Resident Evil: Village Resident evil VILLAGE leak, trailer ecc

[Hardware]

But that's exactly the problem. Capcom did that with Resident Evil 4, then 5, then 6, and again with 7. They keep making games that attract new consumers rather than what's best for the series.

They are actually doing it again: "Village" was originally just a codename for the game, but then management decided that calling it "Resident Evil 8" would've alienated new gamers. Lucky for them, English language and Roman numerals came to the rescue and so they were able to play the oh-so-clever "Resident Evil VIIIage" shtick. According to rumors, they'll drop the numbered titles soon in order to have more freedom, so we'll probably be able to play "Resident Evil: Dragonslayer" or "Resident Evil: Black Ops" in the future.

Resident Evil 2 remake was my dream of a modern Resident Evil game and it took way too long for it to come to fruition and it was amazing. I know Capcom is capable of greatness, but they're run like an aggressively greedy corporation who just wants to keep expanding. I know you like the games as is, but do you think that's how franchises should really be handled?

AMEN! RE:2 was the game I had been waiting for since 2002: game-wise, it was everything I was hoping RE4 was going to be...well, maybe the possibility of shaking zombies off yourself was the only thing I was missing, but, after 14 years of round-kicking and suplexing almost anything that was thrown at you, making the walking corpses something you had to stay away from was very much needed to remind everyone what "survival horror" actually means.

Yeah, the problem with Capcom is that they are good at what they do, but their marketing strategy is all about squeezing anything they can squeeze from whatever is selling. And that's the problem with RE4 (or RE7 - I just liked it better because it wasn't a shoot 'em up, but it certainly wasn't a real RE): the technical quality is undeniable (I played the HD remaster on my PS4 Pro one year ago - it still holds up surprisingly well and some areas are just gorgeous), but nobody seem to care that it wiped out what RE was. And it actually used to be something very specific: the first 6 games did establish its identity pretty well. Unfortunately, most people can only think about tank controls and fixed camera angles when they have to identify what those game were, while instead (to me at least - but I think RE:2 proved me right) it was more about mood and tone.

It's pretty sad to hear people only caring about "technical quality": there's plenty of games that are well made. Hell, "The Last of Us Part 2" is simply jaw-dropping and puts anything made with the RE Engine so far to shame: if tech was the only thing that matters and had I had less money, I should've stayed away from RE:2 and 3 because TLOU2 is way better in almost every aspect (splatter physics is probably the only thing RE:2 does better - but by a small margin). I know I am going to sound like an old fart, but we didn't play Resident Evil 1 on the PS1 (and contribute to its success) because it was the best-looking or more refined game on the block (far from it): we played it and loved it because it was creepy, gory and, generally speaking, it was the most daring horror game around in 1996. Had we wanted a fast-paced shooter with monsters in it, we would've stuck with "Doom 1&2", "Blood" and "Quake". Or "Duke Nukem 3D" if we wanted to hear cheap one-liners.

 

[Mr.R]

What I think it's sad is people throwing their own opinion as a fact, disregarding the other parts of the fractured fanbase, because only them knows what is "best for the series". I'm pretty sure all of us have very different opinions on what it's best for the series. Even the ones that joined on the action phase of RE. Also newcomers are always good for the series. Yes, sometimes newcomers are annoying, but lately I've been finding the old school, self proclaimed "true" fans way more annoying (and now, I'm not talking about you guys).

I want fun games to play. I love the ogs, bar the boring CV. I think Remake had one of the most cumbersome and boring combat on the series, but the atmosphere is so good that almost make it up for the boring and slow gameplay. I love RE4 and RE2R, two different games. Hell, I like RE6, because the combat is fun. I pretty much like the rollercoaster of styles Capcom gave us. RE7 is full of creepy and gory and jumpscares and it still a boring game, even though is technically well done (which by the way, is different of good). That's my take as a fan, but honestly, I was ready to say it was a mistake for Capcom to stick with the first person because 7 was a borefest, and now 8 seems pretty good, so it proved me wrong. But at the end of the day, guess we can all agree to disagree.

 

[Springhosen]

I thought a series was supposed to be a set of related games, not fun games?

