Resident Evil Village demo details and map revealed

Resident Evil Village is one of 2021’s most highly anticipated games and it finally has a set release date. Here’s everything we know about Capcom’s next major game in the horror franchise.

Resident Evil made its debut on the PlayStation in 1996. The project was helmed by industry icon Shinji Mikami, and went on to become of the longest-running horror franchises of all time. The series has been a staple of the industry for nearly three decades.

On June 11, 2020, players got their first look at the franchise’s next iteration – Village. Since then, loads of details have been revealed as well. The upcoming game will make its debut on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Resident Evil Village release date

We now know that Resident Evil Village will be coming out on May 7, 2021. 

The popular horror game has developed a hell of a lot over the years, and it will be interesting to see how it fares on Sony’s flagship PlayStation 5 console.

Resident Evil Village trailers

The initial reveal was accompanied by a two-minute trailer which gave fans their first look into the next installment in the Resident Evil franchise.

The creepy video gives out serious nostalgic vibes to the classic fourth title which came out in 2005 on Nintendo GameCube.

Trailer 1

Various scenes depict a small village and castle setting, similar to Leon’s journey in RE4. The new footage also teases a possible cast of new villains from witch-looking vampires, to a ferocious werewolf. We even get the return of series veteran Chris Redfield.

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In September 2020 and January 2021, a second and third trailer were also revealed. They show us more of the dim, Gothic-looking setting of Village. Over these images, an old woman with a harrowing laugh states that “in life and in death, we give glory. The bell tolls for us all. They’re coming again”.

Trailer 2

Trailer 3

Following on from that, January 2021’s Resident Evil showcase went a step further, with an hour-long video being released.

Producer Pete Fabiano shared some further insights into the story players will embark upon with Ethan. Venturing to the castle to search for their kidnapped daughter, players will experience first-person gameplay that “really draws players into the detailed world.”

Resident Evil Village January 2021 showcase

Puzzles and extra objectives peppered throughout the game gives players a reason to venture off of the beaten path, increasing playtime and, potentially, replayability.

What is Village about?

During the Sony event, a synopsis was given by Capcom that described RE8 as a continuation to the story in Resident Evil 7. “Ethan’s world suddenly comes crashing down once again when Chris Redfield, an unexpected yet familiar face makes an appearance, setting off a chain of events that sees a distraught Ethan seeking answers to Chris’s shocking actions, and ultimately finding him in a mysterious village,” it reads.

From all of the trailers we’ve seen, we can gather that Ethan settles down with his girlfriend Mia Winters after rescuing her from the horrific Baker mansion. However, events then force the protagonist to leave behind his cozy home life and travel to a creepy snow-covered village. Just like the last release, Capcom is throwing the player into a first-person experience.

While it’s unclear what their roles will be, several new characters are hinted at: A group of fierce women looks to inhabit the castle mansion, and at one point, one of them is seen sucking the blood from a character’s arm.

Features

Over on the PlayStation Blog, some tidbits about the upcoming horror release were revealed. Accordingly, players can expect a more open-world experience with a bigger focus on combat than the previous entry in the series.

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“With a greater focus on combat and exploration compared to Resident Evil 7, the village itself is just as important a character as any other, a location with a life of its own that will frequently keep you on edge as you discover its secrets,” the post read.

Producer Pete Fabiano also detailed that the game will also be much larger than its predecessor, and virtually eliminate all loading times on the PlayStation 5 alongside fantastically immersive 3D audio.

Rumors back in January stated that there would be both zombies and werewolf enemy types, as well as a new stalker villain. The trailer both depicts a man transforming into a beast, as well as a giant wielding a massive axe. Could this be confirmation that the leaks were true?

AMD Raytracing support in Village

Radeon also revealed that Raytracing will also be available for those on PC with AMD cards to further enhance the stunning locales and vistas located within the world, further enhancing an immersive experience for players.

