Resident Evil Village Review

As a fan of the Resident Evil series, since setting my eyes upon the original game in 1996. I've had my fair share of reservations based on certain games. Being someone who absolutely adores and celebrates a game like Resident Evil 2 (both original and remake), while generally displaying a passionate amount of indifference to games like Resident Evil 5- to someone that downright shows disgust to an entry such as Gaiden. This is a series, right next to Silent Hill, that I have followed and loved to this very day. And while Capcom has taken it in varying directions, which has largely caused a split in the fanbase. I still maintain giving each entry a fair shot and then judging it accordingly based on my own personal input based on what I want to see out of a Resident Evil title. With that being said. How does Resident Evil Village stack up compared to other entries in the series? The answer is some interesting results. So let's dive in..

The first thing that should be addressed is something you probably have heard regurgitated from a ton of people upon playing this game. "This is essentially first-person Resident Evil 4, we don't need a remake of that game now." This is partially true. It's similar to RE4 in terms of going from 0 to 100 at a moment's notice. Also having the merchant, this time being a Budda-like figure, that is conveniently placed in places for you to buy and sell your loot. Your inventory screen is a straight-up remake of 4's. Then there is the gunplay and how enemies conveniently drop crafting supplies and money. This is essentially where the comparisons end and the other influences begin. Resident Evil Village, in its purest sense, aims to combine elements from RE4 and RE7 biohazards in one 8 to 14-hour package. Resident Evil 4 featured far more quick-time segments, which are completely absent here. Along with altering the environment around you by kicking down ladders. This game takes from 7 based on story cutscenes, crafting, and setup. You could say that it is a more action-infused version of 7 with some influences from Skyrim. That wouldn't be completely off the radar. Though that leads me to my next point. It's really hard to pinpoint for me what RE Village can be compared to since it seems to take inspiration from many things.

Wow! What a mansion.

Personally, I won't be going into a ton of detail in regard to how good the game looks. The draw distance and the world itself are a beautifully grim sight to behold. Enemies and character designs look excellent, to say the least. Also if you are having doubts about getting this game due to your GPU or not having a next-gen console. I played this game entirely on a non-PS4 pro and it ran great! I can only imagine how fantastic it looks with Ray Tracing.

Speaking of making a comparison to the overall feel of this game. The best way I can ultimately compare an experience to this would be to step away from the Resident Evil series entirely. Leading up to my completion of this game. I had the same feeling after finishing Village as I did when I played a game like Bioshock or Singularity. I may even say something along the lines of Metro 2033. There were enough moments of isolation sprinkled throughout. Yet there was a mix of gunplay where it never slowed down things to a halt. Though I do feel that this affects the scare factor of the game at times. With the exception of one particular area of the game that is pure horror and has its foundations firmly set in games like Silent Hill and Amnesia. For those that have played the game, you know exactly what section I am talking about. For everyone else who is looking for a good scare. It's easily worth it. Though I cannot stress enough that Village feels like a collaboration of multiple different ideas mixed into one package. The developers clearly had many different influences when coming up with Village.

This leads me to my next point. The story of Village.

Unlike previous entries in the series. Village dips its toes into a more fantasy, almost Lovecraft-inspired facade. One that is probably going to have the fanbase divided. For the non-fan, it may provide a unique experience. It's been a while in a Resident Evil game where you have had such a contrast of differences between each villain. Resident Evil has now gone from just featuring zombies and mutants. To featuring Vampires, Werewolves, and the supernatural. Though that final element mentioned was featured in 7 so it's not exactly new itself. It just happened to carry over into this entry. With all of this taken into consideration. Most people would say that Resident Evil has gone off the rails. Though trust me when I say that it makes complete sense by the end of the game. Mostly at least. Which is the biggest thing that Capcom was able to accomplish here. Not only do they explain exactly what is going on. They were also able to make it tie into the first game of the series and even the prequel. They did so in a way that Resident Evil could have its own Mocumentary on the Umbrella Corporation and it would be one of the best. Some things about the story can be a bit farfetched at times and seem a tad bit convenient but nowhere on the level of something like the first Evil Within game. It's mixing various different horror genre's together and does a fairly impressive job of combining them all together in one game. Going back to my point about this game mixing various different types of enemies. I have to take a moment to celebrate the bosses you will encounter in this game. Each of these characters, I dub now the big five, provides a memorable experience for the player. There is one that's more on the weaker side of the spectrum. Though they are some incredible designs (especially the Maiden's final form) and make for some exciting encounters. This is something that people overlook sometimes with Resident Evil and it shines through this game. Not to mention that I think cosplayers will have a blast portraying them for years to come.

Fanime is going to be so fucking lit

Now going away from the story. Let's talk about the element that is the most important of any game out there. How does the overall gameplay function? Well, this game mixes traditional elements of previous resident evil games such as exploring and puzzle-solving. With more action gunplay and a slightly faster pace than its previous entry. It's an experience that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Though with this being said. The game itself suffers a bit from its difficulty. Resoundingly you will hear many people say that this game is too easy. I do feel the same way myself. Though I think it lends itself better this way with the world being significantly larger and more open than 7. Also with an emphasis on gunplay this time around. Though I do think that it could've used a bit of a bump. I don't expect bullet sponges littered throughout. However, it would have been nice to have more of a struggle. Though that's why we have harder difficulties to work with. Including the unlockable one.

