Capcom has absolutely been killing with amazing remakes and new directions for the Resident Evil franchise but has hit a bit of snag when it comes to the latest mainline installment Resident Evil Village.
Early rumors of Village sent shockwaves through the fanbase for not only establishing a secluded European village setting that instantly gave everyone Resident Evil 4 vibes but also declaring that zombies would stay in the ground. Don’t get me wrong, zombies haven’t really been a genuine part of the franchise for like an entire decade, but the idea of more mythological horror creatures like werewolves and vampires being introduced is something that no one expected. Village set out to be a uniquely dark entry for the series that looked to touch multiple territories of the horror genre and in terms of that goal, it succeeds incredibly well.
This new RE engine just looks better and better with each game as the titular village and surrounding areas have this dark, eerie, and supernatural vibe to them that creates a unique environment. The improved textures and lighting help establish this game’s horror look and it’s great how the areas of each evil Lord that resides around the village feel distinct. There’s something sort of chilling about walking through the lavish, gothic designed halls of Castle Dimitrescu and then moving towards the rustic and grimy inner workings of a secluded machine factory. Each area not only visually represents a different area of horror that ranges from gothic to supernatural psychological horror but is incredibly fitting to the compelling and oddly charming antagonists you come across.
Outside of Lady Dimitrescu (voiced by Maggie Robertson), who continues to take the internet by storm, there wasn’t a whole lot to know about the other antagonists of the game. Frankly, I thought Dimitrescu and her daughters were pretty much the main villains of the game, but really, they’re just a small part of the horrors in this village. The game brings players back into the role of Ethan Winters (voiced by Todd Soley) as he attempts to rescue his newborn daughter Rose after she is taken by the mysterious Mother Miranda (voiced by Michelle Lukes) and her powerful Lords to a grotesque village filled with gruesome monsters.
The character designs for these Lords and Mother Miranda are easily the most intriguing in the entire franchise and it’s great how enemy designs almost match the same style and feel of their respective characters. Castle Dimitrescu has enemies that look like the remains of those that have been trapped in a dark dungeon while Heisenberg’s (voiced by Neil Newbon) factory is filled with his gross half-human/half-mechanical monsters.
One of the strongest areas that combines great visuals, atmosphere, and effectively horrifying enemy designs is undoubtedly the strangely domestic home of Lord Beneviento (voiced by Andi Norris) and her eccentric doll Angie (voiced by Paula Rhodes). Just the visual of Beneviento’s shrouded face and her holding this dirty looking doll is just so intriguing and the entire time you’re in her house, there’s this chill-inducing suspense that’s building.
The way that her area strips away the combat and adds in this suspenseful psychological horror filled with dreadful silence and demonic dolls is absolutely amazing and makes for the scariest sequence in the entire game. It’s a truly unique sequence for the entire series and evokes all of the excellent horror vibes of Silent Hills that never came to be. There’s a great moment where you meet all of the antagonists at once and the great voice acting, writing, and character design instantly entrances you into their personalities and makes you want to know more.
Honestly, they have everything that Ethan really doesn’t, and he might be the blandest protagonist in the entire franchise. The dialogue writing for him is horrible as they try to give him these action hero lines like he’s Leon Kennedy that he doesn’t have the suave, charismatic charm to pull them off. Frankly, I don’t know why Capcom seems to love him so much since he doesn’t have the uniquely tough charm of a great Resident Evil character and the way he spits out lines that unnecessarily reiterate what’s happening in front of him makes you annoyed by him every time he opens his mouth. It’s also pretty annoying that we still don’t see his face at any point since the looks of Resident Evil characters are a large part of what makes them iconic.
His personal story does have some nice twists and turns though that makes his arc pretty unique in the Resident Evil universe. The way that Ethan’s hands continue to be tortured here is delightfully gruesome and there’s a great twist to Ethan always managing to repair himself that’s unique, kind of creepy, and genuinely surprising. It’s one of the best ways that Village connects to Resident Evil 7 and makes some of the stranger parts of Ethan’s story more interesting. Even certain ways that “The Mold” is connected to the village and Mother Miranda’s backstory is interesting and it’s great that this game does feel like a continuation of RE7. The story itself oddly outdoes its central protagonist and when it comes to how it tells Ethan’s story, Village creates a unique narrative entry for the franchise that hits more than it misses.
