R
esident Evil Village is both a sequel to Resident Evil
7 and a spiritual successor to Resident Evil 4. It’s
also a grab bag of various ideas and influences
taken from its own series and further afield. These disparate
inspirations are carefully knitted together, then sprinkled
with impressive-looking snow and some half-decent
first-person combat.
In story, if not in
spirit, Village is a
direct continuation
of 7. Players once again
assume control of Ethan
Winters – the gaming world’s
most tepid protagonist – who, after
surviving the Baker Mansion in the
last game, is now living in Europe
with his wife Mia and new-born
daughter Rose. Their precise
location isn’t divulged, but
it appears to be towards
Europe’s eastern fringes,
possibly Romania.
Either way, the Winters’
peaceful domestic life is
shattered when Rose is
kidnapped. In his search for
her, Ethan winds up lost in a
snowbound forest. He makes
his way to a local village for help,
but instead finds himself hunted bya pack of werewolves known as Lycans, and four powerful
monsters who are the ‘children’ of a local god known as
Mother Miranda.
These four children are the main focus of the game.
Each resides in their own domain separate from the
village, which is unique in environmental style,
mechanical features and general tone. Castle
Dimitrescu, for example, is
the most classically
‘Resident Evil’ of
the four locations. It’s
a vast, opulent space where
elaborate doors are locked with
elaborate keys, and where zombie-like
creatures lurk in the shadows. It’s
also the only area where
Resident Evil 7’s dynamic
enemies make a return.
As you explore the castle,
you’re frequently stalked by
the elegant yet vicious Lady
Dimitrescu and her three pestilent
daughters. Their capacity to hunt
you is limited to certain areas, but their
hunting of Ethan is convincing in those
areas, and is by far the most interesting
system in the entire game.
Castle Dimitrescu could easily have
been the game’s main setting, but it’s only
a small part of it. Elsewhere, you’ll explore aGAMES / REVIEWS
VILLAGE
+^ Looks and
sounds fantastic
+^ Huge variety
+^ Some individually
great moments
HAMLET
-^ Generally not
that scary
-^ Middling combat
Resident Evil Village / £64.99 inc VAT
DEVELOPER Capcom / PUBLISHER Capcom