Later this year, Capcom will launchResident Evil Village, akaResident Evil 8, the latest installment in the company’s long-running survival-horror franchise.Resident Evil Villagemost closely resemblesResident Evil 7, utilizing a first-person viewpoint and continuing the story of Ethan Winters. And whileResident Evil Villageis a direct sequel toRE7, the game also has a lot in common with an olderResident Evilgame.
As it turns out,Resident Evil Villagehas a lot in common withResident Evil 4, which is the highest-ratedResident Evilgame to date. There are numerous similarities between the two games based on pre-release information alone, and so it’s possible that there will be even more for fans to discover once the full game is out.
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Here are all the similarities betweenResident Evil VillageandResident Evil 4that we’ve noticed so far.
The Merchant
One of the more bizarre but popular features inResident Evil 4was the mysterious traveling merchant thatLeon S. Kennedywould encounter during his adventure. Players could speak with the merchant to purchase new items as well as upgrade Leon’s arsenal, and his goofy catchphrases are still referenced to this day. The merchant disappeared in subsequent entries, which utilized a simple menu system for upgrades instead, but he will be returning inResident Evil Village- kind of.
Anew merchant named “The Duke” will be featured inResident Evil Villagewho will serve the same purpose as the one fromResident Evil 4. However, it seems this new merchant will have a more fleshed-out personality, and will have more to say to Ethan Winters as he makes his way through the titular “village” and Castle Dimitrescu. There may be more to discover about The Duke inResident Evil Village, but fans will have to wait for Capcom to reveal more information on that front.
The Setting
BothResident Evil VillageandResident Evil 4share similar settings. Both games are set in secluded, rural parts of Europe, and both seem to feature hostile villagers that the players will have to deal with. Both games also feature castle structures that players have to explore, so it’s clear that there should be plenty oflocations that at least look familiar to fans ofResident Evil 4, even if they aren’t exactly the same.
New Enemies
WhenResident Evil 4launched, it served as a major departure from series norms in a number of ways. One big wayResident Evil 4shook up theResident Evilfranchise formula was by doing away with all of the series' iconic enemies and replacing them with an entirely brand new rogues gallery. Instead of mindless zombies, players were now fighting against villagers armed with farming tools and other weapons, as well as giant trolls and other kinds of barbaric monstrosities brought about by theLas Plagas parasite.
Similarly,Resident Evil Villagefeatures all-new enemy types never before seen in aResident Evilgame. TheResident Evil Villageshowcase event revealed some of these enemies, including mutated villagers, a large “gorilla” man, and of course, the “vampire ladies” that have become a fixture of the community since their reveal.Resident Evil Villagealso features werewolvesof some description. So as was the case withResident Evil 4,Resident Evil Villageplayers should be prepared to develop new strategies to take down these new enemy types.
Supernatural Elements
Generally speaking, theResident Evilfranchise has stayed away from featuring supernatural horror, instead opting for things rooted in science-fiction. The vast majority of games revolve around viral outbreaks that cause people to transform into zombies or other creatures, as opposed to having players take on creatures like witches or the vampire-like women that seemingly serve asResident Evil Village’s main antagonists.
However, there once was a time whenResident Evil 4was going to feature supernatural elements. At one point,Resident Evil 4was going to feature living dolls, ghosts, and a so-called Hook Man. While the final version decided to go for a natural explanation of the horrors Leon encountered inResident Evil 4and scrapped these paranormal encounters, it seems as thoughResident Evil Villagehas opted to explore supernatural elements yet again, and it will be interesting to see how fans react to it.
Inventory System
One ofResident Evil 4’s defining characteristics is its inventory system. While inventory management has always been a staple of theResident Evilfranchise,Resident Evil 4took things a step further by having players manually organize their inventory themselves. This way, players could rearrange the items in their inventory to make room for other items. Despite being a fairly popular feature, Capcom scrapped this hands-on form of inventory management in subsequent games, though it appears to be returning inResident Evil Village.
Resident Evil Village’s inventory managementlooks to be very similar to what was featured inRE4, meaning Ethan Winters will have to take a more hands-on approach to the items he carries around in this new game. Unfortunately, theResident Evil Villagedemo didn’t feature inventory management, so fans will likely have to wait for the game to launch to see just how closely it resembles what was seen inResident Evil 4.
Resident Evil Villagelaunches May 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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