However, in terms of how Village and Ethan’s story connects to the Resident Evil lore, it’s vastly underwhelming. Sure, you still have Chris Redfield (voiced by Jeff Schine) running around yelling at Ethan, but throughout the whole time he’s so steeped in mystery and secrecy that you’re wondering why he’s even there. The whole thing with Umbrella being good now and Chris working for them is barely even touched on. There’s this issue with the BSAA using bioweapons that never gets talked about to the length it needed to. There’re even some underwhelming connections with Umbrella’s origins to this village that are glossed over in notes that you could totally miss if you’re not looking for it. Village needed to be that game that finally connected Ethan’s shenanigans to the wider Resident Evil universe, but it’s stronger focus on Ethan doesn’t do that at all. Just having Chris there and a few nods to things isn’t enough and it’s a big part of what makes both RE7 and Village feel like side-stories rather than mainline entries.
The failed Resident Evil connections don’t even stop with the story as Village attempts to bring other structural elements of past Resident Evil games into its formula – specifically RE4. Where Village does feel like a true Resident Evil title is its execution of puzzles and expanding connected areas. The puzzles here are some of the strongest in the series as figuring out the solutions to riddles or finding that one piece that has everything makes sense is super satisfying. There’s a new kind of side-puzzle introduced called Labyrinths, which is essentially a ball maze that is fun and can offer good rewards. Exploration is equally rewarding as finding new keys and discovering new areas or shortcuts can lead to very rewarding discoveries. The map is once again a very useful tool with how it color codes areas and rooms where you missed picking up an item and now also includes the locations of puzzles so there isn’t too much time wasted in trying to find things you’ve already discovered.
First-person combat also makes a return, and the guard is slightly improved and comes with a parry that pushes enemies away with a well-timed block. There are some elements of past Resident Evil games that work, but more often than not Village tries to bring in parts of RE4 that are totally half-baked. Yes, the merchant is back in the form of the delightfully energetic and personable Duke (voiced by Aaron LaPlante) and there’s an interesting new mechanic where players will kill animals throughout the village and bring their meats back to the Duke to complete recipes so they can get health and guard upgrades. However, the game just throws money and resources at you way too often so you’re never in short supply and The Duke just doesn’t offer the vast and rich library of weapons that the RE4 merchant does. Not to mention, the idea of combining valuable items together to make them more valuable isn’t utilized in a satisfying fashion as often here and bringing the famed attache case inventory system back feels pointless since you never feel like you’re cramming for space ever.
Fan-favorite game mode Mercenaries also makes a return for some arcade-like action, but pales in comparison with the new features it adds. The new additions to the mode, like being able to buy weapons from the Duke in between areas and being able to find upgrades throughout the map, are cool, but work against what made Mercenaries great. In the past, it was a raw race against the clock that blended survival and going on a killing spree. Here though, it’s just a tiresome hide and seek match with enemies that’s way too easy and not fun to play. It’s so easy that it quickly becomes boring and never makes you care to try to get that high score. Village definitely tries to bring back some beloved nostalgic elements of games like RE4, but they often don’t reach past their nostalgic value and end up being disappointing.
What’s most disappointing though is that this game is both way too easy and doesn’t have the energy it should for blending horror and action. The Lycan enemies and big bad bosses are nicely designed, but lack that vicious and overwhelming nature to create a real challenge. Frankly, the Lycans mostly move like zombies with a few quick dodges and aren’t as tough as they appear. You barely ever feel cornered in the game and the combat just doesn’t feel as satisfying or as fast-paced as it should. The boss battles are totally lifeless and present very little challenge that makes finally facing these antagonists remotely satisfying. Even playing on the normal/standard in most other Resident Evil games will present you with some kind of challenge, but here, it’s super easy to breeze through.
As a long-time Resident Evil fan, I desperately wanted to like Resident Evil Village for the compelling antagonists, greatly designed settings, and the unique horror elements it brings into the series. However, Village is ultimately a bit of a letdown with it being unable to fully translate nostalgic elements in satisfying ways and connect itself to the wider Resident Evil universe that is just vastly superior in terms of protagonists and challenge. Resident Evil Village is still a good Resident Evil game at its base but isn’t anything remarkable for the series.