I don't think pointing out that the series no longer feels like a series is saying what's best for said series. It's saying none of this feels related anymore and if we're going to keep lumping every game under the Resident Evil Umbrella, then it should probably you know.. Fit there.

@Turo602 is 100% correct in saying that if Nintendo was trying to do the same thing to Mario we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

 

[Mr.R]

A series about... shooting monsters and biohazards. This has been constant so far. Other things has changed, just like...Final Fantasy isn't turn based anymore. Oh well...
It's not like any RE is a racing game now.

 

[Springhosen]

A series about... shooting monsters and biohazards.

That argument might hold weight with me if the main storyline hadn't been dropped in favor of another and there weren't main characters we've never seen again and the series didn't have a tendency to genre hop whenever it suited Capcom and fans who were only chasing fun.

I guess some folks just have lower expectations regarding what they spend their money on.

 

[Mr.R]

Y'know what...I think we're reached a point of the conversation where nothing else can be gained from it and the tone is borderline way condescending for my tastes. Sorry fans who wants to "chase fun" (we certainly don't play videogames for that, I guess...), this is a serious matter right here. We're one step closer to people proclaiming who is and isn't a TRUE fan and what is and isn't...a TRUE Resident Evil a lá Avalanche Reviews and that's when I hop off, before that happens.

I still have 10 minutes of my demo, so I'll try to gather every ammo I can and see if the vampire lady can be downed for a bit like Mr.x or Nemesis.

 

[Turo602]

Y'know what...I think we're reached a point of the conversation where nothing else can be gained from it and the tone is borderline way condescending for my tastes. Sorry fans who wants to "chase fun" (we certainly don't play videogames for that, I guess...), this is a serious matter right here. We're one step closer to people proclaiming who is and isn't a TRUE fan and what is and isn't...a TRUE Resident Evil a lá Avalanche Reviews and that's when I hop off, before that happens.

But you haven't addressed any of the big points in regards to that. Capcom keeps alienating fans. How can people possibly stay fans when the series keeps catering to different tastes?

People who loved RE4 have their own reasons to hate RE5 despite being largely similar games. We've seen it time and time again. The same applies to RE6. It may be a co-op action game, but it's a completely different game compared to RE5. But now if you were a fan of RE5 and 6 because they were co-op action games, well you're sh*t out of luck with RE7 and 8. I ask again, is this how franchises should be run?

Capcom themselves has acknowledged the "TRUE" fan and claims to cater to them with games like Revelations and RE7 and we all know what game they were trying to emulate there... You may not like it, but that's how it is. Not because a certain group of fans say so, but because Capcom themselves made it that way.

If you think shooting monsters and biohazards is the criteria for a Resident Evil game, then I don't see the problem with pointing out the roots of the series as what makes Resident Evil what it is, because it's what the series has always borrowed from to maintain a modicum of recognition.

The problem isn't people who "chase fun" or Capcom trying to reach more gamers. It's how Capcom has chosen to execute it that is the issue. Games like Resident Evil 4, 5, 6, and 7 should exist. They're great games with tons of merit, but they shouldn't exist as Resident Evil games.

Rather than pimping the name Resident Evil for its name brand recognition, Capcom should have had the balls and taken a risk with new IPs so that people can become fans of those style of games and keep getting them. That's how franchises work. You don't go to McDonald's in a new location and expect to order a bucket of chicken. They're consistent in what they serve and it's why people keep coming back.

 

[Mr.R]

But you haven't addressed any of the big points in regards to that. Capcom keeps alienating fans. How can people possibly stay fans when the series keeps catering to different tastes?

And I won't. I respect you and other people on this forum and I'll stop saying my piece on this subject, so it stays that way. Like I said, I don't see anything else to be gained on this particular discussion. We can all agree to disagree and move on, because our point of view in this question is too much further away. Or should say, I'll move on from that. Cheers.

 

[Turo602]

And I won't. I respect you and other people on this forum and I'll stop saying my piece on this subject, so it stays that way. Like I said, I don't see anything else to be gained on this particular discussion. We can all agree to disagree and move on, because our point of view in this question is too much further away. Or should say, I'll move on from that. Cheers.

