Resident Evil Village was first revealed on June 11th, 2020, but had gone relatively quiet since then. Aside from a ransomware attack on Capcom that essentially leaked the entire game, there has not been much official information since its initial reveal. There have also been rumors circulating from insiders familiar with the project about a VR version, a multiplayer mode, and even a full cancelation of Resident Evil Village's last-gen versions.
Capcom had a lot to say at this showcase and answered many of the questions fans had regarding the release date, demo, next-gen features, and a whole breadth of other details.
9 Release Date
Despite all of the leaks and rumors about Resident Evil Village releasing in April, the official release is May 7, 2021!
Alongside the release date announcement, Capcom also announced different editions of the game and pre-order bonuses. Pre-ordering the game will get you a Mr. Raccoon weapon charm and a survival pack to help you early on.
8 Deluxe Edition and Collector's Edition
Capcom announced two different editions of Resident Evil Village, and the first one was the "Deluxe Edition: Trauma Pack." This edition comes with in-game items that call back to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, such as the Mr. Everywhere Bobblehead, Safe Room music, a save device, and more!
The second one is the "Collector's Edition," which comes with everything in the Deluxe Edition and a Chris Redfield statue, Steelbook, artbook, and more!
7 Exclusive PlayStation 5 Demo
During the showcase, Capcom revealed there would be an exclusive visual demo coming to the PlayStation 5. This demo is more of a graphical showpiece than a chunk of the actual game, but it's cool regardless.
Titled "Maiden," the demo features no combat or guarding, and your objective is to escape the castle. They revealed at the end of the demonstration that it is available today to download and play.
6 Last-Generation Versions
Capcom has put the rumors to bed about the possibility of Resident Evil Village skipping last-generation consoles.
Resident Evil Village will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC! Capcom also stated that upgrading from a PS4 to a PS5 would be free and from the Xbox One to the Xbox Series X/S via their Smart Delivery program.
5 Combat
Briefly touched upon during the showcase was the combat system and how you are expected to survive in the world of Resident Evil Village.
Much like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Village takes the player back into the first-person perspective. You can expect the same sort of strategy and gameplay style as you saw in the previous installment. Still, in addition to that, Ethan can now guard oncoming attacks from various enemies. There are also red barrels placed strategically around the world to encourage players to shoot them, causing an explosion to cause mass amounts of damage or even collateral damage to a furious hoard (classic video games!).
4 Multiplayer Mode
The rumors and speculations surrounding a new multiplayer experience for Resident Evil were true! RE:Verse features fan-favorite characters from across the franchise as well as iconic maps/locations. It is unclear how many players are pitted against each other or what the main objective is.
Among the human players, there will also be AI-controlled enemies thrown in the mix. RE:Verse will have a closed beta on both Xbox One and PS4, and the applications for the beta are currently open. Anyone who purchases Residen Evil Village will get free access to RE:Verse.
3 Ethan's Motivation
Capcom revealed what Ethan's motivations are for adventuring to the horrific village and cursed castle during the demonstration.
Someone or something had kidnapped Ethan's daughter, which sets everything into motion and pushes Ethan into the great unknown. With witches, werewolves, and other vile creatures awaiting his arrival, Ethan has his work cut out for him.
2 Side Objectives
Another thing that Capcom briefly touched upon was Side Objectives. It could be a massive hint, or they may not have spent a lot of time on it for a reason. Still, this could be a significant part of the game that they only felt like teasing a bit.
The possibility of side objectives akin to saving the wolf in Resident Evil 4 to have it show up later on throughout your journey to return the favor is genuinely exciting. And seeing how this game is undoubtedly inspired by Resident Evil 4, you can't rule something like this out entirely. Even Resident Evil 7 had players chose between two characters near the end of the game, and it would be fantastic if they took the time the flesh more of that out in Village.
1 The Merchant
The Merchant makes his return in Resident Evil Village! Although he may not be the same one from Resident Evil 4, he will still serve the same purpose.
The Merchant's name is "The Duke," and you can buy weapons from his arsenal or sell some of your own if you want! Capcom also teased that there are "other things" you can do, but left it at that!