More than 4 years have passed since Resident Evil 7, the last chapter of the saga that started a real new trend for the series - we talked about it in our dedicated special - and that introduced us to the events of Ethan Winters , the new protagonist of this phase.
In the meantime, two highly anticipated remakes have also arrived such as that of the second and third chapter, which have shown us how it is possible to rejuvenate some great classics and re-propose them with updated formulas without distorting the spirit of the originals too much ( at least as regards Resident Evil 2, since the 3 was not perfectly successful).
But now it's time to move on and the parenthesis given by the two remakes is ready to give way to the natural continuation of the saga . After months of trailers and rumors, Resident Evil Village is finally in the pipeline (available from 7 May on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series, PC and Stadia): it will have managed to maintain and improve the legacy left by the seventh chapter ? We're here to find out ( no spoilers! ).
WHERE WE LEFT
Resident Evil Village is in effect the sequel to Resident Evil 7. There is no mention of Resident Evil 8 as Capcom played with the word Village precisely to hide the reference to the number 8 in Roman numerals, however it never used the numbering to promote and describe the title; we have always and only talked about Village.
On the other hand, it is the village itself that is the most characteristic element of the game, therefore the most deserving of being in the title, but let's go in order. Resident Evil Village takes us back to the role of Ethan Winters 3 years after the accident in Dulvey (Louisiana) that involved the Baker family, Ethan and his wife Mia Winters. The salient facts of the Resident Evil 7 plot are summarized in an optional opening movie (we can choose whether to watch or skip) that we recommend you see regardless, as it allows you to have a clearer view of the story from Ethan's point of view. .
In Village we find the Winters and we discover that they have rebuilt a new life in Eastern Europe, where their daughter Rosemary was recently born. Ethan and Mia seem to have only partially overcome the trauma of Dulvey's events; their life as a couple is constantly interrupted by fights caused by Mia's desire to " try and pretend nothing happened ", in contrast to Ethan's desire to face once and for all the demons of the past to be able to overcome them and to move on.
The ups and downs of a relationship that, despite everything, has found new joy in the arrival of little Rosemary (Rose from now on), but which is not destined to last. The precarious tranquility of the Winters is completely wiped out when a special team - led by Chris Redfield - raids the Winters' home, kills Mia for no apparent reason, and takes Ethan and Rose into custody.
The two are transported away without any explanation and a sudden car accident only makes things worse: little Rose is mysteriously kidnapped, while Ethan finds himself lost in a cold forest surrounded by horrible creatures with the features similar to those of werewolves: the nightmare is not over, it has just begun again.
This is the premise to the main events of the game that brings Ethan back to confront, once again, with the horrors generated by biological weapons. There are several mysteries at stake, such as the motivations behind Rose's kidnapping , what prompted Chris to make such an extreme gesture towards Mia, and what is happening in the village where Ethan will soon find himself at. having to investigate to get to grips with all this.
A LITTLE RESIDENT EVIL 7, A LITTLE KING 4
Capcom has never hidden that the source of inspiration for Resident Evil Village was Resident Evil 4, one of the most popular chapters of the series and the first to kick off the action twist of the saga. On the other hand, we also know that RE4 should be the next title in the saga to receive a remake, which is why we are not surprised to find such a strong contamination between the two games.
Resident Evil Village, in fact, recovers many typical elements of 4 , such as the possibility to upgrade every single weapon (except for the bonus ones and the grenade launcher) and to interact with a merchant , the Duke in this case.
The figure of the Duke, although more talkative than his previous colleague ( and with whom he has some acquaintance ties ), has not lost the aura of mystery that characterizes this role: on the other hand, it is normal to remain bewildered in front of a merchant who he opens a shop in one of the most dangerous places imaginable, and he himself seems to be aware of this anomaly.
However, unlike the merchant of RE 4 who plays a role entirely external to the events of the game, the Duke is well aware of what is happening and more than once will suggest to Ethan the next steps to take in his search for the little Rose . The Duke is therefore in all respects a real active character and not an additional element disconnected from the rest of the game. His services - which you will have to pay in Lei, the local currency - allow access to new weapons, limited stocks of ammunition, projects for the creation of the same, the expansion of Ethan's inventory and modification of weapons.
Later in the game, access to the kitchen will also be unlocked , one of the aspects that raised the most doubts when it was presented in a dedicated trailer. We can tell you that there is nothing to worry about: the foods are nothing more than permanent enhancements to Ethan's characteristics (so they are not consumables), a bit like it happened with the injections present in RE 7. In this case it will be necessary to collect the quantity and type of game required to unlock increases to maximum health or an increase in defense in the parade phase and so on.
One piece of advice we would like to give you is to manage these resources very well and not to sell the meat and fish that you will find yourself gathering : once a hunting spot is exhausted , it will no longer be repopulated, so the resources at your disposal are very limited. Furthermore, some ingredients are offered in single units and if you are not careful you can lose them along the way, thus precluding you the possibility of enhancing Ethan's characteristics.
