ranks among the year’s most highly anticipated games. With the long-awaited ninth mainline Resident Evil title mere weeks from launch, there’s no better way to gear up for its release than revisiting the series’ most recent entry—now available on PlayStation Plus.
serves as the direct sequel to the series’ soft reboot. It picks up after Resident Evil 7—Ethan has safely returned his wife from the Baker family’s grasp. At the start of this new journey, Ethan’s wife is violently killed by a squad of tactical operatives led by series hero Chris Redfield. Ethan and his six-month-old daughter are then mysteriously abducted from their home.
While being transported to an unknown destination by his captors, Ethan is intercepted by a sinister force that takes Baby Winters to a separate location. This leads Ethan to a nearby village as he searches for his child, encountering all sorts of warped creatures along the path.
Resident Evil Village strikes an ideal balance between the eerie tension iconic to the early Resident Evil games and the over-the-top action that defines the series’ more lighthearted, bombastic entries. It retains the first-person viewpoint from the seventh game, letting you get an intimate look at the horrors facing you.
But unlike Ethan’s initial outing, he feels far more competent this time. Ammo is abundant, and his firepower hits much harder. Similar to how Resident Evil 5 compares to Resident Evil 4, Village is a more action-packed take on Resident Evil 7’s slow-burn style. If you’ve avoided the series because of its scariness, Village could be the perfect entry point. You’ll still face a handful of jump scares, but you’ll be ready to defend yourself most of the time.
While battling werewolves and other monsters is enjoyable, that’s not what makes Village such a thrilling experience. The real highlights are the game’s four bosses—each governs a section of this ancient village. The iconic Lady Dimitrescu has turned into a meme, thanks to her being both an undeniably charismatic diva and an . But she and her vampiric daughters are just one piece of the game’s rogue’s gallery ensemble.
The doll-obsessed Donna Beneviento brings a to Resident Evil’s usual array of horror tropes. The brute force of genius mechanic Karl Heisenberg poses a formidable threat. And the grotesque Salvatore Moreau subverts the typical water-based boss seen in older Resident Evil titles. It’s a solid cast of villains, each given a significant portion of the game’s runtime to showcase their unique brand of horror.
Village is generally less frightening than Resident Evil 7. However, it still boasts plenty of memorable set pieces that feel like holdovers from the previous game. The aforementioned Beneviento segment will be a challenge for anyone who couldn’t handle the *Child’s Play* (Chucky) films. Reassembling a mannequin in the dark of an underground chamber will fill you with gut-wrenching dread. And the harrowing “Baby” set piece is easily one of the most impactful scares in the entire series.
From what we know so far, *Resident Evil Requiem* won’t have any direct connections to Resident Evil Village. But in terms of tone, it’s certain to be the ideal prelude to what fans can expect when they return to Raccoon City next month. Village is an excellent survival horror game worth playing before the series’ latest entry, and a welcome addition to PlayStation Plus’ free game library.