Developer/Publisher: Capcom
Released: 2021
Platforms: Steam | PS4 & PS5 | Xbox One, Series | Stadia (LOL)

I really hope this isn’t the direction Resident Evil wants to take moving forward.

Begrudgingly, I consider myself “okay-ish” at video games. But that doesn’t mean I want them dumbed down for my clumsy ass. I used to think it was mean-spirited to use the term “journalism difficulty,” but I feel that Village proves that it exists.

(Apologies for the extra crusty screenshots this round.)

I often felt like I was going through the motions in Village, almost like a huge chunk of it was a walking simulator. Most of the “puzzles” can be done on autopilot. I forgot the existence of a puzzle with a piano an hour or so after I solved it.

Gunplay was nothing special for me, although I’m not sure how to elaborate on that point. I had no interest in bumping up the difficulty despite frequently complaining that it was “too easy” on the default setting.

Story wise, I appreciate the attempts to give Ethan more depth as a character. He’s bare bones in RE7, with only enough details to keep the plot moving. At the same time, Ethan’s “improved” personality boils down to, “I’m a father. I love my daughter. I want to save my daughter. Isn’t family precious?” You know, parenting? The most universal quality of human beings?

Lady D and Heisenberg are hands down the best additions to Resident Evil’s lore, but they don’t shine as brightly as they could in Village. Two additional Lords demand screen time that could have gone to the other couple. I’ve made the derivative joke that Salvatore and Donna are the “Red Shirts” of the four. They were completely expendable, and their stories felt like pure filler.

Unfortunately, even Village’s ultimate big baddie was a disappointment to me. Miranda felt like a hasty replacement for Spencer, as if it’d be “boring” or “cliché” to continue using him. He’s still tied to the plot, but taking a backseat for the real villain!

Vel once made an excellent point that I agree would vastly improve Village. Lady D and Heisenberg would each explain their philosophies to Ethan, and then press him to make an allegiance to them. The player’s choice would lock in the side A or B run, affecting what happens to the opposing house as well as Miranda. It’d keep the classic Resident Evil formula while still branching off from tradition.

A part of me wants to give Village a “TRASH” rating because of how much I don’t want this to become the norm for Resident Evil. But another part says that would be hyperbolic of me. There are areas in the game with potential, I just hate the execution.