The upside of using a separate character for the reset, is that it can be made temporary. When you’re back to the other character, their inventory is still there. Most games that do this with multiple characters work this way.
Done right, the scary sections played as a secondary character should work like intermissions that don’t outstay their welcome. And unlike a main character reset, you can go back and forth multiple times much more naturally.
Alternating between Leon and Ashley sounds good on paper, but generally doesn’t test well.
Alternating between two characters can work, but when you’ve got inventory management, currency, health/gun upgrades; nope.
It’s all well and good to have a ‘reset’ moment, but when you’ve got those aforementioned mechanics, you’d want to limit it to once per game.
Also I think you meant Resident Evil 8.
Resident Evil 7 did have a reset moment when you played as Mia, but that was on the wrecked ship.
The upside of using a separate character for the reset, is that it can be made temporary. When you’re back to the other character, their inventory is still there. Most games that do this with multiple characters work this way.
Done right, the scary sections played as a secondary character should work like intermissions that don’t outstay their welcome. And unlike a main character reset, you can go back and forth multiple times much more naturally.