What Is Resident Evil Village About?
Prepare for more claustrophobic carnage, as Capcom gets ready to unleash Resident Evil Village onto the world. Since 1996, the developer has kept up hiding behind the pillows and having nightmares with the zombie shooter. While a lot has changed since we first stepped inside the Spencer Mansion, the eighth main series entry is going back to the horror roots of the franchise and is hopefully ditching the high-adrenaline action that bogged down entries like RE5 and RE6.
Despite a new story, new enemies, and a whole new realm to explore, that doesn't mean there aren't a few familiar faces stopping by for Village. The usual limited inventory is back in action, but with players having to take on werewolves and vampires, you'll need more than a well-stocked arsenal to make it out of this one alive. As the Duke tries to peddle his wares and Lady Dimistrescu comes for your blood (literally), Village looks like it takes the best bits of fan-favourites like RE4 and RE7 - tying them in a next-gen bow.
Is Resident Evil Village A First-Person Shooter?
While the OG Resident Evil kicked off the franchise as a third-person shooter, 2017's Resident Evil 7 broke with tradition and gave us a more up-close and personal approach. It was a bold move to make, and considering RE4 is credited for popularising the over-the-shoulder viewpoint, Capcom took a gamble when it delivered its first first-person entry. Considering Village is a direct sequel to RE7, it makes sense that we're sticking with first-person.
When Village was first announced in 2020, players were delighted to see it echoed the themes of its predecessor (albeit with a completely different locale). The Maiden demo gave us our first glimpse of the game in action; however, it was only in the recent multi-platform demo that fans have got to try out combat and see just how terrifying Village's first-person perspective will be. Yes, the title might be a first-person shooter, but as Resi fans know, there isn't always a lot of ammo out there. Added to this, there are whole sections of stealth play where there will be no shooting at all. Much like Alien: Isolation or running away from Mr X in Resident Evil 2, you'll have to hide from the talons of Lady D as you scuttle around her castle.
Resident Evil Village: Who Do You Play As?
With Village being a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7, it's no surprise you once again pick up with the story of Ethan Winters as the playable lead. The game is the second chapter in a trilogy that will round off with the inevitable release of Resident Evil 9. Although the crux of the story is still shrouded in mystery, we know Ethan is dragged back into this world of madmen and monsters following the death of his wife. Although Ethan and Mia set off to their happy ending in RE7, Village's seemingly twisted yarn has Ethan set out to this gothic land five years after the events of the Baker Ranch.
If things don't sound grim enough, Ethan is also reunited with franchise staple Chris Redfield. The trailers have teased that Chris is responsible for Mia's death, but given his usual hero status, there's sure to be a twist somewhere down the line. In the game, Ethan looks like he's all alone as he takes on enemies like Lady Dimitrescu and her vampiric brood of daughters. At least one of them is taken out by Ethan, which leads to Lady Dimmitrescu's quest for vengeance and Ethan's head. Looking at the bigger picture, we're pretty sure Umbrella has something to do with it, meaning Chris might not be the only old friend who's back for more.
We're not sure how Ethan ends up in Castle Dimitrescu, but the demo opened with Winters battling a group of rogue werewolves in a village that's been ravaged by these monsters. From there, he heads off to Castle D, however, these are both confirmed as relatively small levels in a much bigger landscape. A full map was leaked and included key locations like Moreau's Reservoir, House Beneviento, and Heisenberg's Factory. Alongside Dimitrescu, these are the four main houses, with it looking like you'll have to defeat all four heads before taking on the mysterious Mother Miranda.
Is Resident Evil Village Open-World?
While Resident Evil Village looks like it will follow a linear story that puts players on the right path, some elements are open-world. Take a wrong turn, and you're probably going to lead Ethan to his certain doom, however, Village is at least partly an open-world experience. Capcom recently updated its store with an open-world tag, suggesting parts of Village will be open-world. This marries up with previous reports that it will be a Metroidvania-style game. For those who don't know, Metroidvania is a merge of the Metroid and Castlevania games, where there's a large world map that has sections closed off until certain points.
Even though we don't know how much of Village will be open-world, but it definitely sounds like you'll be able to explore those snow-capped forests and dank corridors without being locked onto a single objective. It's apparent that Resident Evil Village will be the biggest entry in the long-shuffling franchise. Following the success of RE7 being praised as a return to form, Capcom has taken what worked and really run with it. As we wait to see how Village rounds off the story and sews the seeds for Resident Evil 9, this is one wild ride that has the potential to be the best Resi game in the franchise's 25-year history.
Images via Capcom