Resident Evil Village

2024-11-30
Did you want more of Ethan Winters being fucking butchered by everyone around him? Hell yes you did.

What's on display here is really a synthesis of new and "old" RE. It's a marriage between the classic action of RE4 and the new horror focused first person perspective of RE7. And to that end you kind of get the best of both worlds. But you also don't have something as new and terrifying as the beginning of RE7 nor do you have something that's paced as well as RE4. So while I had a great time in the big boss set pieces, exploring the castle, the Big Baby Playhouse™, and cheesing the big ass werewolf where you get the magnum (lol) I wasn't left feeling like I'd played a real masterpiece.

2023-05-07
What is there to be said about Village that hasn't already been said? It's a big gorgeous follow up to RE7. It's another game that revolves around Ethan Winters being fucking butchered by everyone around him. Overall I'd have to say I liked it more than RE7, but they both have a similar "hot-out-the-gate and then lose steam by the end" structure I'd say.

To start it really is a phenomenal game in terms of production values. The detail in the monsters and the environments, especially the Castle and the insane detail on the main characters (I spent a minute or two just zooming in on one of the vampire daughters and marveling and the absurd detail in the hair and skin) is crazy. And that was on PS5, I'm sure it could look even better if I played on my 3080 RTX. The sound design might actually be unparalleled. The creaking and ambient noises, the ability to hear exactly what fucked up enemy is coming and exactly where they are near you is crazy. The game is just a wonder to behold in audio visual terms.

The intro which really gives the RE4 village opening a run for its money is an awesome heart pounding thrill. Even an RE veteran like myself became scared when I realized I wasn't going to be able to just tactically run around and pick off every enemy that came. They just kept coming and it left me scrambling after I started off so confident from all my playthroughs of 4 and 5.

Where did it lose for me? I think the final dungeon is kind of a pain. It's not visually interesting and the pattern that's been established in all the previous areas is really just being repeated with a new coat of paint. I will say when the Soldat Panzer shows up that was an exceptional moment. Speaking of repetition, while the castle might be the best part of the game in terms of pacing and level design, it also is kind of just another instance of Invincible Enemy That Chases You Around The Level. Not only that but you have ANOTHER one in the giant baby in the House Beneviento basement.

But I guess repetition is understandable. What's on display here is really a synthesis of new and "old" RE. It's a marriage between the classic action of RE4 and the new horror focused first person perspective of RE7. And to that end you kind of get the best of both worlds. But you also don't have something as new and terrifying as the beginning of RE7 nor do you have something that's paced as well as RE4. So while I had a great time in the big boss set pieces, exploring the castle, and cheesing the big ass werewolf where you get the magnum (lol) I wasn't left feeling like I'd played a real masterpiece.