Capcom’s Silver Bullet?

Introduction

With Capcom going through what seems to be a renaissance, punching out more games than Chris Redfield(portrayed by Jeff Schine) punches boulders, it comes to no one’s surprise that the company went right in with another entry to their iconic horror franchise, Resident Evil.

Resident Evil Village (aka Resident Evil 8 ) is a special cookie that blends everything that came before it, resulting in a love letter to the franchise. However, this concoction of different tones can present mixed opinions to those playing it. Think of it as going through the franchise’s greatest hits, and with a series as large as Resident Evil, there are bound to be some missteps.

Plot and Setting

The game takes place three years after the events of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, continuing the gruesome tale of Ethan Winters(portrayed by Todd Soley). Ethan is now happily married to his wife, Mia(Katie O’Hagan), and is the father to an adorable baby girl called Rose.

Ethan then wakes up near a desolate village infested with werewolves, vampires, and other Twilight rejects that go bump in the night. However, being the ultimate father and human punching bag that he is, Ethan ventures forth to save his daughter from the sinister forces that lurk within the demented shire.

Resident Evil 8 feels like a tribute to the classic gothic folk tales its monsters and locations are based on. Following the same gameplay mechanics from the previous game with the more action-packed pacing of the Resident Evil 4.

Capcom has always been known for experimenting with their flagship horror franchise, moving past the humble zombie beginnings of Raccoon City to charter different territories. While the series is about biohazards and irresponsible corporations fuelled by greed, it rarely sticks to one particular contagion for very long.

The setting for the titular village takes many attributes from the fourth game, including its imposing castle. The only difference is that the lord of this magnificent fortress happens to be the voluptuous 9ft+ vampire lady instead of a hobbit Napoleon.

Resi 8 follows suit with its first-person gameplay from the last entry but expands its horror to an entire “European” village. While the titular village initially functioned as a place of dread, it slowly evolved into the game’s hub area. There is always a level of uncertainty when exploring the hazardous hamlet, as developers manage to keep its threatening ambience at a constant high.

This hub area extended into four locations on the village’s outskirts, each one belonging to one of the four lords. These locations, along with the lord governing them, have their own theme and pacing.

Castle Dimitrescu felt like the closest thing to the classic games’ mansions and even had our lovely bloodthirsty lady function as a stalker enemy. I can imagine many gamers gleefully running towards our favourite lady until the sharp and deadly claws spring out to gut them. That said, the beautifully decorated castle makes it challenging to fear the enemies that lurk within. The dungeons below are a different story, as the winding dark labyrinths invite ambushes.

While Lady Dimestriscu’s castle did feel nostalgic, it is Donna Benevento’s dollhouse of terror that really cranked up the horror levels to one million, stripping Ethan off all his weapons and having him skulk the halls of this nightmare completely defenceless. This area is probably the closest thing the franchise has come to toying around with the supernatural, with spectres wandering the cabin’s halls while Ethan solves the mysteries within. However, it is sad to say that this location can be completed quickly, even by Resident Evil standards.

The second half of the game is where everything goes nuts as Ethan has to traverse through a factory-themed level inspired by Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, only to culminate with a giant edition of Robot Wars. Despite the craziness of the premise, the franchise is no stranger to these bizarre moments. After all, it is the series that brought us the boulder-punching meme that is Chris Redfield.

Characters and Performances

Ethan Winters has been given the Leon S Kennedy treatment for his latest game with the help of military training during the three-year time skip, turning the character into an utter badass. His single-minded crusade to protect his daughter from the clutches of the villages’ lords has also turned him into one of the most ruthless protagonists in the series. However, he has developed a habit of giving off cheesy quips like the rest of the series’ protagonists.

While Ethan is probably the most grounded character of the bunch, Karl Heisenberg is definitely the most bombastic. In every scene he is in, he steals the spotlight. Neil Newbon’s portrayal of the villain is like watching Nicolas Cage going nuts while playing the role of Magneto.

Then there is Lady Dimitrescu (Maggie Robertson), whose height and proportions have played heavily into Resident Evil’s marketing strategy. She plays probably the most charming villain in the game but sadly does not make it past the first quarter. Donna Benevento (Andi Norris) was another charismatic powerhouse who did not get enough time to shine. Her playful yet unhinged nature could have made her stand out among the siblings if Capcom put more effort into it.

Gameplay and Mechanics

The controls are pretty much the same as the last entry, with Ethan being slightly nimbler than the tank on legs he once was whilst in combat, thanks to his ability to quick-turn. However, the game encourages you to take the enemy head-on and even includes a guard button if fights get a bit too intimate. Unless you unload a shotgun shell into their craniums, these creatures are regular bullet sponges managing to absorb a lot of punishment you deal with them. That said, on lower difficulties Ethan can murder his way through wolfmen without even breaking a sweat.

