Resident Evil 8 was on its way but it came as a surprise when it was revealed so soon. Hinted at by the handful of rumors cropping up on the web along with a now-taken down product listing on a German gaming retailer, RE: Village was unveiled during Sony’s Playstation 5 Event and it is looking to be the best in the series
Strong Roots
Aside from the recent remakes of 2 and 3, the most widely acclaimed Resident Evil titles are Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 7. RE 4 was praised for its supreme pacing, balancing horror and action, streamlining previous iterations’ fixed camera angles into a smoother, contemporary experience. Coupled with a spooky occult atmosphere and hordes of infected enemies, and you’ve got the recipe for a horror experience that holds up to this day.RE 7 was a return to fine form after a long line of meh to mediocre sequels. RE 5 and 6 ditched horror in favor of guns-blazing action, a dissonance in a series founded upon survival horror elements. RE 7 brought horror back into the equation, offering an unparalleled first-person survival horror experience set in the wider Resident Evil universe. Though it lacked the same cohesiveness in its lore as other games, RE 7 dropped enough hints and references to make fans excited for its follow-up—one which is shown to be mashing the best of what RE4 and 7 have to offer.
Combining the Best of Both Worlds
RE Village combines RE 4’s bone-chilling occult horror atmosphere and setting with RE 7’s first-person horror. The game is set in a rural, mountainside village, complete with religious and occultist iconography and looming, foreboding castle watching over the land. Everything about the setting screams shady and unnerving, especially with the sidelong glances of nearly every human being shown in the reveal trailer. Thanks to the power offered by the next generation of consoles, RE Village aims to deliver a survival horror experience that will blow any previous Resident Evil title out of the water.In the developers’ commentary video, Producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Peter Fabiano gave further details on what the new consoles will provide for RE Village when combined with the signature RE Engine.“Realistic graphics and immersive coupled with no load times will really draw you into the world we’ve created.”With the power of the SSD’s on the Series X and Playstation 5, expect little to no hiccups through Ethan’s adventure , one that is bound with the terrifying and grotesque imagery signature to the series.
The Story
RE Village sees the return of protagonist Ethan Winters from RE 7. Set several years after 7’s ending, Ethan and his family are trying to live as normal as can be, putting the horrific events of Eveline the Baker Mansion behind them. However, this lull is soon broken when familiar face Chris Redfield throws Ethan’s life upside down. Though story details are sparse at the moment, we know Ethan is hunting downChris, attempting to uncover why the once heroic agent would do such a thing. His search places in the game’s titular village. Producers claim the village itself plays such a crucial role, it can be considered its own “character” as well.The mystery surrounding Chris led him to another, and on top of the bioweapon mutants Ethan is familiar with, he must now prevail against the mysterious and supernatural. Yes, that means cults and werewolves. No seriously. It took Resident Evil 25 years to give audiences werewolves. Whether they are genuine full-moon werewolves or the bastardized result of some horrific science experiment gone wrong has yet to be seen.It’s up to Ethan—and the player—to uncover the darkness surrounding the village once RE Village releases in 2021.
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