The biggest thing to touch upon with any Resident Evil game. Really any horror game on the market- is the scare factor. How scary is Resident Evil Village? How does it stack up with other games in the genre? I'll be as flat-out blunt with you. Aside from one segment. The game itself is pretty weak in terms of scares. The atmosphere is dripping with horror ambiance. Though it has more similarities to games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne than a Resident Evil game. This may be due to the fact that many people complained about the scares in Resident Evil 7. Regardless of the reasoning. To go from the isolated and intense experience that is RE7. To the more spooky fantasy setting feels like a bit of a downgrade. It's true that some people can shut off the lights and slap on a pair of headphones to have a fun spooky time with this. Though If you ended up playing 7 in VR. You might be disappointed here. With the exception of one section of the game that's easily one of the best horror moments in a while. Though I would argue that the lore presented here is the appeal of the game as a whole. There were very few moments where I felt true tension. It has them just not many. To give you an instance here. Let's talk about the first baddie the Maiden. Known as Lady Dimitrescu, who should not come as a surprise to anyone as to who she is.

She once held the internet in the palm of her hand.

I'll do my absolute best to not spoil anything here. Though basically, she functions in a similar way that Mr. X in the RE2 remake and even Jack Baker in Resident Evil 7 did. The first section of the game has you exploring one large area and she is roaming around looking to mystery your ass. The problem is however, the tension just isn't there like it was with the other two mentioned above. Most of this has to do with the lack of ammo in the other games. Considering those games were more of a survival horror experience. Ammo was scarce. Not to mention the Police Station you were in. No matter what part of the station you are located in. You could hear his imposing footsteps off in the distance. Even your first encounter with him comes out of nowhere and completely catches you off guard. Still sticks in my mind as one of the best moments of the series. With the maiden, it drops off a bit. Sure if you are unable to locate ammo at any given time. You don't want to cross paths with her. Though considering enemies drop money and crafting tools. It takes away from that tension. Also while I am at it. I'd like to talk about my disappointment with her daughters. What originally seemed to be built up as a boss battle, ends up just being glorified regular enemy in the game. Or each being enemies that don't take much time to defeat.

Still look cool though and are fun to see.

Each Lord that you encounter has a different and unique play structure to them. Also a different theme. So it was Capcoms way of trying to inject different horror varieties into one game. You have a Midevil-like setting. You have an area straight out of an actual horror game. You have one that is more gross and weird. Some will definitely find it annoying too. Then there's an industrial section that ends with a pretty epic boss fight. Finally leading up to an occult-like final boss. This honestly has me taking a step back and seeing how much Capcom was trying to deviate from previous games. Though considering the experience we got with 7. This one takes pride in its more comic or anime approach. Don't get me wrong here. The atmosphere is neat, the tone is dark, and the character design is some of the best. Though this does feel like an entry that will have fans divided for years to come.

One big element that has most gamers in discussion nowadays is the length of a game. With Village, you will have many people saying it is too short. This is a complaint that I hear from many of the previous RE games. In a game like Village. It can go either way. Do you decide to play the game and explore as much as possible? Or do you just focus on the main story and ignore obtaining other items and weapons? If you decide to explore and take your time. You are looking at a game that will take you around 10 to 13 hours possibly. I know after my first playthrough that I clocked in close to the 11-hour mark. If you bypass that and just go with the main story. Decide to yourself that you will blaze through it. You're looking at a 6 to 8-hour experience. Skip the cutscenes? Probably even lower than that. I personally recommend taking the time and trying to obtain every weapon you can. Along with upgrading everything as much as you can afford. Ultimately the final third act of the game went in a direction that I never predicted it would go.

With all of this being said. My overall thoughts on this game are as follows. Any time I finish a Resident Evil game. Really any horror game in general. I ask myself two things.

1. "Will I want to come back to this and long-play it again?"

Also

2. "How quickly do I want to jump back in?"

With other entries in the series. I yearn to annually play through the original three at least once a year. More so the remake of 1 than anything else. The recent release of the Resident Evil 2 remake had me returning several times. Actually giving me the itch to return back to it after completing this. Not a huge incentive to return to the remake of 3 so much aside from the Hospital segment. Though I plan to return back to 7 fairly soon. With this game in mind. To be completely honest with myself. I am not entirely sure. I lean toward possibly beating it another time though I don't know exactly how well it's going to hold up to repeated playthroughs. This is what separates the great RE games from the not-so-great. Honestly, this game is worth a playthrough. Whether you are a fan of the series or not. I rank it above 5 and 6 easily. Though the overall rank is undetermined at this moment in the whole of the series. I absolutely love the lore presented here for the most part. So much so that I will most likely be searching for fan-made prints of some of the castle paints I encountered in the game on Etsy.

So as far as my recommendation for you, the reader. If you are not a fan of the series. It's possible that you can get an enjoyable first-person adventure out of this. If you are a Resident Evil fan that thought 7 was really boring. You'll most likely enjoy this entry more as it picks up the pace. Providing a better game overall while 7 provided a better experience. While I enjoyed the direction that the series was going with Resident Evil 7. I had a blast playing through this game. It also manages to pay tribute to a dozen Survival Horror games. Not sure how a second run would be fair overall. Only one way to find out.

"originally posted on 5/25/2021 on vocal media"