Warning: Spoilers for Resident Evil Village main story and DLCGiven the main game's positive reception and huge number of sales, Capcom was able to provide fans with a much-requested DLC in Resident Evil Village: Shadows Of Rose. The main story provided exposition toward Ethan Winters' fate off the back of Resident Evil 7 and his ordeal with the possessed Baker family. This DLC gave fans a greater understanding and closed with a bittersweet end.
There are a lot of pleasing additions here from Capcom which surprised many players in both horror and gameplay aspects. However, there were also a few features that could have been better with more attention given to them by developers.
5 Best: Horror Sequences
After the terrifying expressions and experiences for many players when it came down to the main story's horrifying baby scene, Capcom doubled down here and provided yet another anxiety-inducing sequence within this DLC. In the same region, Rose comes across a set of dolls and puzzles she must solve before advancing toward her goal of obtaining the crystal and removing her powers. Similar to the TV series Doctor Who and its Weeping Angels, the player must keep their eyes fixated on each of these dolls in order to stay alive and make their way out.
Every time they look away, these enemies will move quickly and hunt Rose down, and hearing their footsteps with the inability to see them moving sets up for an experience of true terror. Sequences such as this one prove to heighten the level of reception within each Resident Evil title, as the survival horror tone is the origins of the franchise, and what fans are most familiar with.
4 Best: Rose's Powers
One of the more surprising additions to the game was the introduction of powers, and the player's ability to use this in enemy encounters. It is unlike anything fans have seen in the franchise yet. Whilst characters such as Wesker and Krauser exist in the Resident Evil universe, using their powers in their Mercenaries modes is not the same as when fighting them as CPU, so this could be an indication of what may lie ahead in the next installment.
Throughout the DLC, players will encounter flasks that contribute toward Rose's enhancement in power before finally taking on Mother Miranda in the final sequence. The power itself is simple in terms of how it functions within gameplay: just freezing enemies and opening pathways. However, it still provided a fresh feel to the game whilst the game also maintained the survival horror aspect fans know and love.
3 Best: Improved Final Boss
Speaking of Rosemary's powers, it was fitting to see that the final boss battle of the DLC was Mother Miranda while using Rose too. The original fight within the game's main story took place between Ethan and Miranda, which was much more difficult considering the closed narrow space, and the player's reliance on weapons. This time around, the DLC takes its time, allowing Rose to begin to flourish with the use of her powers. This gives the player the ability to dodge and absorb Miranda's attacks, to send them right back at her.
Whilst this is not particularly game-changing or exceptional, it was refreshing for many players to be able to have a better stake amid boss fights, rather than being the one to backpedal. Considering the presence of Rose's powers, this fight appears to be much more believable in comparison to other encounters such as Leon up against Sadler or Krauser in Resident Evil 4.
2 Worst: Too Short
A complaint that was common for one of Capcom's more recent remakes, Resident Evil 3, was its short length in runtime due to the amount of content that was cut from the game. Because Shadows Of Rose is an expansion of the main story, many fans will understand that it would more than likely be much shorter. Still, many players expected the DLC to provide more time for exploration and a chance to use Rose's powers.
For those who have never played the main story and were looking to play through both experiences, this Gold Edition stands as a more purchase. Fans who may have played the original story already may not particularly be pleased with the DLC's short length.
1 Worst: Annoying Repetitive Enemy
Aside from the implementation of the creepy dolls in the House Benviento region of the game, this new face-eating creature tends to be more frustrating and annoying than scary. Playing on the hardcore difficulty would result in quicker deaths, and with these enemies littered all around the entire DLC, players may feel that it quickly becomes monotonous and boring.
Despite these enemies drawing close similarities to Resident Evil 4's regenerators with the physical designs, after a few times getting caught up in their grasp, fans will know how frustrating it can be. Whilst Capcom must be praised for the attempt of switching things up and avoiding the reuse of the werewolf-like Lycans in the main story, it still often felt lackluster in certain moments, which goes hand in hand with the DLC's short runtime.
Resident Evil Village: Shadows Of Rose is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.