During Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal event on June 11, 2020, Capcom finally unveiled the heavily rumored eighth mainline entry in their storied Resident Evil franchise. Resident Evil: Village seems to be changing things up again, but it is difficult to make a judgment about any other facets of the title, given how little information is available about the project.
Still, the reveal gives fans plenty to be excited about while also confirming all the rumors that had been floating around. Considering how great the recent Resident Evil games have been, including the recent remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, fans can rest assured knowing Resident Evil: Village will be a worthy entry in the franchise.
10 What We Know: Ethan Is The Playable Character
Players will once again jump into the shoes of Ethan Winter, the main protagonist of Resident Evil 7. What causes him to go on yet another nightmarish journey is unknown, but it is likely tragic. Resident Evil heroes generally don't happily waltz their way into a leading role, and no way would Ethan willingly jump into such a terrifying experience again after his encounter with the Bakers.
9 Burning Question: Is It Supernatural?
The trailer shows some wild imagery one would not expect from a Resident Evil game. Someone who appears to be a werewolf howls like they're straight out of an old Universal Pictures monster movie. Earlier reports also mention witches, who may have also been the women shown in the trailer. Will Resident Evil dive full speed ahead into the magic and supernatural, or will a rational explanation ground the terror?
8 What We Know: Setting
The trailer confirms the subtitle, which also reveals the game's setting. Instead of a single estate like Resident Evil 7, the eighth entry will take place in a village. This is not the first time the series utilized a rural setting; Resident Evil 4, perhaps the series' most celebrated entry, took place in a Spanish village. While the exact location is unknown, the new setting does not appear to be the same village as in Resident Evil 4.
7 Burning Questions: Tone
With a Resident Evil title, it is impossible to know the game will go in a more action-oriented direction or a straight-up survival horror experience. Will Resident Evil: Village retain the slow horror of Resident Evil 7, or is it striving for a faster experience?
The most recent game in the franchise, Resident Evil 3's remake, was more action-packed than the Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 2 remakes. It will be impossible to know until the studio reveals a gameplay demonstration.
6 What We Know: RE Engine
Capcom has released some of the best-looking games of the current generation, thanks to their immaculate RE Engine. Not only does is the aesthetic fantastic, but many of the games reach sixty frames per second. The company will continue to utilize this engine into the next generation. One should not expect this to hold the game back, either, since it will be a full next-generation experience, with no PS4 or Xbox One version.
5 Burning Question: Will Zombies Return?
Resident Evil started as a zombie survival horror experience. Other monsters had always been included since the beginning, however, and Resident Evil 4 eschewed the undead altogether. Will the upcoming game see these beasts return? The recent remakes have proven how scary zombies can still be, despite their overuse in pop culture. Given the tone it appears the game is going for, it would not be surprising to see something more akin to Frankenstein's monster than zombies.
4 What We Know: First-Person Perspective
Resident Evil 7 moved the action into a first-person perspective to heighten the scares. With the third-person horror of the two remakes, people did not know which style the next sequel would embrace. Alas, the trailer shows some action directly through Ethan's eyes. Some bemoan first-person games, but there's no denying how much it adds to the terror, and numerous horror titles of this generation have utilized the perspective as well.
3 Burning Question: Umbrella
The trailer shows a quick flash of the Umbrella logo. What exactly is the company's involvement in this village? Are they at fault for all the monsters and grotesque sights happening in this rural area? If so, is it something they did recently or did they stick their noses here decades ago? The company was destroyed between Resident Evil 3 and 4, but maybe somebody brought them back.
2 What We Know: No Load Times
In another video released recently after the trailer dropped, two of the game's producers promise no load times for a seamless journey through this living nightmare. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the game is eschewing current-generation versions. By taking full advantage of the next-generation hardware, they can have bigger environments without load times. The new Solid State Drive, or SSD, might have something to do with it as well.
1 Burning Question: Chris
The biggest question mark hanging over the game is Chris Redfield's involvement in the story. It looks like he attacks Ethan, and even though he appears to be remorseful, he kills someone clearly important to the protagonist. It looks like Chris is shooting Mia, Ethan's wife whom Ethan sets out to rescue in Resident Evil 7. If this is the case, the game's emotional stakes would be higher than any other entry in the series.