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Ethan Winters can't seem to catch a break. Even after the harrowing battle against the Bakers, the down-on-his-luck protagonist finds himself knee-deep in horror tropes and scrambling to survive yet another demented family. This time, Ethan is trapped in a small village, set beneath a looming castle and teeming with all sorts of fanged baddies. Your introduction to Resident Evil Village is a series of small cutscenes, followed by an absolutely nerve-wracking battle through a horde of speedy enemies. It's easy to get overwhelmed in the tight confines of the small village and the Lycanthrope-like enemies you face will rip you to shreds if they get within lunging range.

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It's easy to be caught off-guard by this event too, as you'll progress from searching a seemingly empty town to running for your life through dilapidated houses and snow-covered roads at the snap of a finger. Resident Evil Village doesn't ease you into the action like its predecessors and surviving the village attack can be downright difficult. Thankfully, there are some smart strategies you can employ and some nifty shortcuts you can take to keep yourself alive through the event.

Surviving The Beginning

After receiving the Handgun and crawling from a horrible pit of bodies, you'll find yourself in an area with a locked gate. Entering the home you were just in and backtracking to where the man almost shot Ethan, you'll find a pair of Bolt Cutters on the shelf. Use these cutters to open the gate and proceed further into the village.

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After crossing a small waterway (across a tiny bridge), you'll spot a house directly in front of you. Enter the house and barricade the door with the nearby shelf (it's directly next to the doorway inside). Move over to the Radio to examine it and then check the area for any supplies. After that, make your way upstairs and snag the supplies there. Once a Lycan latches to the nearby window, the real fun begins.

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Head back downstairs and near the radio. Turn around and a Lycan will be near the bottom of the stairs. You'll have to fend this one off. Try to keep your distance and aim for the head as much as possible. Attacking them with the knife can be tricky and it's easy to be overwhelmed by their attacks. After some well-placed shots, the monster should go down. Once it's defeated, the radio will come to life, informing Ethan of a place that survivors are gathering. Remove the barricade from the door and head back outside, immediately turning to your left and around the side of the house. You'll notice the gate that was there before has been completely knocked down, giving you access to the rest of the village.

Once you breach the wall, you'll be greeted with snarls and noises all around you. If you look up, you'll see tons of Lycans posted on the rooftops of nearby buildings. Your goal should be to head left from the gate opening and towards the house across from you. Enter the home as quickly as possible and prepare yourself, this is where things get intense.

Surviving The Main Attack

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As soon as you enter the house, you'll spot a Shotgun on the table. Grab it quickly and loot anything you can (check the drawer to the left of the entrance for some Gunpowder before making your way to the back room and diving down the ladder into the crawlspace below. Pick up anything you can find and progress your way through the "basement" until you come to an opening in the wall. This is where the real battle begins. Once you breach the opening you'll be swarmed with Lycans and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Keep a level head and run straight up the path in front of you and towards the house on a hill.

As you make your way towards the house, you'll reach a point where you can run left around the back of the house or right around the front of it. Turn to the right (to avoid a Lycan hiding to the left) and run around the outside of the home until you find the entrance. Barricade the door as soon as you're inside and loot what you can from the ground level. From here you have two options. You can wait until the Lycan at the back of the house breaches the window and then use it to escape towards the back of the house, or you can climb the ladder nearby onto the roof. The safer option is to wait until the Lycan breaches the window and then juke around him to make your exit, as climbing onto the roof puts you in danger of arrow fire and any waiting Lycans.

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If you head north from this house, you can find a spot nearby a Large Red Gate (and a locked door). This area is pretty open, making it easy to maneuver around the Lycans but it also features an explosive barrel that you can bait them into.

Surviving The End Of The Attack

After a few moments of scrambling, you'll notice a massive hammer-wielding Lycan enter the area. This is where things get tricky and it can be easy to become overwhelmed if you trap yourself down a dead-end or become swarmed with enemies. You'll want to keep note of your surroundings and run past as many enemies as possible, keeping distance between you and them. Eliminate the ones that you can and move from location to location as quickly as possible. The key is to never stay in the same place for very long. You'll want to keep moving, as mobility is the main factor in surviving the onslaught.

Eventually, after enough time has passed, Ethan will be struck with a stray arrow and a cut-scene will take place.

Tips For Surviving

There are a ton of enemies during the attack but it's relatively easy to run around them. The area of the village where the attack takes place is pretty wide open so it's easy to keep a ton of distance between you and the Lycans. That said, it's also important to make sure you don't "back yourself into a corner." Study the map and make sure you know where all of the dead-ends are. It's much harder to make it around the enemy if you get stuck down one of these corridors.

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Another important tip is to make use of the two explosive barrels placed around the area. One of them is found near the large Red Gate to the north of the house with the ladder and it's easy to kite two or three Lycans near the barrel before blowing it up. If they're close enough it should down them instantly, offering up some Lei as a reward (which can come in handy later). The other barrel is located inside the house with the ladder. Be aware that the room it's in is very small and you don't want to get caught up in the explosion. The easiest way to utilize it is to lead enemies into the doorway and hop out the window, before turning and firing on it from the outside.

Make sure you don't get anywhere close to Urias and his massive hammer. His reach is much wider than it looks and getting tagged by the hammer is punishing. Lycans can lunge a lot father than it would seem so try not to gravitate too close to them. It takes too much time to "start moving" once you've stopped and that gives Lycans more than enough room to grab you. Keep moving, watch your surroundings, and you'll survive the attack unscathed.

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