With Resident Evil Village, Capcom wisely leaned into the success of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, presenting a direct sequel that continues the story of protagonist Ethan Winters. This time, he winds up in a rural village overlooked by a vast, elegant castle as he strives to locate his kidnapped daughter, Rose. It’s no secret that Village borrows heavily from what is widely regarded as the series’ critical darling, Resident Evil 4, but the results are somewhat mixed.
For starters, Village ramps up the action with more open spaces, a wide array of enemy types, upgradable weapons, and counterattack mechanics. The enemies are significantly more interesting than The Mold featured in RE7, with Lycans, reanimated dolls, mechanically enhanced ‘Soldat’ humans, and more all vying to bring your journey to a gory conclusion.
The environments are generally much more varied, too, and are the true stars of the show. You’ve got the aforementioned village and castle, plus the spooky House Beneviento, Moreau’s Reservoir, and Heisenberg’s Factory (no, not that Heisenberg…or that one). Each major location feels wholly unique with its own dedicated boss character, and so it makes for a supremely well-paced experience that rarely outstays its welcome.
