Resident Evil: Village (PlayStation 5)

Resident Evil Village is the newest installment in the long running Resident Evil series of survival horror games. It is a direct sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil 7 and keeps the first person perspective introduced in it. It was released 7th May 2021. 

The Story is a continuation of Resident Evil 7’s story. It is set three years after it and continues the story of Ethan Winters, who is now living a happy life in Europe with his family. In typical video game fashion, it doesn’t stay like this for long and Ethan ends up in the titular village.

The events that unfold in the game are best experienced blind but the story kept me interested in the game from start to finish and I feel that the game is a perfect length and is a great example of quality over quantity in games. The characters of the game are well written and exploring the areas the characters are based in gives more interesting lore about them. I believe that the games story is one of its greatest strengths and I am definitely looking forward to seeing where the story is heading next.  

The visuals are exceptional throughout the game. It really takes advantage of the capabilities of the PS5, using ray tracing to create fantastic lighting effects and each area looks incredibly detailed down to individual textures. The visuals create a fantastic atmosphere and brings the areas to life. The lighting of the game makes every location much more tense and really add to the games horror feel. The locations in the game are varied and each have their own distinct feel, representing the characters met in these areas well. For example, Lady Dimitrescus castle perfectly represents her character and helps develop her as a character.

The game has incredible sound design which really adds to the tense atmosphere at the game. Being able to hear footsteps slowly coming closer to you as you walk around makes it much more tense and adds a lot to the game. The sound also helps you pinpoint locations of enemies. The voice acting is fantastic throughout and does a great job of bringing the characters to life. The music in the game is also great and is used very well to create a tense atmosphere, particularly when there is no music and the game is almost silent besides your movement and background noises. It is in these sections where the horror aspects of the game shine, with the sound design of the game playing a huge part in making the game genuinely terrifying.

The gameplay is very similar to Resident Evil 7, keeping its first person shooter elements. However the games pace feels faster than its predecessor, with faster movement speed and the game overall feeling like it is more action orientated. Ammo is much more abundant here and combat encounters happen more frequently, particularly in the games second half. These combat encounters can feel very tense and you could definitely die in any encounter if you mismanage your limited resources. Inventory management is a vital part of the game, having you organize everything to fit into your inventory and making you think carefully about what items to pick up, However these more action focused aspects don’t take away from the horror aspects of the game.

Without giving too much away, there is a section of the game that has some of the its most tense and frightening moments. This section of the game is arguably the best section of the game and is best experienced with no knowledge of what will unfold. Overall the gameplay sticks with what made Resident Evil 7 so great while adapting it to Villages new setting and premise to create a great survival horror experience.   

The game also features the return of The Mercenaries, a more arcade style mode featured in previous games in the series. In this mode, you are tasked with killing all enemies in smaller sections of areas visited in the main game as quickly as possible to rack up points and try to beat high scores. It takes the combat of the main game and turns it up a notch with abilities that help you deal with the enemies and a time limit. Unlocked after your first playthrough, the mode is a fun addition to the game and trying to beat the high scores does pose a good challenge.

Overall I believe Resident Evil Village is a fantastic survival horror game with a fascinating story which will make you remember the game long after the credits roll and has jaw dropping visuals that really showcase what the next generation consoles are capable of.

4

Summary

Resident Evil Village is a fantastic game with a great story backed up by tense gameplay

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