Resident Evil Village Review: A horror masterpiece

Announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal event, Resident Evil Village has become a controversial title from the moment it was revealed to the public.. Despite exciting many players who were satisfied with the new directions of the franchise, Village proved to be an even bigger step in a direction that deviates from the pattern established during all these years.

As much as it has been very well explained, if Resident Evil 7 already embraced something similar to the supernatural and other elements that seemed to escape the franchise's DNA, Village in its first trailer already indicated that it would put its foot in the door and leave fully established the new proposal.

Resident Evil Village video review

Although the developers made a point of exposing the inspiration in Resident Evil 4, Village never intended to hide what it really is.. In this way, the game fulfills its function and delivers exactly what it promised. Resident Evil has changed. There is nothing to discuss.

But will Village be able to please or is the game lost in its own ambition to bring something different to the franchise?

The answer is straightforward. village is a change needed for a franchise that for a long time was not very relevant. With new elements supported by consistent explanations so that the general plot does not blow up, the title perfectly delivers its proposal.

Ethan Winters

The return of Ethan Winters pleased many players to the same extent that it discouraged fans who consider him an uninteresting character, especially close to well-known protagonists of the franchise. With Ethan, the game also brings the no less controversial first-person view, which in turn also causes numerous complaints from former players.

After the terrible events at the Baker house, Ethan tries to lead a quiet life with Mia, now with a little daughter named Rosemary. The problem is that when Chris Redfield appears as a villainous image and the couple's daughter is kidnapped, Ethan finds himself again in a desperate situation, this time ending up in a dark and mysterious village, while trying to get his daughter, Rose back. In this way, the journey begins.

One of Resident Evil Village's greatest strengths is make Ethan a much more interesting character. If before the protagonist lacked emotion and "humanity", now Ethan is shown to be completely human, full of emotions and with a charisma that should be highlighted. Feeling pity, relief, or any other feeling towards the character is now natural, as he manages to break the barrier that once seemed to prevent him from having a personality.

With Ethan proving to be a more interesting character, opting for the first-person view was again the right choice, since with the union of these two elements the title makes the player feel completely immersed, suffering alongside the main character, feeling fear at every moment and literally experiencing the horror.

A nova face de Resident Evil

Resident Evil Village made it very clear that it would bring an even more different proposal to the franchise. I must say the game has fulfilled this promise.

While every piece of information and trailer made evident that Village embraces new elements even more easily than Resident Evil 7, the game itself does that and more. It is also for this reason that perhaps Resident Evil Village does not please everyone, since different situations and moments depart considerably from everything that was established by previous titles, as the game shows itself at ease with the deliver fear in untraditional ways to the franchise.

There are monstrous and weird creatures, there are the puzzles and there are even those insistent enemies that won't leave your foot and will pursue you with determination while you need to accomplish some objective. However, Village also dares to get out of the comfort zone and offer moments that make evident the desire to deliver something more varied. If the previous title already did, Village embraces even more strongly what we can call supernatural or fantasy, even if in the end everything is explained satisfactorily.

Village can be evaluated in two ways: It is possible to evaluate the game itself, and in this way it will certainly work sublimely, with each characteristic, situation and element fitting together as part of an excellent whole. But, Village will not shy away from being evaluated as a resident evil, because this is the name it carries. Assessed in this way, Village also works to present consistent explanations and support for its innovations and boldness, all it takes is a little goodwill... however, for the more radical fans and less open to change, Resident Evil Village could prove to be an unwelcome member of the family.

The true meaning of fear

Resident Evil Village is for sure, an exciting and challenging game. On maximum difficulty, the game offers a great challenge, very interesting for those who already feel comfortable trying their luck. For those who are not familiar with the genre or still have some difficulty facing the greatest danger, the default difficulty becomes ideal so as not to spoil the experience, providing an interesting challenge and a truly satisfying journey.

Upon arriving at the village, Ethan quickly realizes that things there won't be simple. I must mention here the amazing work by Capcom knowing exactly how to create an excellent atmosphere of tension, with the constant feeling of something heavy and dark in the air.

Both in the village itself and in other environments, such as the grandiose castle of Dimitrescu, Village is perfect in taking advantage of every little detail to create an intimidating and terrifying atmosphere, keeping the player feeling uncomfortable at all times, knowing that evil can be anywhere. With graphics that leave nothing to be desired and audio worthy of applause, the title presents the true meaning of fear.

Great bosses and enemies

Village also shines with the four village lords, namely Alcinda Dimitrescu, Karl Heisenberg, Donna Beneviento and Salvatore Moreau. Although the game lacks in the use of certain characters and quickly gets rid of some elements and situations that could be better explored, the title compensates for such flaws by delivering a wide range of challenges, with battles, stages and boss encounters that are well alternated. and offer the different faces of fear, some focused on pure horror while others pull more of the game's action.

The most common enemies we encounter along the way also prove to be intimidating and make the journey much less smooth. The highlight at this point is for the lycans, which appear with some frequency but never become any less frightening. The excellent artificial intelligence of these opponents makes them the most capable of causing sudden scares, with their moments in the game delivering situations of great fear and anguish.

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excellent gameplay

Resident Evil Village also knows how to deliver quality in both its combat and exploration and puzzle solving. Yes, in the way that fans of the franchise are used to, Village makes the player need to collect keys, items and solve puzzles to advance on his journey. It is common to explore the same environment more than once, with the need to return to specific locations to finally proceed after having accomplished the necessary objectives or having collected the required items.

The puzzles show pretty simple, with some requiring just a little more attention for the player to understand what needs to be done. However, even though they are simple, the puzzles work in general, especially when combined with the other elements of the title.

It is interesting to say that everything is very natural and fluid, preventing the feeling of exaggerated repetition. Passing by the same place more than once doesn't become tiring, because all repetition and each objective are present in the ideal amount and way.

In combat, Ethan proves to be much closer to weapons, which is well explained quickly and directly. Known elements like organizing your inventory can also be crucial here. The Duke, which even works as a safe room at an important moment, also proves to be very useful by offering weapons, improvements and other items, making the merchant's return very welcome. It is worth remembering that if any currency is missing, it is always good to see what you have to offer, after all the Duke is also a good buyer.

Ethan, now in addition to still being able to block, can also push enemies away. Village combat works very well, I must say, with a satisfactory aim and without having problems that hinder the experience in general.

The Verdict: A Horror Masterpiece

Resident evil village

10.0 Pros

• Excellent gameplay overall
• amazing immersion
• Great audio work and excellent graphics
• Delivers the true meaning of fear in a variety of ways
• great bosses

Cons

• Some elements and characters could be better used

Resident Evil Village is a title that expands on an innovation. What was started in Resident Evil 7, here is bigger and bolder. While the previous game was concerned with presenting new elements in a more restrained way, Village is neither afraid nor ashamed to assume what it is in fact, allowing itself to present "bizarreness" that work very well in your proposal.

Village is more than its predecessor, in any aspect. Scarier, more intimidating, more inclined to deliver action... the title is even braver in presenting a broad plot overall within its franchise.

Certainly controversial, but no less excellent for this reason, Resident Evil Village is a horror masterpiece.