The much-anticipated Resident Evil 8 finally shows fans what to expect with the release of the "Maiden Demo". "Maiden" has been described as a "visual demo" as it focuses on the aesthetics of the next-gen consoles, basic gameplay mechanics, and controls. Although this demo is separate from the main story fans will see in the actual Resident Evil 8 release (this demo serving as a standalone experience/sneak peek), there are tons of little details that may be key to unraveling the main story.
It may be easy to rush through the castle in fear of being caught by one of the many lovely (yet deadly) vampire ladies but with a bit of curiosity and exploration, the player will find that the demo has quite a few inspectable items. Here are some of the key details some players may have missed on their first run; and the theories behind how it may be important to the overall story of Resident Evil 8.
10 Bloody Note
In one prison cell, there is a note written in blood on the wall; although it takes a bit of maneuvering, it can be read saying, "help me, brother".
What is most interesting about this is that the note is written in seemingly fresh blood, as it's bright red. It's possible that this could be a hint to a lineage or relation to a character later down the line. Perhaps the Dimitrescus have a connection to a well-known character that has appeared previously in the series.
9 The Winery
Once the maiden (the controllable character) escapes the dungeon, they find themselves in a winery downstairs. It may not be too suspicious at first but then eventually the player will come across a note upstairs on the specifics about the house's wine.
Apparently, Castle Dimitrescu has been the source of a high-end vintage wine for centuries. The note says that their best wine is called "Sanguis Virginis" which translates into "maiden's blood".
It's rather clear that the maidens kept in the dungeon are meant to make wine but it's curious to think about what this does for the larger picture within the Resident Evil storyline. Perhaps this wine is a means to infect others to make them vampires as well?
8 Noises In The Dungeon
On their way to escape the dungeon, a quick jumpscare greets the player. Right before the area the player needs a lockpick to escape, there seems to be a room/cell that's heavily barricaded.
It's unclear what's behind the wooden barriers, but what is clear that whatever it is, isn't human. The noises sound akin to the classic Resident Evil zombies fans are so familiar with.
Perhaps these failed experiments of some kind. It seems likely that just maybe some of the maidens kept captive here been infected with something.
7 The Date
In the basement area of the castle, the player finds a note; seemingly written by a newly hired servant. It definitely solidifies the castle's residents as the classic vampire archetype but also allows the player to have an idea of what era/period the demo may take place. Sure, the note could simply be very old and been left in the basement for years, but there's a good chance that this demo takes place in the 50's just like the date on the note (July 1958).
More importantly, this signifies that this demo takes place well before Ethan's visit in the main game; making this somewhat of an unofficial prequel.
6 The Necklace
This little clue may be easy to miss as this item ultimately serves no real purpose in the demo (so far). The necklace the player finds in one of the rooms after escaping the dungeon area is actually the maiden's (the player themselves). It may be easy to gloss over, but after inspecting the item closely, the player realizes that this particular item was taken away from the maiden.
The fact that this necklace was made to ward away evil may hint at when and where this demo takes place.
Perhaps this will be similar to the Resident Evil 7 demo and after an update or two to the "Maiden Demo", the necklace's true purpose will be revealed.
5 The Fireplace
In the main lobby, there are tons of small details that the player can inspect; one of which is the fireplace. The player may notice some rags in the fire, which the maiden says are similar to the ones she has on herself.
This likely means that the Dimitrescu residence is trying to hide how any evidence of how many prisoners they have hostage. It also means that there's a possibility that another maiden had escaped just before the player did and that their efforts were clearly unsuccessful. It seems to be foreshadowing for the unfortunate end of the demo.
4 List Of Candidates
Very similar to the list of names found in the Baker household in Resident Evil 7, it seems as if the Dimitrescu residence is also conducting experiments of some kind. Clearly, they're trying to turn or infect these young women they're capturing but with what is the main question; and what is happening to the "rejects"?
This would explain the loud noises in the dungeon from earlier in the demo. Were those noises the rejected candidates all along?
This also implies that perhaps the maiden the player is controlling in the demo is one of the three names listed under the candidate section. These names may be important to look out for once the actual game is finally released!
3 The Window
Earlier on, the note written by the new servant of the Dimitrescus mentions how the beautiful vampire ladies of the castle despise natural light as they scream in pain at the simple act of opening a window.
After encountering one of the lovely ladies (who also tries to take a bite of the poor maiden), she chases the player as they hurriedly try to make their escape. However, in the room that has the door that leads to supposed salvation (spoiler: it doesn't), the vampire lady doesn't pursue the maiden. It's a rather big coincidence that the first thing that greets the player in this final room is a window, wide open.
Maybe this is the potential hint for how the actual game will play? Perhaps lickers and tyrants don't mind sunlight, but it's possible that these vampire foes may be a bit easier to fend off.
2 The Painting
This portrait is found in the room within the castle with the note about the famous Dimitrescu wine. It's likely that this was Lady Dimitrescu's previous spouse or perhaps the founder of the wine company.
The inexplicable absence of this man portrayed in this ornate portrait may imply that he's simply dead and out of the picture. However, exactly who he is and how he died is up for interpretation until Resident Evil 8 finally comes out. Perhaps Lady Dimitrescu grew tired of being second in charge and decided to take matters into her own hands?
1 Lady Dimitrescu
The ending of the demo finally allows the player to meet the infamous Lady Dimitrescu herself. Although not a boss battle, it does seem to end badly for the poor maiden. What's interesting about their small exchange (other than her ability to grow incredibly long and sharp claws) is that it seems as if Lady Dimitrescu knows the maiden, but hasn't actually met her.
This would make it seem as if the castle doesn't use their servants or maids for their experiments as they would have surely met before this moment if the maiden worked in the castle. It's likely the vampire family kidnaps their victims another way.
This theory also works well with the note written by the new servant and also the note with the candidates and rejects as the name of the servant mentioned in the first note does not appear on the list of candidates.