Resident Evil Village Review: A Snowy Masterclass in Terror

Disclaimer: This article is part of Eneba’s Resident Evil Week. Part nine of the main franchise, Resident Evil Requiem, launches on Feb. 27, and seeing as this also ties into the series’ 30-year history, we’ll be doing the same. Expect more reviews, deep dives, and companion pieces to various popular and forgotten Resident Evil games.”

This Resident Evil Village review looks at how Capcom attempted to fuse the claustrophobic dread of RE7 with the high-octane energy of the legendary Resident Evil 4. It kicks off a few years after Biohazard, with Ethan searching for his kidnapped daughter, Rosemary, but quickly spirals into a fight against a hierarchy of freakish lords who rule over a desolate, snow-covered hamlet.

Ethan Winters just can’t catch a break. After the moldy nightmare in the Louisiana bayou, he finds himself dragged into a freezing, gothic hellscape in Eastern Europe. And if this Resident Evil Village review proves anything, it’s that the journey is as chaotic as it is captivating – messy at times, sure, but absolutely worth sticking with.

The Duke’s Special: A Quick Summary

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, this Resident Evil Village review deserves a quick big-picture summary.

Fans tackling the Resident Evil series in order will find Village in the eighth spot – a game that begins with dread-heavy horror and gradually leans into action spectacle.

The first half is a masterpiece of pacing, featuring the iconic Castle Dimitrescu –⁠ home to one of the most simped-over villainesses in video game history –⁠ and the psychologically scarring House Beneviento, which gave me fantastic glimpses of the franchise’s more horror-oriented roots.

The second half shifts toward heavy combat, which might disappoint those looking for pure scares. Still, with a 12 to 13 hour runtime and immense replay value through the Mercenaries mode and New Game Plus, it stands as a top-tier entry for fans of amazing horror titles looking for the best bang for their buck.

The game tries to have a little something for everyone. It functions as a direct sequel to Ethan’s first outing, yet it sheds the slow-burn horror for something much more kinetic as the hours tick by. I found the opening hours to be some of the most atmospheric moments in the entire franchise, creating a sense of vulnerability that feels rare in modern big-budget titles. 

So let’s go deeper – because this Resident Evil Village review is just getting started.

What Resident Evil 8: Village Does Brilliantly

A proper Resident Evil Village review has to start by giving credit where it’s due. The moment Ethan enters the village, the stillness is deafening. The environmental detail in these early sections is incredible. I felt a genuine sense of being small and weak as I navigated through broken fences and bloodied snow. 

And of course, this Resident Evil Village game review would be incomplete without me praising just how Capcom handles the initial sense of discovery. You aren’t a superhero here. You’re a desperate father with a handful of bullets and a growing sense of panic, at least in the beginning.

Castle Dimitrescu represents the absolute peak of the classic Resident Evil formula, and navigating its ornate halls felt like a high-stakes escape room for me. The puzzles are clever enough to make you feel smart without slowing the pace, and the constant threat of being stalked by Lady Dimitrescu keeps your heart rate elevated (in more ways than one, for some players). 

Then there is House Beneviento. I won’t spoil any specifics throughout my Resident Evil Village review, but it’s easily one of the scariest horror game sequences I’ve experienced in years. It’s a mind-bending, unmissable “left turn” into psychological horror that proves Capcom still knows how to make players want to hide under their desks. In these hours, you’ll be completely stripped of all sense of security, no matter how pimped out your weapons are coming in.

Where Resident Evil 8: Village Stumbles

No Resident Evil Village review is honest without pointing out where things stumble a little. As the story progresses, the tone shifts in a way that feels a bit jarring. Ethan undergoes a transformation from a struggling survivor into something resembling a supersoldier, which, to be fair, is explained to some extent by a massive twist at the end of the game. 

By the time I reached the mid-way point, the abundance of ammo and powerful weaponry started to strip away the dread. The game begins to feel more like a military shooter, which is fun in its own right, but it loses that special “edge” I found in Lady Dimitrescu’s castle and House Beneviento.

The Factory area is where the experience stumbles the most. Compared to the intricate, gothic beauty of the previous locations, the factory is a collection of repetitive, industrial corridors. It just felt like a bit of a slog at times, filled with waves of enemies that require brute force rather than strategy or stealth. 

Though the combat is snappy and reminds me of the best moments in Resident Evil 4 Remake, the Call of Duty-style shootouts in the final act somewhat undermine the tension that the opening built so carefully. The loss of atmosphere in these later stages is hard to ignore, but to be honest, it’s a minor nitpick if you look at the game as a whole, and it doesn’t take away much from Resident Evil 8 being one of the best survival horror titles in recent decades.

Technical Excellence & Lore

This Resident Evil Village game review wouldn’t be doing its job without giving credit to the technical side of things.

Technically, the game is a straight-up marvel. The RE Engine has some of the best visuals in the industry, with lighting and textures that look stunning on every platform. The level of detail in the character models and the world itself is top-notch, no matter if you’re playing on a high-end PC or a console. I played it on PC, and the only issue I encountered was some visual stuttering, which was easily fixed by turning off variable FPS.

And like all the recent Resident Evil remakes (we’ve mentioned this in our Resident Evil 4 Remake review as well), I definitely think that the sound design here also deserves a massive shoutout. The creaks of the floorboards and the distant howls of lycans give this game layers of immersion that are just vital for a horror title.

I also loved the inclusion of The Duke. He acts as the resident merchant, providing a satisfying inventory and upgrade loop that gives you a reason to hunt for hidden treasures. His presence and brief commentary on the items you buy, sell, or upgrade add a touch of melodrama that fits the series’ campy roots. 

With no live service padding and plenty of unlockable content earned just by playing, it seriously feels like a complete, old-school package. It even features some amazing video game soundtracks to heighten the tension during boss fights.

My Overall Verdict on Resident Evil Village: An Outstanding Horror Game With a Split Identity

To end my Resident Evil Village review, I need to say that it is a phenomenal ride that just happens to have two distinct personalities. If you can forgive the fact that the horror takes a backseat to high-stakes action and explosions in the final few hours, you’ll find it one of the most play-worthy games in the entire series. 

Capping off my RE8 review, I’d say this is a brilliant tribute to the franchise’s history, along with the movies, recent game releases (both remakes and Biohazard were all bangers), and the Resident Evil Netflix series (eh, this one’s debatable). It’s without a doubt a hopeful glimpse of what’s about to come.

Great for: Players who love a mix of gothic horror and intense action, and anyone who wants to see where Ethan’s story goes. 

Less ideal for: Horror purists who want the entire game to feel like the first three hours, or more like its predecessor (Biohazard).