Last week, Capcom hosted a Resident Evil showcase event that gave players an in-depth look at Resident Evil Village alongside the new multiplayer game called Re: Verse. Throughout the presentation, Capcom gave players an overview of what to expect from Resident Evil Village, its setting, characters, gameplay, and more.
However, one location that got the most attention from Capcom is the castle that appears to be the residence of the now popular vampire woman named Lady Dimitrescu. In the latest gameplay preview, players will see the extravagantly-furnished castle, which is heavily inspired by the Victorian-era. Veteran players of the franchise would also know all too well that this is not the first high-end residence featured in Resident Evil, and the inclusion of this castle in Resident Evil Village goes to show Capcom's obsession with haunted mansions.
Capcom's Obsession With Haunted Residences
Although the entirety of the castle that players will be able to explore in Resident Evil Village remains to be seen, it is obvious that it bears a striking similarity with the iconic Spencer Mansion from the first Resident Evil game. Capcom shows the lavishly designed castle filled with creeping hallways inspired by a Victorian-era aesthetic. However, instead of zombies and Hunters, the castle in Resident Evil Village appears to be crawling with female vampires set into consuming Ethan Winters' blood. It is worth noting that the Spencer Mansion and the castle from Resident Evil Village are not the only high-end residences featured in the franchise. In Resident Evil: Code Veronica, players explored the Ashford family mansion.
The mansion's great hall is heavily inspired by the Spencer Mansion from the first Resident Evil game, designed by the architect George Trevor. In Resident Evil 5, Chris and Jill ventured into the Spencer Estate, another mansion owned by Umbrella founder Ozwell E. Spencer. In Resident Evil 7, players ventured into the mansion of the Baker family. It is worth noting that while the Baker family's home is not as lavishly designed as the previous examples, it still featured a large area filled with all sorts of hallways that gave players a claustrophobic feel. But what should players expect from the castle in Resident Evil:Village? Based on the game's preview, it is apparent that Capcom is paying homage to the game that started the franchise by filling the castle with puzzles that players would have to solve to explore other areas. The castle is the perfect setting for the survival-horror formula that made Resident Evil a household name, giving players an idea of what a next-gen Resident Evil Remake could look like.
Resident Evil Village Shows Shinji Mikami's Original Concept for Resident Evil
The castle from Resident Evil Village shows the original concept of Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami had for the first game. Although it is crazy to think what the classic Resident Evil games would look like without the iconic fixed camera angles, it is worth noting that this was not the original idea of Mikami. According to interviews Mikami gave during the release of the first game, Capcom originally intended for Resident Evil to be played from a first-person perspective. However, due to the limitations of gaming technology then, Mikami decided to place the 3D character models in pre-rendered backgrounds, which made Resident Evil stand out from games of the same genre.
Of course, given that Resident Evil Village is played in the first person and is set in a location that is similar to the Spencer Mansion, players will be able to see what a remake of the first game could look like from a perspective that the original title was supposed to be in. It is unclear whether all of this was just a coincidence or whether Capcom intended all of this to happen in preparation for another remake of Resident Evil.
It is worth noting that Capcom is planning to make another reimagining of a classic Resident Evil game. Although the next remake would likely be Resident Evil 4, the possibility of a new remake of the first Resident Evil game is not out of the cards yet, especially since Capcom has previously shown interest in revisiting the game that started it all.
Resident Evil Village launches May 7th, 2021, for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.