil Requiem once, on any difficulty.

In Insanity difficulty, many enemies can take more than half of Leon’s health in a single attack, enemy spawns have been increased, their health has been increased, and some items have changed location, while a few new items have been added for variety. Insanity mode is certainly made expecting players will be using a few of the Special Content shop bonuses.

What Changes on Insanity?

Insanity is not just harder enemies. There are structural changes throughout the entire game that affect how you play:

Enemies are faster, tougher, and more aggressive. In addition to appearing in greater numbers and having more durability, enemies move much faster and more aggressively. Players will have less time to decide whether to fight or flee. More shots are required to stagger them, which significantly increases the difficulty of combat.
Blister Heads appear far more often and earlier. Be prepared to face more Blister Heads, which appear much more frequently and as early as Leon’s introductory sequence. Normal zombies can mutate into Blister Heads on the spot after being killed, which makes them much more dangerous.
Item and enemy placement changes. All safes can be found in the same location as in Standard difficulty, though the safe codes are different in Insanity mode. The East Wing Waiting Room safe remains open, but unlike Casual and Standard mode, it is empty.
Safe codes are different. If you memorized codes from your first run, they will not work on Insanity. Check updated codes before attempting any safe.
Antique Coin locations change. The Antique Coin locations are also different in Insanity mode. You still need 19 Antique Coins in total, but several must be retrieved from enemies this time around.
Ink Ribbons are required to save. The save limitation, previously exclusive to the Standard Classic difficulty run, has now been extended to Insanity difficulty. Both Grace and Leon use Ink Ribbons to save manually.
Bosses are significantly more dangerous. The Girl is more aggressive on her patrols through the Rhodes Hill basement and soaks up a significant amount of damage before you can stagger her. The Hunk boss fight is another major challenge in Insanity mode due to his shortened parry window.
Some weapons do not spawn. The MSBG 500 is absent during the section where Leon faces Chunk, as it only spawns during the first playthrough. Similarly, the Classic 70 does not spawn during subsequent playthroughs, requiring Leon to purchase a rifle before that section begins.
The Blood Specimen (Polymerized) replaces the Converged specimen. This Insanity-exclusive specimen unlocks the R.I.P. Knife crafting recipe. For details see our all Blood Specimen locations guide.

What Do You Get for Completing Insanity?

Completing the game on Insanity difficulty will complete the Remarkable Agent challenge and reward you with 40,000 CP, which can be used in the Special Content Shop. That is the largest single CP reward in the game — enough to cover most of the major post-game unlocks in one run.

For context on what you can buy with that CP, see our guide on how to unlock Infinite Ammo in RE9.

Tips for Surviving Insanity

Play on New Game Plus. It is better to play through Insanity on a New Game Plus save as you will be able to use your previous loadout. Unlocks like the Kotetsu knife, weapon upgrades, and charms make a massive difference.
Get Leon’s Supply Crate immediately. You have full access to Leon’s supply crate right from the start on Insanity, and the amount of credits he earns for defeating enemies is doubled via the Tactical Tracker. Use this to buy a shotgun before the Chunk fight.
Stock Molotov Cocktails and Requiem Bullets for The Girl boss. It will take approximately three Requiem headshots or two Molotov Cocktails to stun her. Dealing with her will mostly be the same, but you will have to react much faster.
Bring the Mortal Edge for the Hunk fight. Collect the Mortal Edge melee weapon from the supply box to make parrying Hunk’s attacks easier. If it is not there, head into the Special Content shop to unlock it.
Know the charm meta. On Insanity, charms are practically required. Grace’s Eye Spy Charm can save your run. Leon’s Power Shades Charm turns the Requiem Revolver into a room-clearing tool.
Check updated safe codes. Insanity uses different codes for every safe. Do not rely on combinations from your Standard run.

Difficulty Comparison — At a Glance

Casual — Weak enemies, auto-aim, no Ink Ribbons, frequent autosaves, can drop to here from Standard (Modern) Game Over screen
Standard (Modern) — Balanced enemies, free typewriter saves, autosaves, can lower to Casual from Game Over screen
Standard (Classic) — Same enemies as Modern, Grace needs Ink Ribbons to save, fewer autosaves, cannot change once selected
Insanity — Post-game only, toughest enemies, changed item/enemy placement, different safe codes, Ink Ribbon saves, 40,000 CP reward on completion

Which Difficulty Should You Choose?

Here is a simple breakdown based on your experience level:

New to Resident Evil or action games → Casual. There is no shame in it. The story and puzzles are identical. Enjoy the game without the stress.
Played modern RE games like RE4 Remake or RE Village → Standard (Modern). This is the intended default experience and where most players will find the best balance of tension and fun.
Veteran of classic RE titles like RE2 or RE3 original → Standard (Classic). The Ink Ribbon system brings back authentic resource pressure that modern players may not expect.
Finished the game and want the most CP and the hardest challenge → Insanity. Go in with NG+ unlocks, know the map layout well, and use every tool available.

All Difficulty Options in RE9 — Resident Evil Requiem Explained

How Many Difficulty Options Are in RE9?