As I respect you. We've agreed on many things in the past, I don't see why we can't disagree either. I'm not looking to change your mind, I genuinely want to hear your input because we both like the same games, yet view the series entirely differently. Just trying to have a productive conversation. No one here has attacked anyone. We can move this to another thread if you'd like, either way, I respect your decision.

 

[RipvanX]

That’s how change works, unfortunately. Super popular franchises have remained mostly the same for well over a decade and have sold way more. RE was doomed from the start to make drastic changes in order to survive the competitive gaming market. It’s just a shame the story material didn’t stay consistent. Tank controls and static camera was all the rave in the 90’s, so I can understand the shift to a more accessible gameplay style after the failed sales of REmake and RE0 in 2002. I personally like the “classic trilogy” the best as I feel it captures the series spirit perfectly, but the later games still hold their merits and bring something new in each entry.

RE has also drawn inspiration from horror movies since its inception, so I fail to see why people criticize Lycans and bloodsucking amazons when we have seen much more ridiculous monsters and antagonists at this point. If anything, now Capcom is doubling down on more traditional horror themes and I find that more interesting than fighting canon fodder military enemies.

On a side note: I personally think what triggered the dramatic shift from 0 to 4 was Mikami’s exclusively deal with Nintendo, which harmed the sales of REmake. If it was ported to PS2 along with RE4, it would have sold just as well. As evident by the HD remaster 14 years later that sold very well. I am confident the series would have maintained a better balance of horror and action in later titles if REmake was made more readily available.

 

[Hardware]

RE has also drawn inspiration from horror movies since its inception, so I fail to see why people criticize Lycans and bloodsucking amazons when we have seen much more ridiculous monsters and antagonists at this point. If anything, now Capcom is doubling down on more traditional horror themes and I find that more interesting than fighting canon fodder military enemies.

Not all horror movies (or novels or whatever - with Noboru Sugimura on board, the series briefly became more well-read) are the same: there are several sub-genres and they are not interchangeable, let alone when we're talking about franchises with an established identity. You don't go and watch the latest "Halloween" movie to see something other than Michael Myers killing people (they tried to change it once with "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch", and it failed).

On a side note: I personally think what triggered the dramatic shift from 0 to 4 was Mikami’s exclusively deal with Nintendo, which harmed the sales of REmake. If it was ported to PS2 along with RE4, it would have sold just as well. As evident by the HD remaster 14 years later that sold very well. I am confident the series would have maintained a better balance of horror and action in later titles if REmake was made more readily available.

Yeah, that's what I think myself...actually, it is not even just a theory: Mikami himself has acknowledged it more than once. In the recent "Itchy, Tasty" book by Alex Aniel, Mikami even states that they could've made RE1make on the PS2, as there were no real technical limitations for doing so: it's all about loading pre-rendered backgrounds and, apparently, at Capcom people thought that the backgrounds in "Onimusha 2" on the PS2 were actually better (hard to tell, if you ask me, since the art direction is completely different: at a first glance, I'd say RE1make looks way better). He actually even states that RE0 should've never existed: it only happened because Yoshiki Okamoto really pushed to have a RE game on the N64. I remember back in the day, when the announcement was made, that it was a terrible idea, since most of the main userbase was on Sony consoles and only hardcore fans were going to buy another systems just for three titles (I did, but I knew I was in a very small niche), especially when the PS2 offered the best selection of games for the kind of people who enjoy stuff like RE (MGS, Silent Hill, Tomb Raider etc.). Basically, a guy like me, and I am as business-savy as a peanut, could've been an excellent marketing advisor at Capcom in the early-00s: life is unfair.

EDIT: I actually found the right passage from Aniel's book

"Had Mikami opted to keep the mainline Resident Evil series on Playstation 2 instead, it is very likely Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero would have sold more. Mikami admits that there was little to the technology used in both GameCube games what would have been impossible to replicate on Playstation 2. <All the games are doing, basically, is displaying pre-rendered backgrounds>, he explains, <In fact, some people inside Capcom at the time thought Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny looked better than the remake> (...)".

