Resident Evil Village is one of the horror series’ most brilliant and wild entries

The Resident Evil series is in a fascinating place right now. On the one hand, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard made the bold move towards the first-person perspective, greatly shaking up the classic survival horror franchise. But at the same time, the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 in recent years focused on the traditional third-person gameplay the series is most known for.

With all of that in mind, the latest RE game, Resident Evil Village, aims to offer the best of both worlds when it comes to these different styles of games. In particular, Capcom has been clear about the desire to make Village feel like the child of both RE4 and RE7. The end result is a wildly experimental Resident Evil that is occasionally uneven, but overall excellent entry to the iconic Capcom series.

A more personal story

Resident Evil Village picks up three years after the events of RE7, with Ethan Winters, the previous game’s protagonist, having finally settled down with his wife Mia and baby Rose. However, his peaceful domestic life is ruined when long-running Resident Evil hero Chris Redfield inexplicably arrives to kill Mia and kidnap Ethan and Rose. After awakening in a snowy European village, Ethan must locate his daughter while surviving the four deadly lords who rule the land, as well as the mysterious Mother Miranda whom they all serve.

Far more than just an homage

Village‘s story is all well and good, but it’s the game’s structure that really makes it stand out. Capcom has used the game’s titular village as a hub of sorts through which you go to the lords’ drastically different areas. Those who prefer RE games to be focused more on a singular setting might take issue with this approach, but I adored how fresh this approach made Village feel.

The game’s eponymous township takes the look and feel of RE4‘s excellent introductory village location and makes it far more expansive, dense and detailed. As you acquire more items, you can return to the village to access other areas, each of which carries its own share of rich environmental storytelling and all kinds of worthwhile loot.