After the high sales achieved by Resident Evil 7, Capcom decided to continue the legendary Resident Evil series with the eighth chapter, also known as Village. It seems that with each new Resident Evil title released, they want to introduce new additions. But does this favor their new games?
Firstly, I should mention that Village is a direct continuation of its predecessor, so it is good to have played RE7. This time, Ethan, along with Mia and their daughter Rose, have settled in a village in Romania. However, a tragic event occurs that triggers the action. This event is none other than the kidnapping of Rose. So, Ethan begins his search in the eerie and certainly inhospitable village. There, he will encounter Lycans and many other creatures making their first appearance in the new Resident Evil. From the first hour of gameplay, the more action-oriented approach followed by the Japanese company becomes evident. This more action-oriented approach is something that divided the series' audience, as the action element was not as noticeable in any previous Resident Evil. Something that is also present is the traditional horror experience that the player experiences throughout the game. It may not be to the extent it was in Resident Evil 7, but it is there. There are still clear influences from various movies and video games. If you ask me, I would have liked the game to be a little scarier because there were few times when I felt fear and the familiar anxiety that was more prominent in previous chapters of the series. From the above, it seems that Capcom wants to appeal to not-so-"brave" gamers who hesitated to engage with Resident Evil in the past.
As shown in the trailers for Village, various characters from the past return. I believe they are the ones who save the game since Ethan is very "shallow," as is Mia. Something I didn't understand is the company's obsession with not showing Ethan's face. A positive aspect is that the villains in the game are well-designed and can stand alongside previous "bad guys" in the series.
The gameplay remains at the same level as in RE7, with no notable additions. Chem fluid, Gunpowder, Herbs... the classics. However, something new is the absence of storage boxes. Instead, there is a huge inventory that upgrades during the game. Practically, it's like the player has the box with them. Due to this, there are not many weapons in the game. In a faster-paced game, the sniper with a zoom scope is needed when the Lycans move quickly and are at a distance of half a meter? After RE4, Duke returns. Duke is the game's merchant who supplies items and upgrades. There is the ability to sell items as well as upgrade weapons in exchange for the game's currency, Lei. Lei can be found scattered on the map but can also be acquired by selling items. As time passes and Ethan progresses to new areas, Duke will also move to points where it is easier to access for item trading. Duke may seem like he doesn't know anything... but he knows everything. Something I want to emphasize is the puzzles in the game. I read in reviews that the game has top-notch puzzles, but playing it I realized that it's not anything special. Compared to Resident Evil 7, it's better, but don't expect anything outstanding. After the end of the main story, the mercenaries mode is unlocked, where the goal is to kill enemies that appear in waves in exchange for Lei.
The world changes for the first time! It has a central hub where specific items need to be placed to progress in the game, and these items will be collected from the rest of the map. Following this path, the suspense is lost in RE8. The game makes it clear at some point that certain items need to be collected in order to progress the story. It even mentions the number. I believe they should have handled it differently to maintain the suspense, as they did in previous Resident Evil games.
Technically, the game performs excellently! The sounds of the weapons, the screams of the monsters, and the voices of the characters are all improved. I recommend everyone to play the game with headphones, the experience is enhanced! The textures of the game are also exceptional. Although the PS4 version I played doesn't have ray-tracing, there were many moments where the reflections were incredibly good. I wonder how it will look on the PS5. I didn't encounter any bugs. At this point, I should note that the world doesn't change based on the player's actions. For example, I shot some frames, but they didn't deform or fall. Only the bullet marks remained on them. Closing the technical aspect, I should mention that the game has a very nice soundtrack.
To complete the village, it took me 6:30 hours on normal difficulty with little exploration of the world and without dying many times. Towards the end, I feel like it had a "lull". The last area, although it doesn't resemble Resident Evil at all, I liked it a lot mainly because of the atmosphere, but I think it started to become tiresome at this point. The game is generally not difficult; it requires proper management of equipment. There's no need to kill everything that moves because the enemies are sponges. Obtaining the Platinum trophy is not easy. It requires multiple playthroughs, collectibles, etc.
Overall, the village is a pleasant adventure that differs from Resident Evil 7 and even more so from the previous chapters of the series. We see Capcom trying to attract new players to the franchise by making some changes. It remains stagnant in some areas while evolving in others. In general, don't get stuck on the game's title, say that it's not playing Resident Evil. Consider that you're playing the village and you'll have a great time. Just be patient until the game drops to around $30 and grab it.