Resident Evil: Village This is not a Resident Evil game

[RedfieldFanboi]

Welp. It's been a month and I haven't given it any specific afterthought. I wrote my review fresh upon completion, but nothing's really changed expect that I've become more indifferent towards the game itself. When I think back, tge only thing I can remember clearly was that the Dimitrescu daughters were hot.

@RedfieldFanboi Isn't that what Resident Evil RE:Verse was kind of supposed to be though? Although I don't really care for online multiplayer games, it's strange that we haven't heard anything about that game since last summer.

A bit, but I was thinking something with more of a story that evolves over time with updates. Like as if Revelations 1/2 were online multiplayer games, how 2 was given a new chapter to further the overall story.

 

[Caffeine Addict]

I kind of feel the same way too. They made a good enough game. But it hardly has anything to do with the established lore, despite the forced in references.

 

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

I watched a video recently and it pointed out how RE7 and RE8 are actually the natural evolution of the franchise. Just as RE4-RE6 were. The story has to evolve or else it'd just stop making sense. The gameplay had to evolve to be more action-oriented in the middle games to fit said evolved story and then revert back to horror in RE7 in order to evolve cyclically in order to survive. And I couldn't agree more.

I do find the "it's a good game, but not a good (franchise name) game" idea quite interesting. BioShock Infinite, Dragon Age Inquisition, Deus Ex 2-4 (odd how the majority of DX games aren't like DX1...yet they're the ones being called "not a DX game"), AC Origins and subsequent AC's, various RE's, even BotW all come to mind. But I think that's all fine. I get some evolved to be more appealing to the masses, but I don't think that's the complete case for RE. And the other thing that makes RE stick out from the rest is that it IS a continuous story of the RE world (although, of course, it's fine to accept each RE game as its own continuity). BioShock, Dragon Age, and Zelda are all their own separate stories in each game, pretty much. AC and DX jump around different parts in time.

But not RE. Sure 7 starts the splintering off of the main RE storyline, but it's really just an evolution. Umbrella has evolved. Chris Redfield has evolved. New characters and major players are fine and natural for a 25+ year old series. Besides, if you want "more of the same", just play the remakes.

 

[Ikawaru]

I watched a video recently and it pointed out how RE7 and RE8 are actually the natural evolution of the franchise.

I've watched a ton of RE videos on Breadtube and the only thing they all have in common is that I find them all repugnant for the most part.

I mean for realz, I've watched like 5 different so-called hardcore fans of the series give their review on every single RE game and none of them had a common denominator. I mean I admire people who have been with the franchise since RE1 PSX and became big fans in that time period like I did, and I'm more likely to take them more seriously than people who started with RE4, but taking one persons opinion seriously that RE7 and RE8 evolved the series properly is just silly. There's much more interesting and articulate criticism of the design choices of these games floating around and not doing it mostly for likes and subscribes.

I like how you point out that Umbrella and Chris have evolved in RE7 when in fact the Chris only makes a cameo appearance at the very end of the game and Umbrella isn't even mentioned. It's almost like you're inadvertently agreeing with my oft-stated opinion that the base game is bland but the 'Not A Hero' DLC is actually more 'Resident Evil' than the main game.

 

[Jonipoon]

You can find plenty of reviewers claiming that RE7 and Village were proper evolutions of the series. It doesn't mean they are right.

Nobody can deny that the definition of what a "real" RE game is is all over the place. Seriously, it's a mess, and when something is a mess you know there's no point in trying to defend either side. I do however have a bias towards the classic era of RE games (1996-2000) and their respective remakes, and the only game I truly enjoyed beyond those is Revelations 2. I also tend to think that the most reliable bias is the one belonging to the classic era, since nobody can at least deny that the original RE1 from 1996 is a "real" RE game.

 

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

It's almost like you're inadvertently agreeing with my oft-stated opinion that the base game is bland but the 'Not A Hero' DLC is actually more 'Resident Evil' than the main game.

Hmm, maybe. I actually didn't ready any of your comments.

But not sure how you can conclude that based on what I stated. But I think you're reaching in regards to interpreting what I was saying. But hey, whatever, you obviously already have a cemented opinion that seems to be inflexible.

