Now that fans have been able to get their first taste of Resident Evil Village thanks to a number of demos held over the weekend, the sequel’s obvious source of inspiration has become clearer than ever before.
We’ve known for some time, of course, that the team responsible for bringing Ethan Winters’ next adventure to life were heavily influenced by the series’ landmark fourth entry when creating Village‘s environments and gameplay systems, and while this year’s installment might not feature the same over-the-shoulder third-person perspective as its spiritual predecessor, everything else screams Resident Evil 4. Besides the titular setting, a crystal clear example of this is the return of a merchant – The Duke – who will help supply Ethan with weapons and other services in the quest to retrieve his daughter.
While many have posited that the two vendors are actually the same person, newly discovered dialogue in a recently-concluded trial appears to suggest that they are, in fact, separate entities. As showcased above by YouTuber KendoGunShop, one snippet uttered by the rotund trader upon exchanging goods goes as follows: “What’re ya buyin?-Haha, just something an old friend of mine used to say.” The line is a direct reference to the mannerisms of RE4‘s shopkeeper, suggesting that the pair are acquainted on a personal level.
Whether this is meant to be anything other than a neat nod to Leon’s foray into the Spanish countryside remains to be seen, however, and we’re of the belief that this isn’t intended to be of any relevance beyond that of an Easter egg, but who knows? We could be made to eat those words when Resident Evil Village launches on May 7th for consoles and PC.
If you just can’t wait until then, a final demo is due to go live later this week for all applicable platforms. See here for the details.