In this review we will talk about Resident Evil Village, the latest chapter in the historic Capcom survival horror saga
Right now all the fans of survival horror they will surely be jumping for joy, given that the long awaited Resident Evil Village is finally available. In recent years the 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 feed different doubts against the title. During the years the series has stumbled several times and, even if the last few chapters have proved more than valid, fans still fear a possible relapse. Thankfully, with the help of our detailed review, even the most dubious players will finally be able to get an idea of the true value of Resident Evil Village.
The tragedy of Ethan Winters
First we want to inaugurate our review by talking a little about the history by 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 managed to rebuild a life from scratch with his wife Mia and the two even managed to have a baby girl: Rosemary.
Unfortunately, however, it seems that in the life of this poor man there is no room for peace. In fact, shortly after the start of the game, Chris Redfield will break into 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 himself questions. This is because the van that Ethan was traveling in will suddenly be destroyed and he will find himself at wander alone in the middle of the Romanian mountains. Unfortunately, however, he will not remain alone for very long, as he will soon catch up a mysterious village which appears to be haunted by terrible inhuman creatures.
Generally the story has never been one of Resident Evil’s strong points, but this chapter he managed to surprise us positively. Predictably after this incipit Ethan will start exploring the village in search of his daughter, but over time events will take a very special turn. In fact, during the game they will be in-depth different aspects of Resident Evil 7 which until now had remained pending and will finally be given a little more than dignity to the character of Ethan. In addition, some points will also be revealed interesting links 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 mark. In fact, the explorable areas of Village are extremely different from each other and not only from an aesthetic point of view. For example some areas are a lot labyrinthine and full of optional roads, others develop mainly in vertical, while still others are built as if they were gods big puzzles. Thanks to all this variety, players will always be stimulated by new situations and at the same time try a certain one voltage due to the impossibility of predicting what they will encounter.
These levels are also enriched by a large number of elements that serve to incentivize players to explore every corner. In fact, all areas of the game are filled with secrets, treasures, rare materials, collectibles and many other things that will make all completists happy. In fact, Resident Evil Village is a game which really rewards exploration and often it will also push you to return several times to places you have already visited. Returning to these areas after certain events you might 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 classics survival elements typical of the series. This is mainly due to the way it was handled inventory of the protagonist. In fact, in the game your inventory will be really huge and, as if that were not enough, key items 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 some big shortcomings also with regard to the puzzles. In the course of the game you will find yourself in front of several very varied and fun puzzles, 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 title much more action-oriented compared to its predecessor. The game has gameplay very similar 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 than to avoid them.
As if that weren’t enough then killing monsters will offer you several extra bonuses, such as the ability to get them from their corpse money and especially treasures. These items can be sold at duke, the merchant of the game, which in return will fill you with money that you can spend to buy upgrades, ammo and weapons that will allow you to eliminate even more enemies. This endless loop offers many benefits to players, which consequently always will be entice you to face even the most dangerous monsters.
Although the title is so action oriented, that’s not to say it’s not horror. In fact, during the game you will find yourself facing several times very tight sections which will by no means be relieved of your huge arsenal. In addition, in some specific points of the story, the title will be able to make players tryi a sense of dread that has never been seen before in any chapter of the series. With Village, Capcom managed to find a good balance between fun and adrenaline-pumping action sections and horror moments that can make your skin crawl. Of course, the tension sections are a lot fewer 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 Resident Evil 7’s main flaws was the little 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 really differ a lot 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. There are also some 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, there are also many in the game bossfight really awesome that they will have to be addressed 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 point of view artistic this Resident Evil manages to reach very high peaks. The settings are all extremely well cared for and boast within them an astounding amount of detail which contributes a lot to increasing the player’s sense of immersion. The characters and creatures you face throughout the game will also be extremely well characterized and will have gods truly exceptional designs. In addition, really excellent work has also been done with regards to all animations of the game, which help make the characters seem 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. Despite the fact that the graphics of the game are seen to be that of a title cross-gen, Village still managed to leave us speechless several times. We were also amazed that the game managed to keep the 60fps without too many dips with both HDR and Ray Tracing on.
On top of that, despite not being a Sony exclusive, Resident Evil Village does a very good use of DualSense. The controller light changes according to the health status of the protagonist e i adaptive triggers they are able to offer very different resistances based on the weapon you are using. Unfortunately haptic feedback was not exploited much, but not being a title developed specifically for PS5 it was to be expected.
A note of merit also goes to sound design by Village. Throughout the title there is a great deal of attention to every aspect of the audio sector, first of all ambient 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 è a very rich title which presents within it 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 a interesting story which 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 they are able to compensate for these shortcomings very well.
Resident Evil Village è available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia, Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. If you are interested in staying up to date with all the news on the world of video games and much more, then continue to follow us here on TechGameWorld.com. In addition, in case you are interested in learning more about the title, we invite you to take a look at the many guide present on the site. If you are interested in buying the game at an advantageous price, we also suggest you take a look at the catalog of Instant Gaming.
Points in favor
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