Capcom Made Resident Evil Village Less Scary Than RE7 Based On Player Feedback

If you’re picking up Resident Evil Village later this week with the hope that Capom has upped the ante as far as scares and nailbiting tension are concerned, it’s probably a good idea to check those expectations at the door. In a recent interview with Axios Gaming, producer Tsuyoshi Kanda revealed that many fans will likely find the series’ eighth major installment to be noticeably less terrifying than its predecessor.

This is due at least in part, he says, to the fact that Capcom received a sizeable amount of feedback from fans following RE7‘s launch that the soft reboot was “too scary to play.” This is arguably what any developer aiming to make the ultimate survival horror experience strives to achieve, but Kanda clarifies that the company’s primary goal is always to “create something that anybody can feel comfortable jumping in and playing.”

Striking a perfect balance between mass appeal and accounting for niche tastes isn’t easy, of course, and if Resident Evil 6 is a prime example of the scales tipping too far in the former direction, then RE7 is essentially its polar opposite. While this news will no doubt disappoint thrillseekers who love nothing more than to be in a constant state of fear, Kanda is keen to stress that Village is by no means somewhere you’d want to go on vacation and will still contain a satisfying “tension curve.” Color us excited.

Resident Evil Village releases May 7th for Xbox One, Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC. If you just can’t wait until then, a free one-hour demo containing previews of the sequel’s various locations is currently available on all platforms, though only for a limited time. See here for all the details and be sure to let us know if you’ll be picking up the game by dropping a comment down below.