The random swerving moments of Ganados from Resi 4 makes a return in the latest instalment for the Lycans and Moroaicas, making them that little bit harder to headshot. Some of these creatures even go the extra mile and wear amour or wield weapons. Sometimes you need a grenade or two to take Fido and friends down for good, especially on the higher difficulties.

Resident Evil 8’s greatest weakness is that the game lacks any challenge on its standard difficulty, as powerful opponents go down like absolute chumps for most fights, including mini-bosses. Some players even play through several events of the game armed with only the dagger. Hardcore is where the challenge is at. Enemies do and take more damage and are far more aggressive than they are on the standard-setting. While playing on Hardcore, I felt that constant state of dread far more than I did on the lower difficulties.

The Inventory System

The game abandons the storage box system from the remakes and instead uses Resident Evil 4’s Tetris-like grid inventory system, but with the crafting mechanics of the seventh entry. This scheme gives Ethan enough firepower to wipe a small village off the map on regular difficulties, as he always has more than enough ammo for any challenge. This mechanic gets cancelled out on the harder modes, where the enemies become actual walking meat tanks, requiring one to play a lot more cautiously.

The enemies drop loot that can be cashed in by the local merchant, an enigma going by the name of the Duke, who is probably the only friendly face in the entire deranged community. This charismatic big boy follows Ethan throughout his adventure, selling him weapons and items in the process. The Duke can also upgrade Ethan’s arsenal, making them more effective against the many monsters Ethan tends to encounter. The man even cooks for him as well, if you find the right ingredients for him, granting Ethan permanent bonuses to his abilities.

Puzzles

Resident Evil 8 has some interesting brainteasers to wrap one’s head around, but most of them are entirely exclusive to a single escape room. Admittingly, I found the room to be rather complex, more so than the other puzzles in the game. This location was much more surreal in tone, taking inspiration from media like The Ring or the Playable Teaser for Silent Hill. The puzzles here required the player to pay closer attention to their surroundings, while spectres and monsters stalk Ethan through tight corridors.

Speaking about the rest of the puzzles, they were borderline pathetic. There is one particular puzzle in the game that has Ethan press random keys on a piano to match them up with a musical score. The problem with this puzzle is that Ethan could figure it out by just sliding his fingers along the keys. This brain fart of an attempt at a puzzle is a joke compared to the intricate machinations the franchise has dished out in the past.

Graphics and Style

While Resi 8 was built using the RE-Engine, also used for Resident Evil 7 and 2’s Remake, it did not seem like the developers tried to push any new graphical boundaries, at least on the PS4. The game manages to keep to the standard 30fps and does not suffer from any difficulties regarding rendering objects at a distance, unlike other cross-generational releases.

The village’s design still manages to generate an ambience of dread, especially when playing the harder difficulties, yet the idea of having most of the events set in broad daylight took away from the horror. Most of the game’s better moments are when Capcom decides to switch off the lights and let our imagination do all the work. For example, the upper parts of Lady Dimitrescu’s castle are not intimidating, but her dungeon sure is.

After getting a chance to play Resi 8 on the PS5, certain effects became more prevalent such as lighting, textures and even particle effects. Something which caught my attention was finding dust particles in the first cottage just outside the titular shire.

Sound and Music

Resident Evil definitely shines in the sound and music department. A creaking window or the scuttling of a nearby beast can keep you on edge, especially while wearing headphones. Capcom’s developers are professionals when it comes to building tension, and Resident Evil Village carries that eerie legacy with pride. During the opening portion of the game, Ethan is stalked by a group of Lycans, but they take their time before revealing themselves. The player can hear them grunt and crawl about, like a pack of wolves stalking their prey.

Conclusion

While most Capcom games tend to acquire the more challenging modes upon completion, it is still disappointing that the standard difficulty feels lacklustre. That said, Village’s excellent gunplay and replayability are enough to keep you going. Playing on Hardcore was tremendously fun, and I am excited to see what the expansion has in store for me.

Resident Evil Village is a mixed bag, with its content depending on the player’s taste. While I am not too fussy in that regard, many players might have a less than stellar experience based on their perspective of the franchise. It is like having pineapples on pizza; you either like it or you don’t. However, I would still recommend this game despite its flaws.

If you are a fan of more action-oriented horror franchises, such as FEAR or the Dead Space, or have an affinity for nine-foot-tall vampire ladies, then I can recommend this game wholeheartedly.