Topic: Resident Evil Village (Review in Progress) Switch 2

[whilhorst]

It takes a village to scare you to bits.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/74480/resident-evil-village-review-in-progress-switch-2

Over the past few years, I’ve been on a journey discovering all the Resident Evil games. I’ve played all the mainline titles and in particular loved the remakes Capcom has been releasing since 2019’s Resident Evil 2. While I’ve yet to try my hand at Resident Evil VII, its sequel, Resident Evil Village, has its claws fully in me. A perfect blend of the horror that I’ve been told made RE7 a hit and the action-formula that was redefined with RE4, I am showing no signs of slowing down exploring this village. While I’ve yet to finish Resident Evil Village, I did want to share my thoughts on this version of the game for Nintendo Switch 2. So consider this a review-in-progress.

Set a few years after the events of RE7–recapped with a very quick video for newcomers–you play Ethan Winters, and on a fateful night, tragedy strikes and his daughter is kidnapped. He wakes up in the woods of a snowy ‘European’ mountainside village. Unclear how he arrived here, he sets out to save his daughter. Of course it wouldn’t be a Resident Evil game before the village is overrun by hordes of deadly and bloodthirsty monsters. As you set out on your quest to pursue Mother Miranda and the lords of this region, you will not only be chased by evil beings, but also learn about what exactly happened to Ethan’s family.

RE8 uses the structure set out in the genre-defining Resident Evil 4. Finding limited ammunition and survival tools, you try to make your way through abandoned houses, a haunted castle, a creepy mansion, and much more. You can choose whether to play the game in first-person or third-person. The game has been designed from the ground up for first-person, but as someone who prefers Resident Evil for its third-person gameplay (and frankly, because I’m a wimp), that was the obvious choice. Frankly, I have not been bothered by the fact that all cutscenes play out in first person as these scenes neatly transition from gameplay segments. Of course, you will be shooting a lot of weapons and upgrading them with funds you find along the way. Plenty of treasures are hidden everywhere, which sometimes can even be combined with other items to increase their value. Do not expect the game to be as puzzle heavy as the original Resident Evil or even the RE2 remake, but inspecting items to discover secrets never grows old in my opinion.

The horror in RE8 is particularly strong and feels like it is pulling from across the series history. Whether it is being overrun by hordes of monsters and holding out with limited ammo, to being chased through tight corridors and hallways by one of the main antagonists. One sequence in particular evokes the psychological horror you may expect from something like Silent Hill. It helps to set RE8 apart from the other games in the series. I also really like the structure of the game. While the path is linear you can almost consider the main objectives to be tied to their own dungeons. In between these moments you return to the village and can undertake sidequests for the shopkeeper Duke, or explore the town to find new collectibles with the keys and information you’ve gathered. It helps to make the village feel like an extension of the gameplay, rather than just a backdrop. Of course the game plays into this with slightly shifting enemies and scares to keep you on your toes.

Time for the best news: Resident Evil Village runs fantastic on Nintendo Switch 2. The framerate only dips when shifting between major areas, but recovers quickly and remains rock-solid throughout. Objects look clean with no weird anti-aliasing. It helps to convey the semi-realistic visual style and heightens the threat that monsters pose for Ethan. Motion controls for aiming are supported as well as some helpful options like aim-assist. The performance remains consistent whether you’re playing in handheld or docked mode. The majority of my play sessions involved handheld mode with a good headset. It makes for a really immersive experience, while still allowing me to more easily look away from the screen during certain moments.

I think I’ve made it about halfway through Resident Evil Village and I’m having a blast so far. The game plays wonderfully on Nintendo Switch 2 and combines a lot of the elements I’ve come to love about the series. If you’re looking to get caught up on the last game before beginning with Resident Evil Requiem, you really cannot go wrong with this version of RE8. The additional DLCs are included as well as the Mercenaries mode. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a daughter to rescue.