 

[Hardware]

Talking about what the PS2 could actually do, apparently, when it was still in its RE4 form, DMC's graphics were just a notch below what we saw in RE1make...only it was all in full-3D. The problem was that, in order to retain that level of detail, they couldn't make the game run at 60fps (RE4 on GC runs at 30) or have Tony (later Dante) perform acrobatics or fast-paced attacks - so they started scaling down graphics to favor gameplay. When it was decided to let it become its own ip, the project lost is CGI budget and that's why the cutscenes are all made with in-game graphics. The money was given to RE3, which wasn't supposed to have FMVs in its 1.9 days (like Gun Survivor), but immediately needed them when it was promoted to mainline entry.

 

[Hardware]

The first reviews are in: they more or less confirm everything I thought about this game. I liked Sphere Hunter's review in particular: although spoiler-free, she says some of the justifications they came up with are quite weak\out-there. She also says the narrative has some strong "Code: Veronica" vibes (no idea what she means there, save for the Gothic atmosphere) and that, if you're a fan of the original games, you won't quite like the story. No surprise here: I wasn't even buying it for the story, as I stopped caring for the RE lore with 4. She and other reviewers say the game in certain points reaches RE6-like levels of insanity (the shot of Heisenberg's factory that was shown months ago was already alarming for me: it had huge "Retribution" vibes)...some guy points out the experience as a whole is uneven and he's ready to believe the rumors this was Revelations 3 in the beginning before being promoted to mainline entry: it starts off very well, but becomes quite the shoot 'em up in the 2nd half. Apparently, it feels like different teams worked on it at different stages.

 

[Mr.R]

Well, watching Suzy's video had confirmed one of my theories: the bolt cutters are the new valve handle.
This damn item was in every game since RE7.

Also, I liked the fact that Suzy says the game is very good, and from what she said, it catters to some of my preferences on the RE journey we got so far. Some shortcomings aside, she painted a very good and positive picture of the game. More importantly, from what I understood of her review, a lot of the things I didn't liked about RE7 were changed by Capcom, which is a very good thing, at least for me, particularly.

As for the story, I'll be honest, for now...I can't care less about Ethan. I'm on this journey to see Chris role in it (and to have some fun shooting monsters, I always liked that part). I've seen some of the story leaks way back in 2020 but never checked again and I'll wait to see if that happens or not. Either way, I'm looking foward to play the game this weekend.

 

[Hardware]

Well, watching Suzy's video had confirmed one of my theories: the bolt cutters are the new valve handle.
This damn item was in every game since RE7.

I guess it has to do with the fact 2,3 and Village all started development in the aftermath of 7, so they tried to recycle all the assets they could.

As for the story, I'll be honest, for now...I can't care less about Ethan.

Who does give a damn about him? He's a worse forced-upon-the-players protagonist than Raiden. Also, it's nearly impossible to care for someone you don't even know what he looks like - definitely not as much as you do for someone you play as in third person and you can empathize with. I don't really understand Capcom's fascination with him.

It's interesting to read\hear reviewers saying that the plot is not as elaborate or whimsy as some of the fan theories that circulated on the Internet in the past months: while fan theories are rarely on the spot, in this case I think it's just another example of Capcom not really giving too much thought about stuff. Think of RE0: I remember wondering for a couple of years how they were gonna tell a story set 24 hrs before the Mansion Incident, starring Rebecca no-less, that naturally flowed into RE1's plot. As we all know, they never actually managed to do that, they just bluntly made another RE game (unless you're fine with the idea that Rebecca casually walked into the Spencer mansion, forgot about killing scores of monsters and that Umbrella was behind everything).

Anyhow, my copy will arrive tomorrow: I guess I'll know what to do this weekend.

 

[UniqTeas]

The thing that worried me most right now is the amount of connection to the rest of the series being superficial. They should really start with a story FIRST and then design the game around it. I have another two weeks before I can play the game because I only play one game at a time traditionally and I am 30 hours in to Dragon Quest 11. But hopefully, soon!

 

[Rain611]

I'll be playing Village tomorrow after work. I'm currently watching a streamer play and after playing a tiny bit of the demo there are little things that remind me of earlier games but there are a LOT of things that remind me of RE4. So far the game looks fun enough, I still look forward to playing it.

