Some time ago, I presented my preview of Resident Evil 7 and its protagonist: Ethan Winters. Today, we continue his Saga with the logical continuation of the story: Resident Evil Village which promises us new challenges. Is the game worth the candle? here is my opinion on ps4 pro...
History
You are Ethan Winters. After having managed to escape from the Bakers family in Louisiana, some kind of psychopaths under the influence of the mold coming from the mutamycete fungus, you are finally happy in a relationship with Mia, protected by Chris Redfield and his organization. In addition, you have a little girl: Rosemary Winters. When one evening, Mia is brutally murdered and you and your daughter are taken away by Chris. So many questions arise...
After an accident, here you are in a dark village, with creatures who seem to be as angry with you as they are with the villagers, your daughter has disappeared, you don't know where you are... and, to make matters worse, you you're going to have to fight against some nefarious and powerful creatures to save your daughter, and maybe your life... and has the mold struck again? The Bakers weren't so bad after all!
My opinion: Many questions will find their answer in this opus. Many "strangenesses" encountered during your journey and which resemble scriptwriting facilities are resolved in the end by a much deeper explanation. Whether at the level of the villains with the very charismatic and well-known Lady Dimitrescu, the very intriguing Heisenberg or even Mother Miranda, we will find ourselves with colorful characters. However, others are much too superficial and downright "poor" in substance such as Donna or Moreau. My big question will concern the Duke, a real enigma! I am also quite surprised and happy by the interesting and surprising ending...
Graphics & atmosphere
At launch, we are offered a drastic choice between "visual" or "performance". On PS4 pro, I opted for "performance" as the "visual" setting made the console blow, which was visibly preparing for take-off. Even in performance mode, we are quite often entitled to intensive ventilation. On PS5, no problem to report.
Graphically, the game is really beautiful and offers us exciting environments. The general atmosphere of the game gives us a dark and unhealthy impression emanating directly from each place and character encountered. We travel from one area to another with its own atmosphere although uneven in terms of the impression it leaves. The Dimitrescu Castle, for example, is superb, while the Factory is more reminiscent of the labs of Return to Castle Wolfenstein with its atypical enemies. Note all the same the bosses who have a really successful design and offer dantesque scenes with the integrated photo mode.
Gameplay
The game reminds us a bit of Resident Evil 4 in its way of approaching the inventory and the presence of the merchant that we will meet at the essential points. As for the rest of the gameplay, we stay on Resident Evil 7 with a classic FPS view and not TPS as in Resident 2/3 (remake version). We will walk around quietly searching the areas with the objective of recovering fairly meager resources, which will force the player to be careful not to waste his ammunition too much and not to manufacture anything at the risk of ending up in trouble during crucial moments.
The game is roughly divided into 5 areas which will have gameplay each bringing an element of its own, and elements which will hinder the player in one way or another. For example, we will find ourselves in an entire section without weapons to progress in an area where the escape and your logic will hit the mark, while elsewhere, you will simply have to knock out everything that happens by completing the little puzzles that are here and there. There are still the many puzzles that also delight aficionados of the series, neither too complicated nor too simple, as long as you do a little research and / or that you make your material work. grey.
More generally, except for a few novelties in the gameplay such as the fact of being able to place barricades in certain places to protect yourself, we have already seen everything else in the previous games, and the elements that worked really well have been taken over for Ethan. We will also find moments that will recall the previous parts like Lady Dimitruscu who will follow you and chase you to Mr. X or Nemesis … but only in a few corridors, no more. Or character changes such as controlling Chris, completely overpowered, for a time, with a completely different gameplay and atmosphere... elements that have been the strength of previous games in the saga. However, as said above, it's less intense and less stressful for the player, you don't really feel the danger for your pain and that's a bit of a shame.
The inventory is clearly based on Resident Evil 4 and its briefcase system. We can increase the space by buying what is needed from the Duke, in addition to having separate tabs for key objects, treasures and above all what is interesting: manufacturing objects. We can store these which will remain visible in the "manufacturing" tab, which will ask for recipes that you can also buy from the Duke.
The Duke
Interesting character who will help you in his own way, because we pamper our customers... I name the Duke. Seller who will always be at the most important points by some miracle and always in the right place at the right time, he will give you valuable information in addition to selling you weapons, ammunition, recipes, remedies and many other things. In addition, it will allow you to improve your weapons against cold hard currency, as well as a redemption of your most precious goods, or your objects that have become useless.
But its most curious feature will remain the kitchen. By hunting animals, you will be able to collect meat and fish to cook dishes and increase your stats permanently. Rumor has it that three animals give quality meat, and make for truly beneficial dishes, some documents and photos will give you approximate locations where they may have been seen. Moreover, these dishes will be permanently unlocked for your future games in NG+.
Mercenary Mode, New Game Plus & Special Shop
Once the game is finished, you can buy a special mode for 10 CP in the special store. You will play Ethan in short missions that will require you to kill a certain number of enemies before finding the exit. Only, other things will be taken into account: the number of enemies killed, the combos, the money collected and the time remaining to ensure you a maximum score. To help you, you will have golden orbs that will add time, and purple orbs that will give you skills. The goal is to achieve a maximum score knowing that there are several ranks up to SS. With rank A, you will have access to the next level, and so on...
With successes in Mercenary Mode and Story Mode, you'll unlock CP which you can use to purchase rewards such as special weapons, infinite ammo, and collectibles like concept art and more. For New games plus, you will keep your weapons and ammo, as well as the kitchen you have already unlocked.
Summary
Resident Evil Village is a compendium of many things that made the success of previous episodes. With its gloomy atmosphere, its own style and a really not bad gameplay, you would think that it would really be beyond reproach. However, some false notes slip into the background and risk tainting the player's feeling, which is a bit of a shame in itself. However, the game is still a real success, and fans of the saga and more particularly of 7 and its return to basics will probably be delighted without a doubt. The final word will be simple: Ethan has a real problem with his hands!
Available on...
- Playstation Store
- Microsoft Store
- Steam
