When I first played the demo for Resident Evil Village on the last day before the game was released, I had no idea that I would be sinking so many hours into this game. I've never been the biggest fan of the RE franchise, but part 7 renewed my interest. Was it the change from a 3rd person perspective to 1st person perspective? Was it the new cast of characters? I don't know exactly, but I liked part 7 enough that I decided to come back for more...after a price drop of course!
I treated myself to this game during the Black Friday sales events in November 2021, grabbing it for just $20 at Walmart. I figured I'd get my entertainment value out of the game for $20, but at no time did I ever believe I would love the game as much as I do or put in as much time as I have. Knowing that I'd eventually buy this game I really stayed away from all of the hype leading up to it's release. Other than playing the 1 hour timed demo, I really knew nothing about the story of Village. Until I got into the game, I didn't even know that it continues the story that was started in part 7. So let's unpack the game, my thoughts and why I've completed the game 3 times and working on my 4th play though.
I order to get the full effect of this game, you have to play the previous installment, RE7 Biohazard, or at least familiarize yourself with it's story. Village pretty much takes place shortly after the conclusion of Biohazard. You again play as Ethan Winters, wife Mia and daughter Rose are your whole world and you are trying to put past events behind you. Chris Redfield has moved your family to home in an unnamed country and all hell is about to break loose.
Prior to playing RE Biohazard, I did spend a lot of time with the PS4 remake of RE4. I had always heard great things about that particular game so when I finally played it I was able to discover for myself just how awesome it was. One aspect of the game I enjoyed so much was the setting, no longer set in Raccoon City, you were in some small rural European town. As soon I as fired up the Village demo and started to investigate the village, I immediately got that RE4 vibe. The lack of color, the gray washed desolate environment was creepy enough as is, but then you had Castle Dimitrescu looming on the mountain in the background. So beautiful, yet scary at the same time.
The village outside the castle proves to be the hub of the game if you will, as you revisit this area after completing other areas that branch off, like the castle. Each area that you tackle has it's own unique look at feel. Most of the castle has a very colorful and regal feel to things, but also has it's dark corners to explore. The 2nd level if you will is House Beneviento, which is a straight up haunted house. If you have a phobia of porcelain dolls like my mother in law days, brace yourself! The 3rd level takes you to into an old mining area around a large dam. In the 4th level you'll find yourself in an expansive steam punk like manufacturing factory that just seems to go on and on and on. I love the sheer variety of these different areas as it gives the game some diversity.
Each area has it's own unique lord (or boss) you'll encounter and here you'll find more even more diversity. When you first encounter Lady Dimitrescu inside the castle she will stalk you much like the Tyrant does in RE2 or RE3, only weapons won't slow her down. I did notice a flashbang grenade would momentarily stun her for the briefest moment, but save your ammunition. Before you can take her on in her true form, you have to deal with her 3 daughters. I found these mini boss fights to be fun and clever at the same time. Working in various ways to expose them to the outside light to weaken them enough to damage with conventional weapons was a satisfying way to dispose of them. Once they are out of the way (and a few key items are found) you are free to take on the tall lady herself at the top of a tower. The creature design is grotesque and the fight is frenzied. To deal the most damage you have to be able to switch between your different weapons at different points in the fight. It's a challenging fight, but not too difficult.
Via various cut scenes, Ethan experiences a lot of visions on the path to the house, causing him confusion over what's going on. Once inside the home you'll be faced with all sorts of psychological horror, including a nightmarish and grotesque fetus baby that stalks you. You don't have access to any of your inventory, including your weapons in the part of the game. The puzzles you have to solve are different and the fight against this area's Lord is unique to say the least. I almost dreaded this part of the game on each play through just because of how creepy it was.
Just as how the Castle Dimitrescu and House Beneviento are different from each other, so are the last two sections. This is a big reason why I enjoyed the game as much as I did...the level design is great. There were so many times I would get "lost" in the level design, soaking in my surroundings only to let my guard down and be attacked by some terrifying monster. Gone are the familiar zombies, lickers and undead dogs, replaced with vampires, werewolves and other undead creatures. The enemies this game throws at your are horrifying, but so satisfying. Exploding the head of a werewolf with a single shot from your magnum is so much fun!!
My first play through was on the Casual setting...because I know I can be a weenie at times. I was able to make it through without too much trouble, though it did take me a lot of time as I used the opportunity to explore and try to capture as many of the in game trophies as I could. I was so entertained by the events of the game that I decided to take it on a second time, this time on the Standard setting. Thankfully Capcom brought back the "New Game+" option so I could replay the game with all of the money, items and weapons (including upgrades) from my previous play through. After beating the game for a 2nd time, I decided I was up for some punishment so I tackled the Hardcore difficulty level. This is something that I rarely (i.e. never) do with a game. With a huge backlog of both modern and retro games to play, I usually move on after beating a game and try something different. However this time I kept being drawn back into the game, wanting to finish upgrade this weapon or that weapon...going for those higher tier trophies.
There are a lot of different elements that must come together to make a truly great game. Graphics, story, gameplay are all equally important and too many times games fall short in one area or another. In my opinion Resident Evil Village hits a home run in every one of these categories. Capcom makes you care about Ethan, Mia, Rose...and even Chris Redfield to a lesser degree. The story is captivating, especially if you are a family person like myself. It's a beautifully stunning game to look at and of course so much fun to play. Maybe it's a bit more action oriented than survival horror, but that's what good games and good game franchises do...they evolve. I told myself I was done after my 3rd play through, but now I'm half way through my 4th go, this time on the unlocked Village of Shadows difficulty. I never thought this game would suck me in as much as it has, but hey, I'm not complaining one bit. This is one of the best video games I've played in a very long time...or maybe period. I am very much looking forward to seeing where the story goes next as I have a feeling that we aren't done with the Winters family just yet.
