Resident Evil Village Review | The darkest Resident Evil Yet?

Resident Evil Village is finally here, after a long wait, speculation, and hype, the latest entry in Resident Evil came loaded and ready to change things up.

We’ve seen a lot of promotional material regarding Resident Evil Village from the moment it was announced up until its release. But before we even start to get into the real review, we have to let you know something: nothing is what it seems to be. A great marketing trick pulled by Capcom where they managed to misdirect the audience a lot. But don’t worry, everything you liked is there and more.

But this isn’t the first time in recent years that challenged what the series used to be about. Resident Evil has been reinventing itself for some years now, but what are we talking about here?

Resident Evil Village: The next step forward

 Just by a quick glance, it will take you no time to realize just how different Resident Evil Village looks when compared to the classic games in the series. Put it side by side with one of the most popular titles in the series: Resident Evil 4. The difference will have you even doubt they are from the same series.

It is undeniable that Resident Evil is a saga that’s been reinventing itself and surprising the fans along the way. Even making tons of new fans thanks to how much the series has advanced. Even with the recent remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, we’ve seen games with incredible visuals and graphics. The gameplay and extreme environments will give you some of the best experiences you can have on PC gaming.

But the Resident Evil series has never been known for staying stationary in one place, as it keeps evolving and changing. Some years ago, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard revolutionized survival horror. The new setting, the new protagonist, and even the new use of the camera, everything new for the series, and they nailed it.

Resident Evil 7 was so scary that the Japanese market considered it too scary, costing it some sales. However, this new game and new style in the series was a complete hit both with the lifelong fans of the series as well as with newcomers. It was without a doubt one of the best triple-A games in the survival horror genre.

Resident Evil Village had the advantage of having the proof of concept already available with the previous game, and it moved even beyond what was already new in Resident Evil 7. In many ways, it’s the natural evolution coming from Resident Evil 7, but it also went for a new path, unexplored by the series and pretty unique. So, what’s up with Resident Evil Village and why is it such a big deal?

Resident Evil Village has an incredible story, with some amazing and unexpected developments. It is very important for the game experience that the player gets to fully experience the twists and events. So to keep the experience as clear as we can, we are going to keep this as spoiler-free as possible. It can be a bit confusing and really tangled up to explain anyway so it’s alright.

Resident Evil Village: setting- A dark place

Starting off, it’s a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7, this is not a usual thing in the series, so right off the bat it is unusual. Three years after the events of RE 7 Biohazard in Dulvey, Louisiana, nightmares are far from over for the Winters.

It all starts with The Village of Shadows, the title of a folk story Mia Winters read to her daughter Rose before getting her into bed. But it is much more than just a tale, it is also the perfect representation of the setting of the game. It takes us to Romania, into a small town near the Demetrescu Castle in the Carpathian Mountains.

This dark and cold environment is just the kind of place that gives birth to all the dark folk tales that cover the town. Vampires, witches, and werewolves, are just some of the creatures that lurk in the shadows here. And even though these creatures aren’t like the zombies and biological weapons created by the evil Umbrella corporation, they are just as scary, if not more.

In Resident Evil Village, the town itself is much more than just one setting like we are used to seeing in the more recent games of the series. Every level of the game takes place around the town, and it all becomes just one big map. The town is pretty much alive, and it does feel like nearly a protagonist in the game.

Resident Evil Village is not what you’d call a sandbox, but there are elements of an open world, free exploration, and unlockable areas. As we advance in the game, the entire town and environment advance with us. Since we get items and tools to unlock areas as we progress, the main town becomes some sort of hub for the entire exploration.

This hub of some sort also introduces one new and interesting element: backtracking. Since now you can go back to previously explored areas, there are new things to find out. Secret areas, new enemies, and townspeople that you’ll get to meet.  The town is under the control of four evil hierarchs: Lady Demetrescu, Moreau, Donna Benaviento, and Heisenberg. And all of them are at the same time under the control of Mother Miranda.

One incredible element of the setting and environment, in Resident Evil Village, is the first-person view, it really helps in getting the player immersed in the experience. Even though Ethan Winters is the main character and has his own development and excellent story, it is also a way to get us, the gamers, inside the village completely.

In Resident Evil Village, the nightmare where Ethan Loses his wife and daughter is only beginning, as now he’s going to go into the dark Village to save his daughter. Facing all the darkness and mysteries it hides.

Resident Evil Village: Bone-chilling experience

 We previously mentioned that Japanese fans of the series complained that the previous game was too scary for them. And they kind of balance this out in Resident Evil Village, adding much more action to the formula. This doesn’t mean it’s like the Chris Redfield campaign of Resident Evil 6 where the action is the main focus, but it is a much more balanced experience.

The dark environment feels a lot like a horror movie, mixed with Vallhensing, dark lore, and folk stories. And it also helps in the feeling that you’re in a horror folk story where there are vampires, witches, werewolves, and many different and crazy monsters around.

The art is simply stunning, with amazing visuals and incredible level design. It is completely out of this world, and it is more than enough to make Tim Burton jealous. But not only that, but it can also deliver some truly horrifying moments, a little reminiscent of the good old Silent Hill games.

Since there’s no backtracking in Resident Evil Village, you can see how some areas of the game change as time passes. This isn’t just an incredible level of attention to detail, but also an amazing touch to make the experience even more immersive.

The music and sound design work incredibly in Resident Evil Village, just what the setting calls for. The thrilling sounds, the horror music, the creepy noises, everything that could make your bones cold is here. And this adapts the more you progress in the game

The bad part about this is that, even though there’s much more exploration than ever before in the series, the places you can explore are a bit more linear. This could, however, come in handy when you’re trying to quickly go back to a place without getting lost or distracted on the way there.

Resident Evil Village: Review: 8.6/10

Resident Evil Village did the best it could to be the connecting point between the classic idea of survival horrors and the modern Resident Evil titles. And even though there are plenty of issues, it is still a great game.

Far from being the best Survival Horror game, it is probably the best-looking one. However, the story falls a bit short at some points, and where the game ends up losing more points is in one of the most important parts: the gameplay.

Non-satisfactory puzzles, bad enemy AI, and a mostly non-challenging experience make it a fairly easy game. It is pretty simple, and it leans more towards the action part than the horror, making it feel out of touch with itself. If you’re into dark fantasy you’ll love this game, but it isn’t for everybody. And with about 10hrs of the story, it is pretty short too.

Overall the game is a beautiful piece of eye candy, but it falls short in other places. Lucy where it’s bad it’s just ok, but where it’s good it’s great. So it is an unforgettable and enjoyable experience.