After the first trailer for the newest Resident Evil game dropped, a new meme was born. Fans of the survival horror game took the internet to name one of the best memes with the game's antagonist, a vampire lady known as Lady Dimitrescu.
With her towering height, pale skin, and cunning smile, she became an overnight internet sensation. There is more to Resident Evil Village than the timely meme about Lady Dimitrescu, though.
The game has been touted as one of the best in the series. To find out more about the game, what it is about, its release date, and everything in between, check out the article below.
What Is Resident Evil Village?
Resident Evil Village is a direct sequel to Resident Evil Biohazard. It is an upcoming survival horror game from Capcom and follows Ethan Winters as the protagonist.
The game is the tenth entry to the franchise following the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. It is, however, the eighth game according to the storyline. When Capcom unveiled the game's trailer to the world, there were certain elements of the game that immediately captured the eye of fans.
The Village takes different elements from previous installments and made it into a genre-defining game with its take on vampires and werewolves. The game's art even featured Chris Redfield's silhouette alongside a werewolf-like creature.
Where to Pre-Purchase and Download?
The game was announced during the PlayStation 5 reveal event held last June 2020. During the event, it was announced that Resident Evil Village would be available for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. It is scheduled for release on May 7, 2021.
Players can pre-purchase the game in major outlets such as the PlayStation Store and the Xbox store. You may also head over to the game's official website for pre-orders. Apart from these major outlets, Resident Evil Village is also available for pre-purchase on Steam for PC gamers.
The Story
Resident Evil Village directly follows Ethan Winters' story as he begins to settle into a new life with his partner and child. Set a few years after Resident Evil Biohazard's events, Ethan is once again thrust into the world of horror and the unknown as Chris Redfield abducts his child and seemingly murders his wife. This forces Ethan to travel to a European country in search of his child.
Our protagonist must explore and find out what happened to his child while also trying to survive the many monsters that lurk in the corners of the castle, including the tall vampire lady.
Lady Dimitrescu might be Resident Evil Village's face, but there is still more to the game than just the deadly beauty of the vampire lady.
The Maiden Demo provided a lot of hints on what's to come within the game. While the Maiden Demo was set at an earlier time than the game, the demo featured different areas and a sneak preview of the different inhabitants of the castle, including our favorite vampire lady.
Development
Resident Evil Village takes a lot of inspiration from Resident Evil 4 with its European setting and a town overrun by monsters and creatures that seek to murder you around every corner.
In a recent interview done by UK PlayStation Magazine, the producer mentioned that they wanted to make the game as authentic as possible. By incorporating familiar aesthetics, they would bring everything good to the forefront.
The game not only takes its inspiration from Resident Evil 4's locale but also its combat, puzzle-solving, and exploration. Players that are familiar with Resident Evil 4's gameplay should be at home with Village's mechanics. However, producers have warned that the game is focused on the horror aspect instead of the previous game's action-heavy tone.
Gameplay
Resident Evil Village borrows different gameplay mechanics from other Resident Evil video games but takes heavy inspiration from Resident Evil 4. It's no surprise that the game wants to emulate the success of Resident Evil 4 by bringing familiar mechanics to the game so players can easily jump right into the action.
The game features a larger map than any other game in the series. As an open world, players will get to explore the hallways of the castle and the dungeon underneath it, and the streets of the town.
The large map allows players to discover hidden areas and places to explore while also maintaining a near-authentic European vibe to the region. Resident Evil Village also has a merchant known as The Duke, where you get to purchase different weapons and upgrade them like you.
The non-playable character functions were similar to those found in previous games, where you can buy and sell your weapons in exchange for more powerful ones.
In-Game Mechanics
During the game's trailer's premiere, many took notice of the way the game was being played apart from its first-person perspective. The game was already polished when it comes to its in-game mechanics. The creatures were vastly different from the previous iterations and featured monsters like werewolves, vampires, and the usual undead.
Players will be excited to know that the game places great emphasis on guarding against attacks from enemies and even kicking them out of your way. This makes it so that players can have more interaction and skill expression during combat, and the more you learn about guarding, the less you take damage and survive better in the game.
Another in-game mechanic that players are surely familiar with is inventory management. Players will have to carefully manage the item slots within their inventory to store as many items as possible. The grid-based inventory ensures that you can only carry certain weapons, so planning is beneficial in this game and crafting ammo and first aid kits.
What Do We Know So Far?
During the PS5 reveal event held last year, Resident Evil Village was announced, and details of the game were made available. There are still some key elements of the game that are still up in the air, but Capcom has made it a point to deliver the best game in the Resident Evil series with Village.
For those who own the PlayStation 5, you can launch a demo of the game called Maiden, where you roam around the castle and get to meet our lovely Lady Dimitrescu.
Capcom has also announced that a second demo will be released in spring that will cater to other platforms so everyone can have a piece of the pie in getting to experience the demo as well. This is a massive approach for Capcom, knowing that it has betted everything in this entry of the franchise.
RE: Verse
Resident Evil Village also comes with a multiplayer game mode called RE: Verse. The mode features a six-person deathmatch featuring all the popular characters of the franchise. Play as Jill Valentine or Leon Kennedy amongst other characters and duke it out with your friends.
Players will also get to play the game mode in popular Resident Evil settings such as the Raccoon City Police Department. The multiplayer game mode will be available for free for those who purchase the game.
Other Features
With the gaming world waiting to get their hands on Resident Evil Village, there are so many things to unpack apart from its gameplay and storyline. Capcom has announced that they will also be selling bundles that will include Resident Evil Biohazard alongside Village to have a continuous experience.
This is highly advisable for those who want to understand our titular hero's background before jumping over to the newest game.
Different Bundles
Players are also given a chance to own different editions of the game. Capcom has offered a Deluxe Edition where you get in-game items like the Samurai's Edge and many other options like swapping the elements of the game with RE7.
This should be a good bundle to take for those who want to play RE7 first and then immediately play Resident Evil Village with all the aesthetics intact.
The Collector's Edition will include all the features from the Deluxe Edition. It will also feature a steel bookcase and many other items like a poster, a Chris Redfield figure, an artbook and is delivered in an authentic collector's item box.
Conclusion
Resident Evil Village mainly follows the themes of Resident Evil 4 with its first-person perspective and the use of a merchant system in the game. The game also takes a lot of inspiration and continues the storyline of Resident Evil Biohazard, making it one of the most interesting combinations of two different Resident Evil games so far.
With so many people enamored by the glamor and sinister charm of Lady Dimitrescu alongside the game's core gameplay mechanics, new settings, likable protagonist, and exciting new creatures, Resident Evil Village is poised to become one of the series' best entries yet.
