In last night’s Resident Evil Showcase digital program, Capcom unveiled key details about its highly anticipated survival horror title Resident Evil Village, the eighth main entry in the genre-defining Resident Evil franchise. Capcom confirmed Resident Evil Village will be available worldwide May 7th, 2021 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, alongside the newly revealed PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platform options. Resident Evil Village will be eligible to upgrade from PlayStation 4 to the digital PlayStation 5 version and will support Smart Delivery for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles.
New details were also shared with the first extended gameplay footage showcase, along with the announcement of the multiplayer Resident Evil Re:Verse game to celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary. Starting today, pre-orders kick off, and PlayStation 5 owners can get a sneak peek of the mysterious, beautiful Castle Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village with the standalone Maiden demo.
Resident Evil Village continues the story of Ethan Winters, first set in motion in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The latest entry combines action with signature survival horror gameplay synonymous with the Resident Evil series. In the first extensive look at gameplay, the development team revealed several new details, including some features that harken back to fan-favorite elements from previous Resident Evil games. Protagonist Ethan will now be able to purchase and sell items, buy recipes for crafting, and customize weapons with a merchant dubbed “The Duke.” Using materials found throughout the game, he will be able to craft invaluable consumables needed to survive the terrors of the village. Utilizing these provisions will also involve more strategic planning, with a revised inventory system based on space management that may be familiar to series fans.
The diverse cast of enemies appearing in the above video are just a few revealed from Resident Evil Village so far. Ethan will face off against many threats, such as fast-moving creatures that relentlessly stalk him and Lady Dimitrescu’s mysterious daughters, who can transform into swarms of insects. The game’s disparate lineup of adversaries will have their own distinctive ways of attacking, so players will need to adapt their strategies with quick decisions on when to attack, guard or flee in order to survive. Ethan has a new kick move in his arsenal to create distance from enemies and buy precious time to decide his next move.
Starting today, PlayStation 5 owners can get an exclusive sneak peek of the castle area from Resident Evil Village with the Maiden demo. This standalone experience is separate but showcases the visuals and 3D Audio that await in the main game. As the Maiden, players will need to rely solely on their wits to make their escape in this tension-filled demo as they’ll have no way to fight or defend themselves. A separate new demo for all platforms will be available later this spring.
In celebration of the Resident Evil franchise’s 25th anniversary, which kicks off in March 2021, Capcom announced Resident Evil Village will include access to a free multiplayer experience titled Resident Evil Re:Verse coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players can access the game through backwards compatibility. This thank you bonus to fans features comic-style visuals and sets popular Resident Evil characters against each other in four to six-player deathmatch battles in iconic Resident Evil locations. Players can choose from a fan-favorite roster, each with their own unique skillsets to master. When players are defeated in combat, their character respawns by mutating into a bioweapon to enact revenge on their foes. More information on Resident Evil Re:Verse will be shared at a later time.
Pre-orders for Resident Evil Village start today, with options for digital and physical Standard Editions, a digital Deluxe Edition and a physical Collector’s Edition. The digital Deluxe Edition includes the base game and a digital “Trauma Pack,” which consists of additional in-game content including a Samurai Edge weapon, Resident Evil 7-inspired found footage screen filter and tape recorder save point options, immediate access to an especially challenging difficulty setting, and more. The physical Collector’s Edition includes the digital Deluxe Edition content plus a striking statue of franchise veteran Chris Redfield, a SteelBook case, art book, a cloth map of the village and an A4 print showing the key art.