The Top 10 Games Of 2021: Resident Evil Village
It's no easy feat - breathing life into the rotten corpse of a franchise that's already 25 years old. While The Pokemon Company has continued to reinvent and adapt with each year, it's been a little harder for Capcom's Resident Evil Village.
We've come a long way from the crumbling confines of the Spencer Mansion, and some eight (main) entries later, players have done everything from battle tiny Spanish overlords to punching a boulder. You couldn't make this stuff up, and yet, Capcom has.
Creaking open the doors to Castle Dimitrescu and beyond, Resident Evil Village followed in the foul footsteps of 2017's Resident Evil 7 - which was a much-needed return to form. Ethan Winters was back, but this time, it was a very different beast. Namely, he lost his hand... a lot!
Breaking The 'Mould'
Click to enlargeIf RE7 was A New Hope, Village was Empire Strikes Back. Proving that bigger is better, we swapped the decaying walls of the Baker Ranch for Castle Dimitrescu, House Beneviento, Moreau Reservoir, and Heisenberg's Factory. Survival horrors have come a long way from the early days of the OG Resident Evil, but yet again, Village continues that tried and tested Resi formula of reinventing itself.
Despite its gothic setting, Village sits neatly at the end of the current timeline and is a true sequel to everything that's come before. Instead of focussing the action on one big boss, Village gave us four antagonistic assholes that were ruled over by Mother Miranda.
It's safe to say that hopes for the series were pretty low by the time Resident Evil 6 came out in 2012. Thankfully, RE7 broke the mould, while Village was a proper continuation instead of moving on at breakneck speed. Even if Capcom dialled back the horror this time, there were still moments of pulse-pounding horror.
Opening The Umbrella
Click to enlargeSadly, one of Village's biggest selling points was also its downfall. Let's be honest, Chris Redfield and Ethan Winters were pushed into the background by the introduction of Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. Capcom presumably didn't realise how much of a hit the large and in charge vampire would be, meaning she's vastly underused in Village.
Much more than just a filler arc, Resident Evil Village stood out on its own and still catapulted the story forward for the confirmed Resident Evil 9. With rumours that Jill Valentine could be on her way back and the idea Ethan's story isn't quite over yet, there are also questions about where the likes of Ada Wong and Albert Wesker are.
Resident Evil 9 has some big shoes to fill, but in a year that's once again been dominated by the likes of Halo and Call of Duty, it proved there's still a place for horror titles among the rest of the AAA releases. There was a lot of pressure on something with the legacy of the Resident Evil name to perform. Surprising us all, it became the fastest-selling title in the franchise - proving we weren't the only ones that loved it.
With two games of the latest chapter under its belt, Capcom has a mountain to climb to ensure Resident Evil 9 bows out in style. If Ethan Winters can return, we can only hope the writers find a way to bring back Lady D.