It was 1996 when the first Resident Evil game fell from the heavens. Descending to the earth, announced by the soothing, dulcet tones of an angelic choir. As expected, the title went on to pave the way for a new breed of gaming horror; it set the bar for game studios of the ‘90s.
Fast-forward 25-years and Capcom has turned a great game into a phenomenal franchise. With 27 Resident Evil games under their Batman-style utility belt, they are now close to releasing a 28th title for the series, oddly named Resident Evil 8, or Resident Evil Village.
As the looming release date draws nearer and nearer, gamers the world over are whipped into a frenzy. With a lot of speculation shadowing Capcom’s next blockbuster, I decided to take a closer look into what we can expect when it finally hits our shelves on the 7th of May of this year.
Ethan is Back | The Basic Plot behind Resident Evil 8
Watching the trailer shows us that in Resident Evil 8 we will once again be stepping into the shoes of protagonist Ethan Winters; the systems engineer we played as in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Of course, having the same playable character as we had in Resident Evil 7 shows us that this is going to be a direct sequel.
In a far cry from the creepy house and its creepier occupants, we saw set the scene of Biohazard; Resident Evil 8 will seemingly take place in the home of vampires, Romania. We don’t know the full story as of yet, but it looks like Ethan has set sail (or, more likely, flew, but that doesn’t sound as good) and is Romania-bound in a bid to rescue his daughter from the evil – albeit slightly arousing – clutches of Vampire Queen, Lady Dimitrescu and her horde of hot, witchy daughters.
On a further note, it’s well worth mentioning that Capcom told Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu, that Resident Evil Village will be addressing the infamous ending of its predecessor.
Resident Evil Village |Gameplay and Combat
Watching the gameplay trailer I’ve included above, shows us some pleasant revelations pertaining to the combat mechanics of Resident Evil 8. We are again, playing in a 1st-person perspective; allowing us to soak in the outlandishly stunning visuals. Furthermore, we see in the trailer that a blocking mechanism has finally been added into the code, alongside a space-clearing kick attack for when you’re being swarmed.
Alongside the new combat mechanics, we see Ethan can now break objects to find hidden items and collectibles. We also see that crafting is back and we’re able to craft weapons, ammo, and other useful items. These extras, however small they sound, will have a huge impact on the way you play the game. To add to the bubbling cauldron of Resident Evil greatness, each enemy type will have its own unique style of combat; forcing you to shift tactics dependent on your current opponent. Resident Evil seems to be further evolving with every game released; more reasons to be excited.
PlayStation 5 Owners Rejoice
If you’re lucky enough to have secured a PlayStation 5 and are, like me, yearning a taste of what is to come; head on over to the PlayStation Store and download the standalone demo, Resident Evil: Maiden. While the demo doesn’t feature any combat, it will still give you a good insight into what is to come; and indeed, a real taste of the castle in which the majority of the game will seemingly take place. Furthermore, a free Resident Evil experience is not something to miss.
Sorry, last-generation, PC and Xbox gamers; the demo is PlayStation 5 exclusive. That being said, there are plans to release Maiden on other consoles this Spring; giving everyone a chance to play before they pay.
Final Thoughts on Resident Evil 8: Village
As a lifelong fan of the Resident Evil franchise, I am ridiculously excited for the release on May 7. The extra gameplay features will, undoubtedly, perfectly gel with the tones of the game. Casting my eyes upon the graphical prowess of Village, however, I will probably wait until I have a current-generation console to play it on, as I don’t want to dampen the experience by playing it on my PlayStation 4. This gem is worth waiting for.
The new, ever-creepy castle location will open up for some classical Capcom scares and monstrous enemies. Coming to all major consoles and PC on May the 7th of this year, we really don’t have long to wait in this shroud of speculation and anticipation. Stay tuned for a full review in the near future.