Another aspect taken up by Resident Evil 4 is the management of the inventory, which is represented by a briefcase divided into boxes . The basic mechanics are identical to that of the 4, so each object occupies a different amount of space based on its size and the organization of the inventory becomes essential to be able to optimize the space at your disposal. As you progress through the game, it will be possible to purchase larger suitcases. All consumable items and weapons are placed in this inventory, while key items and treasures (i.e. salable ones) have dedicated areas that will not occupy the slots of your suitcase.
The last elements that connect Village to RE4 are precisely the rural setting and the presence of a local community strongly intertwined with what seems to be the source of the infection . In the case of Resident Evil 4 it was the cult of the Los Illuminados, kept in check by Lord Saddler and the parasite Las Plagas , while in this case the situation is very different.
From the very first minutes of the game - the same ones we saw in the first demo -, we discover that the villagers are normal people and not infected. Their community is however strongly devoted to the mysterious Mother Miranda , whose protection seems to have failed and this has led to the gradual intensification of the assaults by the horrible creatures that live outside the village, until the situation is not completely escaped out of hand.
The village is entirely explorable and aims to connect the various areas in which the main events of the plot will take place. Its weight within the same is actually quite marginal, as it is almost never a real stage and it does not even cover the function of a 100% hub, since this is relegated to an area on the outskirts.
The exploration of the village is however important to be able to recover various treasures, documents and optional weapons. Unfortunately, this is an area that tends to become " very safe " all too soon , as it will not repopulate once all the enemies have been killed. Choice undoubtedly consistent and in line with what usually happens in Resident Evil, but in this case we could have dared more, perhaps resorting to random mini assaults able to always keep the player's attention high.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE GAME
Resident Evil Village has a decidedly more open structure than its predecessors, but this does not mean that it can be dealt with freely . The progression of the objectives is dictated by the management of the keys that will allow you to access the areas outside the village in a very specific order; the route is therefore very linear, but along the way it is possible to come across detours and optional areas.
The quest for Rose remains the main quest most of the time and acts as a hat under which the objectives of the moment fall. Ethan's path will lead him to confront the four great families of the village, Dimitrescu, Beneviento, Moreau and Heisenberg, each identified by a particular unique characteristic linked to its mutation, and all belonging to the mysterious Mother Miranda. We leave you the pleasure of discovering the secrets of each family and we limit ourselves to mentioning the best known, namely the Dimitrescus and their lady Alcina Dimitrescu .
Although the Capcom promotional campaign has placed the emphasis on the gigantic vampire ( all the details on this mutation are fully explained in the game ) and her 3 daughters, the events that will bind Ethan to the Dimitrescu castle are none other than one of the many story arcs of the game. In short, even if you have seen all the trailers, you have not yet seen anything of Resident Evil Village.
One aspect that particularly struck us about the division operated by Capcom is the clear distinction between all the various sections . The castle recalls the classic atmospheres of the series and forces us to confront the constant threat represented by Alcina, who constantly wanders through the rooms, taking up the same style adopted by Mr. X in the remake of Resident Evil 2 ( with the same weaknesses , the safe rooms ). Virtually invincible, the clash with Alcina is never recommended, as his slowness (compensated by his strength) favors escape.
Leaving the castle aside, we find ourselves facing completely different sections, including one to be solved entirely without weapons and based exclusively on puzzles, escape and the possibility of hiding from our pursuer. In short, the variety is not lacking in Resident Evil Village and each area is characterized by unique and easily recognizable enemies. The famous lycans, in fact, are just one of the many mutations we will encounter during the adventure . Some of them are much more similar to traditional zombies, while others are real BOWs with weapons and equipment like Nemesis or Ustanak.
There are also several secret bosses - a real novelty for the series -, many of which are positioned in alternative paths to the main ones; a small detour could lead us - for example - to explore a completely optional area of the village (and surroundings) that can hide interesting secrets - in the form of documents - or fights against extremely dangerous mutations.
Despite the basic linearity, typical of Resident Evil, Village still leaves a lot of space for the exploratory component and encourages the player to deepen every corner of the map.
TECHNICAL AND AUDIO DEPARTMENT
We played Resident Evil Village in its next gen version on PlayStation 5 , toggling the option to turn ray tracing on and off. The title points to 4K at 60 fps using an internal resolution lower than 4K and an excellent reconstruction technique that always offers us a detailed image and free of visible artifacts. The choice to activate or deactivate ray tracing is the most influencing of the frame rate , since without the latter we find ourselves in front of a title virtually nailed to 60 fps, while its activation involves a decrease in performance in some phases of game.
Overall, even with ray tracing, the title often manages to offer a 60fps gaming experience and the dips are never so noticeable or annoying to the point of ruining it. Capcom could probably have stabilized the frame rate further by choosing a slightly lower internal resolution, and this is not necessarily the case with an upcoming patch. On the other hand, this is what happened with the Xbox One version of Resident Evil 3 Remake, whose native 4K resolution was lowered shortly after launch to allow the title to reach the granite 60 fps.
