Since the beginning, Resident Evil games have had players squaring off against animals. Besides some chickens and cows in Resident Evil 4, the animals in Resident Evil games have typically been infected with the T-Virus and hostile, but it seems the upcoming Resident Evil Village will feature more docile animals. Not only that, but Resident Evil Village players will reportedly be able to hunt, cook, and eat these animals to improve Ethan's stats.
This is according to the latest Resident Evil Village coverage from Game Informer. As detailed by Game Informer, Resident Evil Village players will encounter livestock like chickens, fish, goats, and pigs that can be shot. After killing the animals, Resident Evil Village players can collect their meat for use in cooking recipes. However, players won't be able to cobble together food just anywhere in the game.
To cook in Resident Evil Village, players will need to pay a visit to The Duke. The Duke, for those that haven't been following the Resident Evil Village reveals closely, is essentially the new game's version of Resident Evil 4's Merchant. After collecting the necessary ingredients, Resident Evil Village players can craft meals at The Duke's Emporium that in turn give protagonist Ethan Winters permanent stat boosts.
This isn't the first time that Resident Evil has allowed players to "hunt" animals for rewards. Chickens have been featured in previous Resident Evil games, with players able to take them out for things like eggs that could be eaten to restore health or in the case of gold eggs, sold for a big profit. Money will be a factor in the upcoming Resident Evil Village as well, with players able to spend it with The Duke to upgrade Ethan's arsenal.
The upgrade system is yet another example of how Resident Evil Village is taking its cues from Resident Evil 4. While Resident Evil 4 didn't have players skinning and cooking animals, it did have players killing animals for items. The aforementioned chickens are a good example, but Resident Evil 4 also let players kill and collect fish as well. Similarly to the eggs, Resident Evil 4 players could sell fish to the merchant for a profit.
Capcom has made it clear that Resident Evil Village is inspired by Resident Evil 4, and the cooking/hunting system is just the latest example, albeit in an upgraded form. It's possible fans will get a closer look at the cooking/hunting system in Resident Evil Village during the upcoming Resident Evil showcase, but that has yet to be confirmed or denied at the time of this writing.
Resident Evil Village launches May 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.