Resident Evil Village Mercenaries mode

Die-hard fans of the Resident Evil series, and new ones alike, will also be bowled over by the return of mini-game, Mercenaries, to the series. An arcade-style shooter,  it features high-speed action that requires you to take on a slew of enemies and reach the goal in limited-time modes.

With a newly added Shop, players are able to purchase new weapons, or upgrade them for better overall firepower. You’ll also be able to customize your weapons, too, and purchase abilities to further enhance your damage output and survivability.

The mode will be available the same day as Village’s release, so there’s not too much time to wait.

Resident Evil Village Map

Exclusively revealed by IGN, we’ve also received a first look at the area we’ll be spending our time in within Village. With locations like ‘Heisenberg’s Factory’ and ‘The Strong Hold’ amongst the now-infamous Castle Dimitrescu, it looks like we’ll be treated to some iconic locations within the series.

How to get the Resident Evil Village demo

The Resident Evil Village ‘Maiden’ demo is available to download now on PlayStation 5. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps, and you’ll dive into the non-combat trial in no time.

1. Head over to the Resident Evil Village listing in the PlayStation Store. 
2. Add the game to your library.
3. Select the Maiden demo, and play once it is downloaded.

While the demo is exclusive to the console, a separate, new demo, was announced on April 15 which gives players 60 minutes to explore both the village and castle areas.

8 Hours in Village demo

In honor of Resident Evil Village being the 8th installment, players will have an eight-hour window to try out the demo for 30 minutes. Players will be able to spend one full hour on both stages or choose which one they want to play. However, PlayStation 4 and 5 owners will get early access.

The demo will be available starting:

• North America: April 17 at 5PM – April 18, 1AM PDT.
• Europe: April 18 at 7PM – April 19, 3AM CEST.
• Asia: April 18 at 5PM – April 19, 1AM KHT.

The Castle demo will be live:

• North America: April 24 at 5PM PST.
• Europe: April 25 at 7PM CEST.
• Asia: April 25 at 5PM HKT.

For everyone else on Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Steam, the full one-hour demo will be available:

• North America: May 1,  5PM – May 2, 5PM PDT
• Europe: May 2, 2AM  – May 3, 2AM CEST.
• Asia: May 2, 8AM – May 3, 8AM KHT.

Story and screenshot leaks

A number of high-profile leaks have reportedly been released, which would be an incredible blow to Sony’s efforts. Screenshots, story details, and marketing plans were all revealed in part, making it difficult for players to go into it blind – if they stumble upon it.

These leaks are probably due to the recent Capcom ransomware leak that occurred, allowing people to get hold of developer builds of the game. Many of these images have since been taken down or removed from the public eye, through copyright strikes.

It was also recently revealed on Twitter by PlayStation Game size that Village would clock in at 27GB without a day one patch on PS5 – a surprisingly small file size. However, the day one patch will ultimately bump this up into something likely around 50GB+. 

Resident Evil Village’s different editions

Releasing on PC, PS5, and the Xbox Series consoles, it was also revealed that they will release on old-gens, too. The PS4 version is also able to be upgraded, for free to the digital PS5 version, with the Xbox One edition giving access to the game on next-gen via Smart Delivery.

YouTube: Resident Evil

With so many options to choose from, RE8 has an edition for everyone.

Pre-order editions

• Deluxe Edition, Trauma Pack – includes a whole host of goodies such as Safe Room Music, Mr. Everywhere, Max Difficulty, Save Device, Albert01 Chris, Found Footage RE7 Filter, and The Tragedy of Ethan Winters.
• Collector’s Edition – including all of the Deluxe Edition content, players will also receive a Chris Redfield figure, an artbook, SteelBook, a collector’s box, and a poster featuring the map of Village.
• Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard bundle – includes access to both games, giving you a fuller experience across all of Ethan Winters’s story.
• Pre-order bonuses – any of the above editions will also include extras such as a Mr. Raccoon weapon charm, and a survival resource pack for use in-game. PlayStation store digital pre-orders will also receive an exclusive Resident Evil Village mini soundtrack.