In this review we will talk about Resident Evil Village, the last chapter of the historic Capcom survival horror saga
Right now all survival horror fans will surely be jumping for joy, as the long-awaited Resident Evil Village is finally available. In recent years, games belonging to this genre have become increasingly rare and consequently the release of such an important title generates a lot of excitement among horror lovers.
Although Village is highly anticipated, some players still have several doubts about the title. Over the years the series has stumbled several times, and while the last few chapters have proved more than worthwhile, fans still fear a possible relapse. Fortunately, thanks to the help of our detailed review, even the most dubious players will finally be able to get an idea of the actual value of Resident Evil Village.
The tragedy of Ethan Winters
First we want to open our review by talking a little about the history of Resident Evil Village. The title is set several years after the end of Resident Evil 7 and once again follows the events that revolve around Ethan Winters . After the terrible events of the Baker house, Ethan was able to rebuild a life from scratch with his wife Mia and the two even managed to have a daughter: Rosemary .
Unfortunately, however, it seems that in the life of this poor man there is no room for peace. In fact, shortly after the game starts, Chris Redfield raids the house of the two lovers, killing Mia and kidnapping Ethan and her daughter . The reasons for these terrible actions are a mystery, but unfortunately the protagonist will not even have time to ask questions. This is because the van that Ethan was traveling in will suddenly be destroyed and he will find himself wandering alone in the middle of the Romanian mountains . Unfortunately, however, he will not be alone for very long, as soon he will reach a mysterious village that seems to be infested with terrible inhuman creatures.
Generally the story has never been one of the strong points of Resident Evil, but this chapter managed to surprise us positively . Predictably after this incipit Ethan will begin to explore the village in search of his daughter, but over time , events will take a very special turn . In the course of the game, in fact, various aspects of Resident Evil 7 that until now had remained pending will be deepened and a little more dignity will finally be given to the character of Ethan. In addition, in some points, interesting links will also be revealed that link this title to some of the most important chapters of the saga.
Hunting for Secrets – Resident Evil Village Review
One of the most important aspects of any self-respecting survival horror is the level design and from this point of view Capcom has really hit the target. The explorable areas of Village are in fact extremely different from each other and not only from an aesthetic point of view. For example, some areas are very labyrinthine and full of optional roads, others develop mainly vertically , while others are built as if they were big puzzles . Thanks to all this variety, players will always be stimulated by new situations and at the same time feel a certain tension due to the impossibility of predicting what they will encounter.
These levels are also enriched by a large number of elements that serve to encourage players to explore every corner . In fact, all areas of the game are full of secrets, treasures, rare materials, collectibles and many other things that will make all completists happy. In fact, Resident Evil Village is a game that really rewards exploration and will often push you to return several times to places you have already visited. Returning to these areas after certain events you may in fact find many differences , such as new enemies, new treasures and sometimes even new puzzles.
Despite this great emphasis linked to exploration, unfortunately Village loses some of those classic survival elements typical of the series . This is mainly due to the way the protagonist’s inventory has been managed . In fact, in the game your inventory will be really huge and, as if that were not enough, key objects and treasures will not take up space . In this way you can safely collect every single object without worrying about space and accumulate an exorbitant number of resources.
Also unfortunately there are big shortcomings also with regard to the puzzles . During the game you will find yourself in front of several puzzles that are very varied and fun, but they will also be extremely simple . Of course, even in the previous chapters the puzzles have never been particularly complex, but this time you won’t need to put in any effort to be able to overcome them.
Action and Fear – Resident Evil Village Review
It’s certainly no secret that Resident Evil Village is a much more action-packed title than its predecessor. The game has very similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4 and in most cases encourages a direct approach . From the first hours of the game you will come into possession of several very powerful weapons and it will often be more convenient to eliminate enemies rather than avoid them.
As if that weren’t enough, killing monsters will offer you several extra bonuses, such as the possibility of obtaining money and especially treasures from their corpse . These items can be sold to the duke, the merchant of the game , who in exchange will fill you with money that you can spend to buy upgrades, ammunition and weapons that will allow you to eliminate even more enemies. This endless cycle offers many benefits to players, who as a result will always be tempted to face even the most dangerous monsters.
While the title is so action-oriented, that’s not to say it’s not horror. In fact, during the game you will find yourself several times facing very tense sections that will not be lightened by your huge arsenal. Furthermore, in some specific points of the story, the title will be able to make players feel a sense of terror that has never been seen before in any chapter of the series . With Village, Capcom has managed to find a good balance between fun and adrenaline-pumping action sections and horror moments that can make the skin crawl. Of course, the tension sections are much less numerous compared to those of action, but the quality of the former manages to compensate for this imbalance.
Nightmare Creatures – Resident Evil Village Review
For many fans, one of the main flaws of Resident Evil 7 was the lack of variety of enemies but in Village this problem has completely vanished . In fact, during the game you will have the opportunity to meet a large number of enemies that are very different from each other. There are werewolves, ghouls and many other nightmare creatures that will stand out not only for their appearance, but also for the way they fight. In addition, there are also aesthetic differences between monsters of the same type which contribute to increasing the variety of the game.
But common enemies aren’t the only ones to boast a great variety. In fact, in the game there are also many really wonderful bossfights that will be faced in very different ways . For example, some bosses will simply be filled with bullets to death, while others will force you to act in ways very different from what Resident Evil fans are used to.
The Power of the RE Engine – Resident Evil Village Review
From the artistic point of view this Resident Evil manages to reach very high peaks. The environments are all extremely well cared for and boast an astounding amount of detail within them that contributes a lot to increasing the player’s sense of immersion. The characters and creatures that you will face during the game will also be extremely well characterized and will have truly exceptional designs . In addition, some really excellent work has also been done with regards to all of the animations in the game, which help make the characters look much more alive (and creepy).
But all this artistic quality obviously exists thanks to the exceptional RE Engine . For this review we played the PS5 version of Resident Evil Village and overall we were really surprised by the technical quality of the title. Although we see that the graphics of the game are that of a cross-gen title , Village still managed to leave us speechless several times. We were also amazed that the game was able to maintain 60fps without too many dips with both HDR and Ray Tracing active.
On top of that, despite not being a Sony exclusive, Resident Evil Village makes very good use of DualSense . The light of the controller changes according to the state of health of the protagonist and the adaptive triggers are able to offer very different resistances based on the weapon you are using. Unfortunately , haptic feedback wasn’t used much , but as it wasn’t a PS5-specific title it was to be expected.
A note of credit also goes to the sound design of Village. Throughout the title there is a great deal of care with regard to every aspect of the audio sector, first of all the environmental sounds . In fact, in the game there are several very tense sections in which sound plays a fundamental role in creating the right atmosphere.
Conclusions
Resident Evil Village is a very rich title that features a large number of enemies and very different situations. The gameplay is inspired by that of Resident Evil 4 but, despite the action inflection, it still manages to find a good balance with the horror sections . In addition, the title also boasts an interesting story that sheds light on some old mysteries and sets the stage for a possible future of the series. In short, at the end of this review it seems fair to say that Resident Evil Village is one of the best chapters of this historic Capcom saga.Of course, it is a pity that the puzzles and the survival component do not live up to expectations, but in any case the other elements of the game manage to compensate for these shortcomings very well.
Resident Evil Village is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia, Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. If you are interested in staying updated about all the news on the world of video games and much more, then continue to follow us here on tuttoteK