Btw, I played RE1 back when it first came out in 1996. Multiple times in middle school, 25+ years ago. I can show you a pic of my original copy. So do you now respect my opinion? Or will you just claim I got it off eBay recently?

You can find plenty of reviewers claiming that RE7 and Village were proper evolutions of the series. It doesn't mean they are right.

Nor does you saying they aren't right make them not right. But it is a relevant - and valid - point. I'd say your statement about it being pointless to defend either side is valid also, but that doesn't seem to be the case, given how adamant some ppl are at picking one side or another. So there is a point - to help others become more reasonable people. But who knows, maybe we're living in the Matrix. Maybe there is no point to life at all.

But like I stated, RE is the only series I can think of that has lasted this long as a continuous, sequential, fleshed-out world/story w/ this level of volume of games. The evolution of gameplay only falls in line w/ the evolution of the story. The 2 replies above seem to ignore the fact I mentioned the middle-games action era was also a natural evolution of the franchise. Can't have underequipped people vs "secret evil corpo" Umbrella in giant barren buildings all the time as that would just not make narrative sense, nor be good for the series likely anyway. So the action games started and evolved the series. But can't have gov't/PMC vs Umbrella forever either, as that would also make 0 sense. So...here we are to what RE is now. Which is great b/c there's the progressed main line games and then the remakes also. So even those stuck in the past can maybe be happy.

Anyway, given that there's explicit bias here, and I took the time to explain something I shouldn't have needed to, I'll just leave it at that. If you're still clinging on to the past, that's on you. Not Capcom or ppl who like the modern games.

 

[Springhosen]

You can't have the vs Umbrella narrative forever, true enough I suppose - despite the endless Mario vs Bowser, Sonic vs Eggman, etc. However I don't think it's clinging to the past to point out that the vs Umbrella narrative wasn't really handled properly and appears to have been glossed over in favor of all that is shiny. Especially considering they were the overarching big bad of the first five chronological titles; they were done away with very quickly and quietly weren't they?

Perhaps if the vs Umbrella narrative had been extended and dealt with properly, the following games would feel more cohesive. Maybe we wouldn't have gotten to a point where the new titles feel so disjointed from everything else the series has done that it feels like a completely different IP. Maybe we wouldn't be wondering where our favorite characters are or even what happened to them. Maybe we would have felt closure before the series hung a huge, unexpected left and would be able to accept the change of course and go with it.

Funny how they hastened Umbrella's end and now every attempt to capitalize on the fandom outside of video games harkens back to it. Even funnier is the excitement for the attempts and untapped potential they could bring until the attempts have been officially proven mediocre at best and paltry at worst.

Is vs Umbrella where the plot potential is?

Are the media attempts to bring Umbrella back in some way clinging to the past or reaching for former glory?

You decide but please don't defend poor narrative choices by claiming that tying major loose ends with the original plot is bad writing. That's just insulting.

 

[Ikawaru]

Hmm, maybe. I actually didn't ready any of your comments.

But not sure how you can conclude that based on what I stated. But I think you're reaching in regards to interpreting what I was saying. But hey, whatever, you obviously already have a cemented opinion that seems to be inflexible.

Btw, I played RE1 back when it first came out in 1996. Multiple times in middle school, 25+ years ago. I can show you a pic of my original copy. So do you now respect my opinion? Or will you just claim I got it off eBay recently?

Hey, you're welcome to your opinion, and I admit I'm not the most eloquent poster on here, but when you make a statement claiming some random Youtuber says RE7 and RE8 are the correct evolution of the series when many people on this very website and specifically this thread have disagreed and gave reasons why, you gotta be ready for people to disagree with you.

Awesome you played the series since the beginning though, I feel like we're a dying breed. I always saw RE1 as quality and RE2 as quantity, I admit I was initially put off by RE3 and looked at it as some funky side game from the beginning but a few years after it's release I had grown to like it as one of my favorites, I especially love the ending theme.

That aside, I think @Magnolia Grandiflora has got the right of it, every major franchise has adapted with the times but has stayed faithful to it's formula. Even Final Fantasy XV, despite the cars and the wide open world, and questionable gameplay mechanics...still feels like a Final Fantasy game because it retains the themes it has had since day one. RE4, despite being a phenomenal GAME, really took the series off the beaten track with way too much action, very simplistic puzzles, and funky supernatural monsters. They diluted the formula and identity of the franchise too much, where's it should have been a seperate IP, just like 'Village' in 2021.

