With Sony’s next PlayStation 5 showcase just days away, one game many fans are hoping to see more of is Resident Evil Village.
The latest entry in Capcom’s beloved survival horror franchise is a direct sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil 7 and sees the return of protagonist Ethan Winters in an all-new nightmare. His wife, Mia, their newborn child and series veteran Chris Redfield have all been confirmed to be making a return, thanks to the initial reveal trailer, though what remains unclear still, is why the latter, formerly a well-respected S.T.A.R.S. member, has seemingly taken a villainous turn. Sadly, today’s developments don’t provide an answer, either, though these leaks are arguably just as juicy.
As always, unconfirmed information of this nature should be regarded with healthy scepticism until Capcom makes it official, but given the leak’s in-depth nature, we’re inclined to believe there’s truth to the rumors. To er on the side of caution, though, we’d advise stopping here if you’d prefer to remain free of spoilers.
According to Biohazard Declassified, participants in a recent playtest of Village have been able to experience the entirety of the opening gameplay sequence, which begins with Ethan wandering around his new home, reading documents that fill in the events that occurred between 7 and the present day. Shortly thereafter, Chris, along with a number of masked men, force their way into Ethan and Mia’s home, killing the latter and taking their child, Rose. Ethan is forced into the back of a vehicle which later crashes, leaving him stranded in a wooded area.
Following a footpath into a village littered with the corpses of dead animals, Ethan enters a cabin and encounters the old man shown in the reveal trailer. Within moments of providing him with a gun, the individual is abducted by a tentacle and Ethan is forced to fend off a pack of werewolf-like enemies by barricading windows with furniture and scavenging the cabin for ammo. One the assault is over, a large hammer-wielding baddie appears and hastens the aggressors into retreating, upon which the demo comes to an end.
Overcome with a feeling of déjà vu after reading that? You’re not alone. The entire sequence sounds incredibly similar to Resident Evil 4‘s opening, to the extent that Resident Evil Village is quickly shaping up to be more and more like a reimagining of the beloved fourth entry. Is there a reason that seems to be the case? Who knows, but we’ll hopefully have an answer later this week, so stay tuned.