The activation of ray tracing does not completely distort the visual experience, but allows us to enjoy a more credible and coherent global lighting system , able to further enhance the atmosphere of the interior environments. Let's be clear, this is not something that cannot be renounced, so if you prefer to prioritize frame rate stability, don't hesitate to disable it.
The glance of Resident Evil Village has particularly convinced us, especially as regards the care taken in the realization of the polygonal models of the main characters and the antagonists; credible and expressive faces like never before (only the hair of some characters is a bit out of tune compared to the rest), which once again demonstrate the excellent potential of the RE Engine. Superb also the realization of all the interiors , rich in details and with very convincing and realistic geometries. We are not yet in front of the herald of the next gen, but we are certainly in the presence of the most beautiful Resident Evil ever created and the presence of a complete photo mode will allow you to better capture every detail .
In terms of the audio sector, it is essential to mention the importance of 3D audio, which manages to give us the right spatial coordinates of our opponents simply by resorting to hearing. This is something that should not be underestimated, especially when we consider that threats come from all directions and our field of vision is very limited. The soundtrack is also very convincing, while the Italian dubbing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, which in no way manages to convey the same pathos conveyed by the original English voices. A missed opportunity.
As for the PlayStation 5 version, we point out that Resident Evil Village takes full advantage of the adaptive back triggers in order to return different feedback with each weapon used in the aiming phase. There is also complete support for haptic vibration , wisely used to convey every slightest sensation, from the feedback of the guns, up to the increase in tension in the vicinity of unexplored and potentially dangerous areas.
DIFFICULTY, LENGTH AND REPLAYABILITY
To complete the main campaign (normal difficulty) it will take you about 11 hours , this also considering the exploration of the optional secondary areas. This is a longevity in line with that of Resident Evil 7 and in general we can say that it is a satisfactory duration also in relation to the rhythm of the plot. Adding another 3-4 hours of play could have burdened it in an unpleasant way, while the result that was packaged is very balanced and enjoyable.
Overall the game never presents complex puzzles to the point of artificially increasing their duration, far from it. In some cases these are all too intuitive and simple to solve, especially if you are already familiar with the mechanics typical of the series.
On the balance front, we feel we can promote the game, as the approach more devoted to action (at least compared to 7) does not tend to make correct ammunition management superfluous . In the early stages of the game it may seem that you have too many and you will hardly resort to crafting to create others, but as the game progresses everything is rebalanced, especially when you reach those sessions in which the enemies will tend to abound and to be particularly armored. .
The theme of longevity is then to be considered also taking into account the fact that - like any Resident Evil - the title offers good replay value encouraged by the unlocking of bonuses (the extra contents are numerous, but we do not anticipate them) and extra game modes.
In particular, we are talking about the return of the Mercenaries mode , which incorporates the classic arcade style and places us in front of timed challenges set in the various game scenarios. Also in this case the style recalls that of the homonymous mode of RE 4 (even if there are no extra characters, at least not as far as we have come), so we find the classic combo multiplier, the possibility to extend the time and the unprecedented addition of particular perks that will be able to modify your statistics during the game session (such as enhancing the effect of some weapons, increasing your speed, reducing that of enemies, and so on).
Each session includes at least three stages to be faced in succession, before which you will have the opportunity to interact with the Duke to buy new weapons or upgrade those in your possession. Continuing in the missions you will get a permanent increase of the Lei available at the beginning and you will unlock access to subsequent stages based on the score achieved.
CONCLUSIONS
It is useless to hide it: Resident Evil Village convinced us in full . The title is a clear evolution of the concept expressed with the seventh chapter, with respect to which it loses something regarding the horror component, compensating for this lack with a greater variety of environments and enemies, an even more engaging plot and a general improvement of the mechanics of games that make it a more streamlined and captivating title, certainly more enjoyable to play and replay.
Compared to 7, support for VR technology is completely lacking, even if the setting of different cut-scenes suggests that Capcom could have some surprises in store, especially on the occasion of the launch of the new version of PS VR; this is our speculation and only time will tell if we got it.
With Resident Evil Village, Capcom has clearly shown that it has a very clear idea about the evolution of the saga and some courageous choices really push us to ask ourselves what will happen in the next chapter. If the events of the Winters seemed almost a temporary parenthesis - almost a pause for reflection - within a macro plot huddled on itself for too long, Village places us in front of a very interesting turning point for the series and reconnects consistently and completely with all previous chapters, going well beyond what one might expect .
Added to this is an excellent level of realization from a technical and audio point of view, passing through full support for all the unique features of PlayStation 5. The work done is excellent in every respect and Resident Evil Village is the experience that marks the maturation definitive of the new style adopted by the saga.
