Resident Evil Village is scheduled to release in May of this year and has already become a hot topic among gamers, thanks in part to the now-iconic Lady Dimitrescu. The pedigree of the survival-horror franchise, though, speaks volumes to this very day.
While the game may be a direct continuation to the story of Resident Evil 7's Ethan Winters, the game seems to be taking some cues from the classic Resident Evil 4 and marks a radical departure from the traditional games in some other aspects, which warrants a comparison between both of these games.
Taking Some Cues From Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil Village may be carrying forward the spirit of the previous game, but it looks to incorporate some elements of Resident Evil 4 as well. First and foremost, the combat of the game has been revamped, as the protagonist has an idea of what to expect from the events of the previous game. Now, there's more attention to blocking and countering enemies, which is a radical departure from the underused block mechanic of the previous game.
As speculated by fans, this decision is made in the spirit of making combat more exciting. There will also be more types of enemies and weapons, which is sure to make the combat feel a more integral part of the experience keeping it in line with the combat loop of Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil Village will also focus on making survival elements a much stronger aspect of the game, which the developers achieved by bringing back the iconic Resident Evil 4 inventory management system.
In the same spirit of things, Resident Evil Village will also include one of the most beloved characters of Resident Evil 4, the trader. Resident Evil 4 has an iconic trader called The Merchant, who would appear at various points in the game and say, "What're ya buyin'?" While the same merchant isn't appearing this time, players will be greeted by an all-new character named The Duke which will serve the same purpose. All of this should combine to make some of the mechanics feel similar to Resident Evil 4, which isn't a bad thing.
There Are Some Differences, However
The most obvious difference between both games is the change in perspective. Resident Evil Village is continuing to use the first-person perspective instead of the third-person seen in Resident Evil 4. While both of them are great in their own rights, the first-person perspective brings the supernatural horror to the forefront while the third-person allows for greater peripheral vision and richer and more cinematic story-telling.
Resident Evil Village will also be considerably longer than Resident Evil 7 which ensures that the gargantuan Lady Dimitrescu and her trio of daughters get ample time to shine. Resident Evil 7 took around 8-10 hours to beat, which felt quite short as the game had been heavily anticipated by a number of long-time fans. Resident Evil Village aims to resolve this complaint by giving players the most extensive story ever told in an RE Engine game. The game looks to be a broad step in the series' new direction, and including elements of fan-favorite games like Resident Evil 4 is sure to keep both series veterans and newer players hooked.
Resident Evil Village is set to release on May 7, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.