After my second playthrough of *Resident Evil 9* flooded the screen, Old Man Yang moved me to tears.

What truly moved me was not how much scarier Resident Evil 9: Requiem is, but Old Mr. Yang’s simple yet burning words: this time, he wanted to “truly clear it on my own.”

For a veteran player who has already beaten the game, starting a second playthrough is normally a very common thing in the community. But when it comes to Bilibili creator @骨灰级游戏玩家_杨老头, it suddenly carries a very different weight. During his first clear, he had help from his family; by the second run, he decided to do it himself. And he still insists on taking handwritten notes for his strategy guide, which feels a lot like watching an old friend carefully flip through a photo album, slowly taking back into his hands something he once loved deeply.

As for the characters, the Resident Evil series has always been good at creating the feeling of survival under extreme circumstances, but what left a deeper impression on me this time was actually the “real-life side story” offered by the player community. After the news came out, the comments section almost turned into a massive tribute scene. It wasn’t just young people leaving messages—many middle-aged and older players showed up too: one 44-year-old said he was “still young,” while another 40-year-old rushed to claim the title of “the oldest in the circle.” This kind of playful teasing felt especially real—not like a performance, but more like the knowing smile that appears when several generations at the dinner table suddenly realize they share the same hobby.

What made my nose sting even more was that some users talked about how their 86-year-old father, on the night before he passed away, still stayed up playing games with them until 1 a.m. Seeing that, I can say very directly: it really hit me. At that moment, games were no longer simply about “beating the game” or “fighting monsters.” They became more like a stretch of shared time together, quietly accompanying people through a long life.

But what kept this from feeling forced to me was that the whole thing was not packaged as cheap sentimentality. Old Mr. Yang has been praised by Resident Evil fans at home and abroad, and the core reason is not how unusual it is that “someone of advanced age is still playing games,” but how sincere his dedication to gaming has always been. Handwritten notes, serious review and reflection, challenging the second playthrough on his own—these details are more convincing than any exaggerated label.

From a broader trend perspective, this also reminded many people that the gaming community has long ceased to belong only to the young. Some people said that we “old folks” are still playing because games are no longer just toys for young people. I strongly agree with that. It feels like it is speaking for many silent players—age may change, but passion does not quietly bow out on its own.

If you’re planning to get into Resident Evil 9: Requiem soon, I would actually suggest not rushing too hard to chase some so-called “maximum-efficiency strategy guide.” First, play through one round at your own pace. Even if you’re clumsy or slow, that’s fine. Because what truly stays with you is often not the most perfect route to clearing the game, but the moment, on some late night, when you are gently struck by a person, a sentence, or a single act of persistence.