"Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" proved that Capcom's once-slumping horror franchise had plenty of mileage left in it, and after a series of down entries, it was to be the shot in the arm the franchise needed. Beyond that game's release, Capcom kept itself in a strong position with the releases of the "Resident Evil 2" and "Resident Evil 3" remakes in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Perhaps it was the massive amount of releases that had me a bit surprised when, during the PlayStation 5 reveal event, Capcom announced the eighth mainline entry in the franchise, "Resident Evil Village." Even so, as the first new entry in four years, I was excited to see where we'd go next. And Capcom definitely pulled some interesting twists on us, but still crafted a game that lives up to the franchise's success.
"Resident Evil Village" continues to capture the essence and aesthetic that made "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" so good. It does move away from the horror a bit, but it doesn't go overboard with the action elements, and there's still plenty of room for some scary setpieces here (especially with the Dollhouse and that baby...that might be the single scariest sequence I've played in a game). It's definitely a fast-paced game, but it does know how to cool things down at appropriate moments. The story is an interesting extension of the one in "Resident Evil 7," and the characters are still as solid as ever. The visuals are gritty and fantastic, and the combat is smooth, varied, and loads of fun. The weapon upgrades are incredible, adding a lot of great power to your arsenal, and I can definitely say that the boss fights are wildly entertaining.
My only real negative with the game (and it's not one that's overly aggravating) is that the hub world takes a bit of getting used to. Fortunately, once you do get used to it, it's pretty great.
Overall, "Resident Evil Village" is another stellar entry that continues the hot streak the franchise has been on as of late. While the move back into more of an action focus might be polarizing for some, I think this game handles it magnificently, while keeping enough of the horror elements around to please longtime fans. It's probably one of the best meetings of the two worlds that the franchise could ask for, and it's nice to see "Resident Evil" continue to receive fantastic new entries. If you haven't gotten the chance to give this a look, you should absolutely experience it for yourself.
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"