Metacritic has removed a Resident Evil Requiem review after readers flagged it for having clear signs of generative AI, and the site is now drawing a hard line against outlets that publish AI-written criticism. The incident comes as anticipation for Capcom’s next survival horror entry continues to surge, making Resident Evil Requiem a prime target for click-chasing coverage.
Fans first noticed something was off when a glowing 9/10 review appeared on Metacritic from a gaming outlet that many long-time readers once considered credible. The writing quickly raised eyebrows: strange phrasing, awkward word choices, and vague commentary that didn’t sound like it came from someone who actually played through the game’s tense encounters. Instead of specific, human observations about gameplay, pacing, scares, or design, the text read like a generic summary stitched together without real experience behind it.
As people dug deeper, the byline itself became part of the controversy. The “author” tied to the review appeared to be fabricated, with details that didn’t add up and a profile image file name that referenced ChatGPT. Even the biography undermined the idea that a real reviewer was behind the piece, highlighting more experience in gambling topics than games—an unusual fit for a major survival horror review.
The situation also points to a broader trend affecting games media. The outlet involved is owned by a media company known for leaning into gambling-focused content. After staffing cuts, the site reportedly shifted toward publishing a greater number of machine-generated articles, and the Resident Evil Requiem review wasn’t the only game critique suspected of being produced by AI.
Metacritic moved quickly, likely to protect its reputation as a review aggregator that depends on trust. After the complaints, the review submission was pulled. The platform also reinforced its policy to critics and publications: AI writing is not allowed, and sites that attempt to submit AI-generated reviews risk being permanently banned.
The bigger question is whether review platforms and aggregators can keep pace as AI tools get better at mimicking human voice and structure. Right now, AI-written opinion pieces often give themselves away through bland generalities, unnatural phrasing, and a lack of lived-in detail. But as the technology improves, platforms may face even more elaborate attempts to pass off machine writing as authentic criticism.
In this case, the removed 9/10 score didn’t significantly change the game’s overall reception. Resident Evil Requiem is still sitting at an 88 average score, making it the highest-rated entry in Capcom’s survival horror series since Resident Evil 4—an impressive benchmark that helps explain why opportunistic, low-effort content creators would try to ride the hype in the first place.
