Resident Evil: Village Review

The first time you step into Resident Evil: Village, it doesn’t just scare you — it seduces you. From its haunting snow-covered village to its towering vampiric mistress, Capcom’s latest nightmare dares to be both terrifying and breathtaking. Following the success of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the studio faced the impossible task of reinventing fear once again — and somehow, they did. Village isn’t just another sequel; it’s a gothic masterpiece that blurs the line between horror and beauty.

Set a few years after the events of Resident Evil 7, the game follows Ethan Winters, the everyman protagonist once again thrust into a nightmare. After a quiet life with his wife Mia and their newborn daughter Rosemary, tragedy strikes when their home is attacked, and Ethan wakes up stranded in a remote, snow-covered European village. What begins as a desperate search for his missing child spirals into a descent through a realm of death, madness, and dark science — the very heart of Capcom’s gothic imagination.

The setting itself is Village’s greatest triumph. The titular village feels alive: decrepit cottages groan in the wind, wolves prowl through snow-flecked woods, and torches flicker inside ancient castles. Each area tells its own story — from the towering spires of Castle Dimitrescu to the decaying mechanical labyrinths of Heisenberg’s Factory. The level design evokes the interconnected atmosphere of Resident Evil 4, rewarding exploration and resource management while maintaining tension at every turn.

Of course, the game’s most iconic figure is Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, the towering vampiric matriarch who instantly became a pop-culture phenomenon. Her castle chapter is one of the game’s highlights — an elegant, blood-soaked playground of dread where Ethan must evade both her and her monstrous daughters. Yet Village doesn’t rely solely on her allure; each of the four lords ruling over the land delivers a distinct style of horror. From the psychological torment of Donna Beneviento’s dollhouse to the grotesque body horror of Moreau’s reservoir, every encounter offers a fresh and terrifying twist.

Combat in Village strikes a near-perfect balance between action and fear. The first-person perspective from Resident Evil 7 returns but with greater fluidity, improved aiming, and a more diverse arsenal. Shotguns, pistols, and explosives feel weighty and satisfying, while limited ammunition keeps players cautious. The addition of a block mechanic adds a layer of defensive strategy, making encounters more dynamic. Even so, survival is rarely guaranteed — enemies are faster, smarter, and often overwhelming in numbers.

Capcom’s use of the RE Engine once again demonstrates technical mastery. On modern hardware, Village is a visual feast: snow shimmers realistically, shadows crawl across stone walls, and flickering candlelight dances over gothic interiors. The sound design is equally powerful — distant screams, creaking doors, and the wind’s mournful howl all contribute to a feeling of suffocating isolation. Together, these elements immerse the player completely in Capcom’s dark fairytale world.

Despite its excellence, Village isn’t without flaws. The final act leans heavily into gunfire and explosions, trading tension for spectacle. Some fans of pure survival horror may find this shift jarring. A few puzzles feel simplified compared to earlier entries, and the story’s exposition can occasionally veer into melodrama. However, these are minor blemishes on an otherwise finely crafted experience.

Thematically, Resident Evil: Village is about legacy — both Ethan’s struggle to protect his family and the series’ ongoing effort to evolve. The narrative ties together threads from earlier games while pushing the lore into stranger, more tragic territory. Ethan’s journey concludes with unexpected emotional weight, and for the first time, Resident Evil feels less like a monster movie and more like a dark fairy tale about sacrifice, love, and survival.

In the end, Resident Evil: Village succeeds in blending terror and beauty into a cohesive whole. It honors the franchise’s history while daring to reinvent it, combining the tension of Resident Evil 7 with the scale and style of Resident Evil 4. Capcom has created not just a horror game, but an atmospheric experience that lingers long after the credits roll. Whether you’re drawn to its grotesque monsters, its intricate design, or its tragic human core, Village stands tall as one of the most memorable survival horror games of the modern era.