We played the Resident Evil Village PlayStation demo in case you couldn’t

Capcom is really pulling the stops when it comes to keeping fans satiated while we wait for the newest installment in one of the longest-running video game franchises. In a surprise announcement during the Capcom Showcase, gamers were told that we would get a new Resident Evil Village demo each week leading up to the May 7th release, along with a new trailer. This weekend, I got to play the first of the three demos and this one is named Village which gives us a 30-minute look at what the new game will have to offer.

Because I have played all other Resident Evil demos in the past, I knew that this one had an end game. The fact that it was timed for only 30 minutes meant that I had to balance exploration with forward movement. Luckily I was able to make it to the demo’s end by 27 minutes. The Resident Evil Village demo finds Ethan Winters in a strange village with a creepy, old lady. His daughter, Rose, has been taken and he is searching for her. The old lady says some cryptic stuff and then she peaces out, leaving you to find your way to the Dimitrescu Castle. It’s a Resident Evil game, so of course, there’s a puzzle.

Along the way, you will learn that this village was once protected by someone called Mother Miranda but her protection has since ceased and the village is being attacked by all sorts of dangerous creatures (including Miranda) leaving only a few villagers left. Ethan comes across a wounded man and his daughter and he needs to help them get to a neighbor’s home.

Unfortunately, there is a pack of Lycans skulking around the premises and they are not pleasant. Once you get into the neighbor’s home, you find villagers arguing amongst themselves until the wounded man you brought in turns into a monster that attacks the group. Only Ethan is able to escape and find the seals needed to open the castle gates. Once Ethan cracks those gates open the demo ends.

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The next demo is Resident Evil Castle, which will find us in the same gorgeously decorated castle from the first demo with Lady Dimitrescu serving us all the cake. This demo was beautiful with lots of blues and grays that are punctuated by bright red and orange fire. It looks worn and decrepit and out of its time. It is a stark contrast to the grandiose of the castle and allows for players to experience varied environments.

I am going to be one of those people and say it had a distinct Resident Evil 4 feel and I think there is a purposeful reason for that. With the announcement of a RE4 VR version, I have large doubts that the fan-favorite game will get the remake treatment like RE2 and RE4. Because of that, I think Resident Evil Village is supposed to offer some sort of nostalgic RE4 vibe while offering RE7 scares and gameplay. If you are a Resident Evil purist, you may not like this one. Then again, you may not have liked RE7 either.

Personally, I am VERY excited for the next chapter in Ethan’s story. In the most recent trailer, we learn that Chris Redfield did, in fact, kill Mia. Also, in a teaser image, we see Chris spliced with the image of a Lycan. As a RE OG, I need to know what is happening with Chris and why he seems like the villain of the story.

Play the next demo on April 24th, which will allow you to explore the castle for another 30 minutes. Then on May 1st, you can explore the combined Village and Castle demos together for a whole hour. Let us know what you thought of the demo and where the franchise is headed!