Resident Evil had a rocky start to the last decade, but regained its footing and came back stronger than ever with Resident Evil 7 in 2017. The recent remakes of the second and third games in the following years have continued this winning streak.
2021 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the franchise, and the eighth mainline entry, Resident Evil: Village is set to release alongside this celebration, further continuing Ethan Winters' story from the seventh game. Since its announcement in June, details have been parse. Fortunately, Capcom recently revealed a whole slew of information during a showcase on January 21st, giving fans plenty to ponder in the months leading up to release.
10 Releasing May 7th Of 2021
In recent years the franchise has wasted little time in bringing a game to fans after revealing it to the public. During the reveal event, Capcom announced a May 7th release date for Resident Evil: Village.
This is a little longer of a wait than prior entries in the series, but it still less than a year since its debut trailer. Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes made people wait only about six months, but eleven also is not bad for a major franchise.
9 Discovering Why Ethan Is In The Village
The plot is still shrouded in mystery, and most prefer it this way, but more details have come out regarding Ethan's reasons for heading to the spooky location. Apparently, he arrives to find his daughter. Why the infant is there and what Chris Redfield has to do with it is still up in the air, but at least we understand Ethan's basic mission. The poor protagonist will probably go through the wringer once again in Resident Evil: Village.
8 PS5-Exclusive Demo Is A Non-Combat Graphics Showcase
Demos are not as popular as they were during the prior generations, but Capcom still lets players enjoy a small chunk of a game before release. Resident Evil 7 included a unique demo featuring content not meant for the final release, and Resident Evil: Village is doing something similar with Maiden, a PlayStation 5 exclusive playable teaser. Players do not control Ethan, and combat is not the focus, but it should still give one an idea of the game's atmosphere.
7 Ethan Defends Himself By Blocking
Resident Evil is no stranger to gameplay reboots. The most recent big shakeup was the switch to a first-person perspective for Resident Evil 7. Resident Evil: Village looks to take the first-person combat a step further with some gameplay advancements. There looks to be more advanced defensive maneuvers. In the showcase, Ethan blocks an attack from a ghoulish enemy and then kicks them back. While guarding was in Resident Evil 7, the counter-attack is new.
6 Other Platforms Receive Full Demo Closer To Launch
While PlayStation 5 is receiving a special demo, other platforms will not be left in the dust. Closer to release, all other consoles are set to receive a demo of Resident Evil: Village. This playable portion will be taken from the final product, so fans already intent on buying the game probably do not need to play it. Maiden, on the other hand, has content not in the final product.
5 A Return Of The Merchant
Everybody remembers the merchant from Resident Evil 4. While the exact character is not coming back, a shop is returning for the upcoming game. This time, the character is called the Duke. He seems a little more jovial than Resident Evil 4's merchant, and also has a more imposing presence. The village aesthetic reminds one of Resident Evil 4, and the merchant also lends to this comparison. What exactly the Duke will be selling is still unknown, however.
4 The Return Of Crafting
Resident Evil: Village seems to be bringing back a lot of elements from earlier games in the franchise. The inventory is reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, and a crafting system is also returning.
The latter was a part of even the early trilogy on the original PlayStation. It remains to be seen how deep this system will go, however. Will players be able to craft special types of ammo or weapon parts, or will it be simplified?
3 Releasing On Previous Generation Platforms
Upon the initial announcement, the game was slated only for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, producer Peter Fabiano states that versions for the PS4 and Xbox One will also hit marketplaces on May 7th. He gave no word on what concessions these versions will make in order to run. Considering the current-gen versions will utilize the SSD to reduce loading, the versions for older consoles will probably have more load times.
2 Division 2 Crossover
As a part of the Resident Evil twenty-fifth anniversary celebration, Ubisoft announced a crossover event with The Division 2. From February 2nd to the 15th, players will be able to earn aesthetic goodies from the classic survival-horror franchise. Crossover events are nothing new in gaming, but seeing a collaboration between two publishers in a multiplayer game is only a more a recent phenomenon. Of course, Capcom is also known for titles like Marvel Vs. Capcom and Capcom Vs. SNK.
1 A New Multiplayer Game Announced - RE:Verse
Also announced during the showcase was a player vs player multiplayer game called RE:Verse. The trailer reveals a vastly different aesthetic than what fans are used to in Resident Evil, feeling like a fun cartoonish competitive game. It utilizes the over-the-shoulder gameplay of Resident Evil 4 and the remakes, and players will also control a zombie upon death. Like Resident Evil: Resistance, RE:Verse is free with a purchase of Resident Evil: Village.