 

[RipvanX]

I finally went back to this game ever since it first launched and played both the PS4/5 versions back to back. I did everything except "The Mercenaries" putting the trophy percentage at 95% but since the DLC is dropping in October I lost the drive to finish. This is a decent game with some really bad parts, mainly towards the end starting with the Magneto tank battle, Not a Hero 2: The Carlos-Chris Adventures, and Dark Souls Miranda boss. I have to hold back wanting to turn my system off every time I get to these sections, they remind me of some of the worst sections in RE6.

The story is simply atrocious and not for me. It was a lot more enjoyable when I turned off my RE brain and played it simply as a game and skipping all cutscenes. This title did the treasure system justice though and was the best ever since RE4. Being able to combine treasures and look for clues on where to find stuff was one of the best parts. But this game is sorely missing in some key areas that allow me to enjoy an RE title to the fullest.

As stated before in other posts, Capcom seemed to have back peddled a lot and are going back to how it was with RE4-6. I never liked the red barrels in RE games and seeing them again is just cringe. There was too much crammed into this game and both the past and future lore they are trying to shove in our faces is irritating. It’s like they can't decide on where to take the series anymore and threw a dozen things at the wall at once to see what sticks.

They wrote themselves into a corner making C-Virus too powerful and the Plaga basically being the only parasite left worth a damn. So I don't blame them entirely for exploring mold as it’s pretty neat irl.. but it is already getting tiresome and ridiculous to the point they can make magical Van Helsing creatures out of it.

After 2 games they really need to do something different with RE9, this whole “corrupt BSAA but Umbrella good” cliffhanger is weird and not that interesting to me. They are basically setting up another action adventure game and not a survival horror one. The upcoming Rose DLC taking place inside her head is how I feel this game should stay to the canon; it was simply a fever dream Spenser had when he went into hiding.

 

[Jonipoon]

Not to mention that they basically did nothing with the Connections in Village. Instead of fleshing out the criminal organization they introduced in RE7, they decided to create a whole new villain (Mother Miranda) with her own set of rules and organization while the Connections took a backseat and was barely involved.

Additionally, I still have no idea what's the deal with BSAA and why they're suddenly considered corrupt and unreliable. Blue Umbrella is supposed to be the new "good guys" yet they were barely involved with the Village incident either. It's such a mess.

 

[Ikawaru]

I feel there was so much potential with the Blue Umbrella vs. Connections arc but they squandered it. I think if they focused on THAT specifically and implemented it in a covert way like they did in 'Not a Hero' but more fleshed out and survival horror-esque, there could have been potential for a very nice 'Blue Umbrella" trilogy or something.

Capcom is, indeed, a mess. To be fair though, they always have been. It's almost like they need outside guidance to get themselves on the right track and should be more proactive with the better part of the fanbase.

 

[RipvanX]

I feel there was so much potential with the Blue Umbrella vs. Connections arc but they squandered it. I think if they focused on THAT specifically and implemented it in a covert way like they did in 'Not a Hero' but more fleshed out and survival horror-esque, there could have been potential for a very nice 'Blue Umbrella" trilogy or something.

Capcom is, indeed, a mess. To be fair though, they always have been. It's almost like they need outside guidance to get themselves on the right track and should be more proactive with the better part of the fanbase.

They did just that by hiring a writer (forgot his name) from outside the company who came up with a 9 foot tall vampire lady. He had no prior history with RE, so even going from that angle will not improve their storytelling. The same thing happened with RE7 when they brought in the F.E.A.R. story writer. Hence why Eveline is so reminiscent of Alma. They seem cursed when it comes to storyboard directors like Sugimura and Suga who both died prematurely. They did their best trying to keep the mainline games stitched together. Their deaths combined with Mikami’s nonsensical exclusivity deals back in the day have put RE on an aimless path.

RE7, 8, and the eventual 9 are paralleled by how Star Wars was treated with episodes 7-9. There is no vision, no pre-planned story arc, they are making it up as they go and “listening to the fans.” They fail to realize that they divided the fanbase 3 times over, so where are they getting feedback from exactly?