 

[Mr.R]

I Think of RE0: I remember wondering for a couple of years how they were gonna tell a story set 24 hrs before the Mansion Incident, starring Rebecca no-less, that naturally flowed into RE1's plot. As we all know, they never actually managed to do that, they just bluntly made another RE game (unless you're fine with the idea that Rebecca casually walked into the Spencer mansion, forgot about killing scores of monsters and that Umbrella was behind everything).

I honestly don't mind Zero's story that much. I, for once, didn't wanted a game starring Enrico, like many. Or showing what the actual Bravo team was doing. Zero's story is fine for what it is. My problem lies in leeches that can mimic human form and how anime young Marcus is. My real problem with Zero's story is actually Remake's fault, not Zero.

Zero had been developed since the N64. It's story was probably already finished by the time they started Remake's production, even though Zero came after Remake. With Remake, they had a chance of fleshing out Rebecca more and giving us hints of what she's been through without spoiling it too much, but hinting at their upcoming RE Zero or people who didn't...somehow...knew Umbrella was at fault. Actually, Remake did nothing to actually adress RE's story gaps in any meaningful way bar the Trevor Family's history. it didn't gave us the canonical ending, it didn't hinted on Wesker's ressurection (since it was already showed in RE CV, they could've hinted somehow), it didn't addressed Rebecca and robbed us from the Jill Sandwich and The Master of Unlocking (Okay, I'm joking here...although according to Rev2 those phrases are cannon somehow).

 

[Hardware]

I honestly don't mind Zero's story that much. I, for once, didn't wanted a game starring Enrico, like many. Or showing what the actual Bravo team was doing. Zero's story is fine for what it is. My problem lies in leeches that can mimic human form and how anime young Marcus is. My real problem with Zero's story is actually Remake's fault, not Zero.

The story of Bravo Team wasn't meant to be told, no matter the protagonist. There was nothing to tell. It's a typical adventure\horror trope: they were the ones who went in first and got butchered - if the protagonists are not careful, they're going to be next. If you pay attention, almost all of the Bravo Team people got killed by a different enemy: dogs, zombie, crows and giant snake. It pretty much establishes how dangerous all the enemies in the first half are. Only Enrico dies by Wesker's hands to introduce the traitor subplot.

Zero had been developed since the N64. It's story was probably already finished by the time they started Remake's production, even though Zero came after Remake.

Zero's plot was reworked multiple times. Originally, Marcus was only a dead body and Wesker was the villain. I for one agree with Shinji Mikami when he says that Zero shouldn't have been made: prequels in horror never really work, they only detriment the original movie\book\game's power.

The thing that worried me most right now is the amount of connection to the rest of the series being superficial. They should really start with a story FIRST and then design the game around it.

Yeah, that's what I've always thought ever since I discovered what happened during RE4's development: had they started with the story first and primarily worried about how it fit within the main lore, everything would've probably been smoother. But that was never the case with RE: they always messed up with the story. I just discovered that even C:V (whose development has never really been explored) was supposed to be very different: not only it was going to star Jill (that has been known for years), but it was originally going to start in Antarctica with plant-creatures as the main enemies (zombies were supposed to be encountered at a later stage). Also, "Veronica" was supposed to be a real character within the game. Unfortunately (some might say thankfully), the people at Capcom are game-makers and only think in terms of gaming: they are not like, say, Neil Druckmann or Hitumi Komo, the director of the first two "Clock Tower" games who insisted on having the gameplay built around the story. I also realize that staying within lore boundaries can be very frustrating when you're just thinking about the situations you could put the player in or some new cool feature\gameplay style...that's why Capcom should be more courageous when it comes to create new IPs instead of relying on RE as an all-purpose brand.

 

[RipvanX]

That’s what Clover Studios set out to do in the first place. Creating new IP’s such as Okami which was good for long term developers as a whole to avoid burn out and creative differences. Focusing too much on one brand can also effect the overall quality of a product. At least with Village they are injecting new horror themes into the series, so it will feel fresh like RE4 did.

Not all new ideas are golden but that’s life and have to take risks. It’s just a shame Capcom is too adamant and seems hell bent on doing yearly releases of RE games now. That scares me the most over anything else.