After two years of remakes, Capcom returns with the sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil VII Biohazard with Resident Evil Village!

Way back in the winter of 2017 I reviewed Resident Evil Biohazard here on GeekDad and since then I have been anticipating the next story in the series. So after the amazing remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 Capcom revealed its plans for the eighth installment to be called Resident Evil Village.

The Story

Resident Evil Village re-unites us with a young couple, Mia and Ethan Winters, along with their young daughter Rosemary, who are living in the shadows of the 15th century Castle Dimitrescu in Eastern Europe. Mia is shockingly killed by Chris Redfield, the star of the previous Resident Evil games. Ethan and their daughter are taken away but Ethan escapes while en route to an undisclosed destination. 

This is where you begin your journey in Resident Evil Village. You are injured and alone in the woods searching for your child and wanting revenge against Chris Redfield for the death of your wife. That revenge will have to wait as you first come across the village so named in the title. Though Resident Evil Village is a sequel to Resident Evil Biohazard it feels more like a spiritual successor to Resident Evil IV in tone with the game mechanics and first-person perspective of the last three games. 

One thing that is a vast improvement from Resident Evil Biohazard is the quantity and variety of the enemies you face. Along with a heavy assortment of Lycans, vampires, ghosts, and the undead, you have Mother Miranda, Karl Heisenberg, Alcinda Dimitrescu, Salvatore Moreau, and Donna Beneviento, which makes for an amazing rogues’ gallery for you to overcome. 

Graphics and Art Design

Resident Evil Village looks amazing, plain and simple. I played in on PC and PS4 and even though there is a bit of a step down with the PS4 it still looks and runs phenomenally. The particle effects with the snow, dust, fire and other bits of gore look incredible. The color palette is very desaturated which works with modern horror aesthetics, but I would have preferred a more Hammer Horror technicolor. A warning to parents: Resident Evil Village is a very gory game and probably should not be played by your pre-teen gamers in the home. 

Gameplay

Capcom has really defined a modern style of gameplay in the previous three titles with Resident Evil Biohazard and the remakes of Part 2 and Part 3. That being said Resident Evil Village‘s gameplay feels very familiar and efficient. Playing the game feels very intuitive. Capcom has found a system where all of the buttons seem to be in just the right place and react accordingly. Knowledge of previous titles will help but new players can pick up on the story and gameplay with ease so don’t be afraid if this is your first attempt at a Resident Evil game.

Saves are still accomplished via typewriters that you find throughout the world. Weapons and ammunition are also to be found and crafted with gunpowder and loose parts. You still need to find and mix herbs to create health tonics of various strengths. Other assorted items needed to open doors, pick locks, and solve puzzles are found along the way. As usual, if you get stuck on a difficult puzzle you can get help via the internet but I have yet to find one that rises to that level of difficulty. 

Final thoughts and recommendations

Resident Evil Village is a game that feels as if it was forged directly from my checklist of everything I want in a game. It is beautiful, creepy, intuitive, challenging without being overbearing, and has an amazing story with incredible antagonists that pull you through it without making you ever feel as if time is moving slowly. I simply cannot say enough good things about it. You can even find it on sale at many websites for under the standard $60. So though it may be spring and the sun is shining outside, do yourself a favor and take a trip to a frozen eastern European village and battle the creatures of Castle Dimitrescu. 

Rating 10/10

A copy of Resident Evil Village was made available by Capcom.

Thoughts expressed in this article are the authors alone and not that of the publisher or editorial board.