Resident Evil Village is just around the corner! Releasing Friday, May 7th, Resident Evil Village is the direct follow-up to Resident Evil 7 and continues the story of Ethan Winters. In anticipation of the release of Village, let’s compare Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7 based on what we know.
Spoiler Warning: We will be discussing high-level Resident Evil Village information that has already been announced through trailers and demos, as well as environmental spoilers for Resident Evil 7.
Similarities
- Ethan. Winters. – Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village both feature protagonist Ethan Winters, who we still know very little about. We know about his wife, Mia, and her story throughout Resident Evil 7, but know little about the main character himself. For all we know, Mr. Winters is a normal guy who was thrown into the middle of a bio-terroristic mess. We do know, however, that during the events of Resident Evil Village, Ethan is searching for his new daughter Rose. Additionally, based on our time with the Resident Evil Village Demo, Mr. Winters is more adept at gunplay with his tactical reloads.
- First Person – Similar to Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village utilizes a first-person perspective, which is a stark change compared to previous Resident Evil titles. Based on the patterns, we see a dynamic shift in perspective every three games: Resident Evil 1 through 3 featured tank controls (fixed camera), Resident Evil 4 through 6 were in third-person, and Resident Evil 7 and Village are in first-person. This time around, the change in Resident Evil 7 did not go over as well as the change from tank controls to third person. However, fret not, because from what we’ve played of Resident Evil Village’s demo, the first-person gameplay is a lot snappier this time around. TIP: Turn off aim acceleration.
- 4-for-4 – Resident Evil 7 took place over the course of four distinct settings: The Baker House, the Baker Yard, The Boat, and the Mine. The Baker House and Baker Yard were arguably the larger parts of the game, with the Boat section being shorter and Mine section being the shortest. Based on what we know from Resident Evil Village trailers, it looks like it will take place over four settings as well: Castle Dimitrescu, Heisenberg’s Factory, House Beneviento, and Moreau’s Reservoir. Presumably, the actual village section of the game will be utilized as a pass-through from one area to the next. Either way, we’re excited, and are hoping the distinct sections hold similar levels of quality.
Differences
- Enemy Variety – A major criticism of Resident Evil 7 was the lack of enemy variety; one that we discussed in our Top 5 Mainline Resident Evil Games piece. Resident Evil Village, from what we have seen, already features a more robust line-up of enemies compared to its predecessor. We know of Lycans (from Village Demo), Gargoyles, Zombies (from Castle Demo), Lady D and her daughters, Heisenberg, Mother Miranda, and more unnamed enemies seen during trailers (Hammer guy, fully transformed werewolves). This is a more robust list compared to the Molded variants and the Baker family in Resident Evil 7; not to mention the Molded enemies were arguably uninspired compared to what we’ve seen from Village so far.
- Weapon Upgrades – Unlike Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village will feature weapon upgrades through the game, allowing players to increase their weapon’s firepower, capacity, reload speed, and firing speed. This upgrade system is quite familiar to the one featured in Resident Evil 4 – one that is simple in nature but attainable and rewarding for the player. I do wonder if Capcom had initially wanted to implement weapon upgrades in Resident Evil 7, but couldn’t find a way to fit that in thematically.
- The Duke – Resident Evil Village features a merchant named The Duke, who Ethan uses for the aforementioned weapon upgrades, for purchasing inventory (weapons, herbs, etc.), and selling items. The Duke is hauntingly similar to the merchant in Resident Evil 4, who was your go-to source for weapon upgrades, new weapons, and stocking up on first aid. Resident Evil 7 did not have a merchant, but did have health upgrades and weapons located in bird cages. These cages were were accessed via antique coins, which were hidden throughout the game. Resident Evil 7 had more of a pseudo-environmental store, while Resident Evil Village has a straight-forward merchant.
- Enemy Drops – One feature that Resident Evil 7 lacked was enemy drops, and for good reason. Realistically, the Molded creatures wouldn’t be carrying around ammo or money. With Village, however, enemy drops are much more reasonable as most of the enemies you will fight are formerly human (presumably). In Village, enemies will drop Lei (the game’s currency), ammo, and rare items that can be sold to the Duke. Just like weapon upgrades and a merchant, this feature is similar to that in Resident Evil 4. Notice any patterns?
- Game Length – Resident Evil 7, according to howlongtobeat.com, takes an average of 9.5 hours on the first playthrough. According to a Capcom insider, Resident Evil Village will be the longest RE Engine game to date. Notable RE Engine games are Resident Evil 7 (9.5 hours), Resident Evil 2 (8.5 hours), Devil May Cry 5 (11 hours), and Resident Evil 3 (6 Hours). Putting Resident Evil Village against those, the game should take at least 11 hours, with rumored length of between 12 – 15 hours. This puts the game’s length similar to Resident Evil 4 (16 hours), which is fitting based on all of the similarities between the two.
- Mercenaries – Resident Evil Village will feature the fan-favorite Mercenaries mode, a time-attack mode where the player battles against the clock to take down enemies and complete objectives. This mode is independent from the main game, but it is unknown at the time if we can play as characters other than Ethan Winters. As the game is in first-person, it wouldn’t truly make a difference, but would be a cool addition nonetheless.
- Hunting – New to the series, Resident Evil Village will feature hunting. Ethan will hunt animals such as chickens and goats, and use their materials to craft food items that provide permanent buffs. This is quite the interesting addition, and one that shows Capcom is pulling out all of the stops for Ethan’s next adventure. The question is…will Resident Evil Village have fishing?
These are the main similarities and differences that we’ve noticed so far. What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
Gaming with the Bros 