 

[Ikawaru]

We need a consultant from Capcom on this website ASAP.

 

[Caffeine Addict]

Ironically, RE6 (at least in my opinion), felt like "more" of a typical RE adventure than even 4 and 5. After all, it was in a city and zombies were the primary threat for Leon's campaign. But the rest of it ripped off Gears of War.

4 and 5 just had you slaying mobs of villagers, cultists and these blooming tribes people. Literally hundreds of them came at you. For hours!

RE4 (the "best one") really didn't have much to do with RE at all either. Other than the fact Leon returned, it didn't look like him, and the mentionings of Raccoon City and Umbrella felt forced in. His attitude was incredibly cocky as well. The franchise was essentially an action saga afterwards.

So do I think RE4 sucks? By no means do I feel that way. But it has bothered me how not RE it feels. Then you get some fanboys like this guy called Goldsickle who will say you're a parasite if you talk up about things like what I've pointed out.

Now, 7 and 8, they are okay. The thing is, I do feel as if Chris was added mainly for the sake of it being a RE game. If it was just Ethan Winters and no other main character appeared, even die hard fans would say it's not a RE game. It doesn't feel like one anyway. People just assumed it was, because you're in another house, solving another puzzle involving a shotgun.

 

[Caffeine Addict]

I can't help but find this funny...

Some of those anti-RE7 people were like, "I hate this first person mode. I preferred RE when it used third person!"

OK, but even if the game receives an update for this to become available, we STILL aren't going to show you Ethan's face, even though somebody had already revealed he has one on YouTube.

 

[Ikawaru]

4 and 5 just had you slaying mobs of villagers, cultists and these blooming tribes people. Literally hundreds of them came at you. For hours!

I played RE5 recently all the way to Chapter 5 and man, I do not remember it being this bad, I mean it had some good plot elements with Tricell and antagonists like Excella and trying to connect the origins of "The Virus" but the gameplay was just so atrocious and slaying 3rd world tribals CONSTANTLY like 3rd person CoD MW did not leave a good taste in my mouth. When you factor in the RE5 sold the most copies across all platforms and re-releases it is just mind-numbing. I must be a different man now than I was because I do not remember being this offended by it in so many respects.

 

[Frag Maniac]

All anyone need do to get over many of their misgivings about the latest Resident Evil installments is play Ebola 3. That is a game based on RE type gameplay that is woefully lacking. It has OK graphics and ambient sounds, but the voice overs are pathetically bad, the crafting feels cluttered (too many calibers of ammo you can make without being able to easily find the weapons they fit), the animations are awkward, and the player controls clumsy.

Some have described it as, "Well, at least you get a good laugh out of it"! One of the bosses I've yet to fight is a bear in a power suit walking upright the whole time. Thanks IGS (the developer and publisher), this is just what I needed to put things in perspective. I can't believe this game gets a Very Positive rating on Steam. Though that's just 112 reviews since it came out 5 days ago.

 

[Ikawaru]

Ebola 3.

Nothing like good survival horror jank to get through the weekend, thanks @Frag Maniac, keep finding these hidden gems.

 

[BeatsbyRJ]

I agree, it was a totally diffent game. Nontheless, i still enjoyed it. (Guess i'm not that hard to please)
Don't get me wrong i still grave for a new resident evil game, which takes me back to the roots of the game.

After RE3, i never experienced the same level of anxiety as i did with RE1,2 and 3.

But i always wondered, is that me growing up? Or did the resident evil francise never reached the level of the first 3 games?

 

[BeatsbyRJ]

All anyone need do to get over many of their misgivings about the latest Resident Evil installments is play Ebola 3. That is a game based on RE type gameplay that is woefully lacking. It has OK graphics and ambient sounds, but the voice overs are pathetically bad, the crafting feels cluttered (too many calibers of ammo you can make without being able to easily find the weapons they fit), the animations are awkward, and the player controls clumsy.

Some have described it as, "Well, at least you get a good laugh out of it"! One of the bosses I've yet to fight is a bear in a power suit walking upright the whole time. Thanks IGS (the developer and publisher), this is just what I needed to put things in perspective. I can't believe this game gets a Very Positive rating on Steam. Though that's just 112 reviews since it came out 5 days ago.

Imma check it out!