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RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE (XONE)
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Publisher: Capcom.
Developer: Capcom. Released: May 2021. Genre: Survival Horror. Other versions: XSX; PS5; PS4; PC. Posted 27th October 2021. By Shane Battams © 2021 |
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Capcom’s handling of the Resident Evil series seems bemusing from a distance. Now eight games in, it seemed like the series found new footing with 2017’s Biohazard, a new first-person perspective underpinned by classic survival horror tropes. It’s all the more baffling then that Village yet again upturns the status quo, seemingly borrowing inspiration from Resident Evil 4: the foreign village, focus on action and, for the most part, a narrative and stylistic disconnection from the broader series. While this instalment’s frenzied approach doesn’t see everything stick, its capable design and potent combat make it worthwhile for action fans.
Taking place some years after the traumatic incidents encountered in Biohazard, Village continues the story of Ethan Winters. Settling down with his wife and their young child, things seem tranquil despite Winters housing doubts in his mind. They turn out to be well-founded, as the shocking opening sees Mia gunned down and his child kidnapped. After this inciting incident, Ethan awakens in a strange rural village after the transport crashes. Left grief-stricken and searching for his child, he must track down a quartet of unsettling inhabitants who each hold something important. It’s a story of two halves, with the strong side seeing Ethan Winters fleshed out as a character, a persona you’ll grow more fond of, compared to his appearance in Biohazard. But Village also feels a bit disconnected, with a few ties to the series’ past that are tenuous at best. It’s not unlike Resident Evil 4, which had but a handful of connections to the broader Resident Evil universe. Indeed, Capcom’s nods to the fourth game don’t end there.
Resident Evil + shotgun = a marriage made in gaming heaven
Village retains the first-person perspective of its predecessor as well as key tenets of the series such as hunting for key items, backtracking and puzzle-solving. But the action, this time around, has been amplified. Quieter trawls through the rustic village, while gradually opening more areas to explore, collide tonally with segments which see you fending off a Lycan attack, skulking around a castle as a 9ft tall vampire and her daughters pursue you, as well as fighting a giant mutated fish. The approach proves memorable but inconsistent with regard to pacing and quality. While boss encounters often feel like grand climaxes to each fight, the journey there can prove arduous, including a notably dull trawl through a factory setting. But on the flip side, some parts feel well-executed, such as an unarmed trek through a genuine house of horrors, and stick with you long after completion. This is all glued together with repeat visits to the village, keeping tedium from truly setting in for long.
Combat is powered by weight and potency. You start with the modest pistol, but quickly find a shotgun that proves more than capable of popping Lycan heads. Sadly, for some reason, none of the other enemies bears this satisfying dismemberment. Nonetheless, you feel the impact of every hit with potent shots. Eventually, a merchant known as The Duke introduces himself and allows you to buy more firearms, upgrade their efficiency and buy other items for healing and ammo. You can even hunt animals, with certain meats allowing Duke to cook meals, permanently improving stats. Sadly, this also hampers the atmosphere somewhat. Moments of tension are scant, as a quick backtrack always allows you to buy more ammo, provided you have the coins. A surplus of treasures gift money, while downed foes drop both ammo and Lei currency. While foes can fell Ethan on harder settings with minimal hits and redeem the tension, it feels like a shame that the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater after the excellent Biohazard terrified gamers.
Combat is powered by weight and potency. You start with the modest pistol, but quickly find a shotgun that proves more than capable of popping Lycan heads. Sadly, for some reason, none of the other enemies bears this satisfying dismemberment. Nonetheless, you feel the impact of every hit with potent shots. Eventually, a merchant known as The Duke introduces himself and allows you to buy more firearms, upgrade their efficiency and buy other items for healing and ammo. You can even hunt animals, with certain meats allowing Duke to cook meals, permanently improving stats. Sadly, this also hampers the atmosphere somewhat. Moments of tension are scant, as a quick backtrack always allows you to buy more ammo, provided you have the coins. A surplus of treasures gift money, while downed foes drop both ammo and Lei currency. While foes can fell Ethan on harder settings with minimal hits and redeem the tension, it feels like a shame that the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater after the excellent Biohazard terrified gamers.
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But like the action-focused REs, there’s a lot of content here for those eager for more. An initial run can last between seven and ten hours, a modest lifespan, but definitely not the end. A shop unlocks after completion, with Challenges rewarding CP to unlock bonuses such as models to view, concept art and even infinite ammo for weapons once you’ve fully upgraded said gun. But along with all this, Mercenaries also returns. A gauntlet of time-based shooting that tests your reflexes, weapon management and pattern memorisation, it proves an enticing return with plenty of maps and some serious challenge to spare. CP Challenges such as finishing the game within three hours, without spending a certain amount of Lei or with just a combat knife keep players coming back for more, and once you know where to go, you can trim these runs down to a handful of hours, encouraging return runs aplenty like the best of class.
Village’s arrival on Xbox One proved interesting, as it was announced very close to the release date and many were unsure how it would run on the now-older hardware. Luckily, a lot of the beauty of this game translates to this version. There’s a dark, slick overtone that slathers the environment with eeriness and decay, creating some stunning moments between the snow-caked outdoors and gothic interiors. Animations are slick, some texturing is lifelike and the lighting is splendid. The audio fares well too with great voice acting that personifies each sinister individual you meet. Heightened effects add tension to exploration and impact to the combat, while top music includes some memorable tracks. But it’s not all good news, unfortunately. Some areas suffer from muddied textures and texture pop-in, turning some scenes into a literal blur. Performance can also stutter, with a late-game encounter seriously slowing down the game. It’s a shame, but it’s better optimised than some late-gen games.
Village’s arrival on Xbox One proved interesting, as it was announced very close to the release date and many were unsure how it would run on the now-older hardware. Luckily, a lot of the beauty of this game translates to this version. There’s a dark, slick overtone that slathers the environment with eeriness and decay, creating some stunning moments between the snow-caked outdoors and gothic interiors. Animations are slick, some texturing is lifelike and the lighting is splendid. The audio fares well too with great voice acting that personifies each sinister individual you meet. Heightened effects add tension to exploration and impact to the combat, while top music includes some memorable tracks. But it’s not all good news, unfortunately. Some areas suffer from muddied textures and texture pop-in, turning some scenes into a literal blur. Performance can also stutter, with a late-game encounter seriously slowing down the game. It’s a shame, but it’s better optimised than some late-gen games.
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There's action galore, giving Village a markedly different feel to its direct predecessor
Resident Evil Village is one which likely will polarise, leaving you either on the edge of your seat through the intensity of the action, or disappointed that it represents another shift in style after coming close to the roots with Biohazard. But on its own terms, it’s a great action game bolstered by engaging design, hard-hitting gunplay and content-rich extras. It’s wildly varied, sometimes bombastic and other times quiet, but it’s mostly compelling, even if it’s shorter on scares. Fans who don’t mind eschewing some of the series’ scary tendencies should check this one out, if only to know the satisfaction of popping a Lycan’s head clean off with a sniper shot.
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VERDICT
"On its own terms, Resident Evil Village is a great action game bolstered by engaging design, hard-hitting gunplay and content-rich extras, even if it comes up short on scares." OVERALL: 8/10 |
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