‘Resident Evil Village’ Review Roundup: Here’s What Critics Have to Say
With just days until its release, reviews for Capcom’s highly anticipated Resident Evil Village are starting to come in. There’s been plenty of buzz surrounding the next entry to the Resident Evil franchise, and it seems like the excitement might pay off. Below are some excerpts of what reviewers had to say about the game.
The Verge – No Score
“Resident Evil Village is a good game worth playing, and I think it’s very much a solid numbered entry in the series even if Capcom doesn’t want to call it one. But by transparently blending elements of 7 and 4, two of the most dramatic overhauls in series history, it feels less noteworthy than either. As such, the way you feel about it is likely to come down to how you feel about Resident Evil overall.” – Sam Byford
Game Informer – 9.25/10
“Resident Evil Village is an impressive package. I loved the recent remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3, but I’m excited to see Capcom push the series forward again. Village expands on Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’s approach to first-person combat, offering a series of white-knuckle encounters that perfectly complement Capcom’s unnerving environmental design. Thankfully, Village’s amplified action doesn’t diminish its horror. If anything, Village maintains a sense of dread that few games can match. If you have the intestinal fortitude for intense terror, playing Resident Evil Village is a great way to check your pulse.” – Ben Reeves
Kotaku – No Score
“Just a few years ago, Resident Evil 7 marked a return to the series’ survival horror roots, setting a high bar for its eventual follow-up. While Resident Evil Village still falls prey to the series’ most pernicious problems, notably the inevitable swerve from horror to action and bosses that don’t quite match the strong moment-to-moment gameplay, those shortcomings don’t overshadow the frequency with which the game hits on all cylinders. Village may not live up to the potential of its immediate predecessor, but it’s a safe new entry in the series that induces the same entertaining anxiety as my favorite Resident Evil games and provides a few interesting wrinkles for where the franchise might go next.” – Ian Walker
Gamespot – 9/10
“Resident Evil 7 was an excellent return to the horror underpinnings of the franchise, but cunningly altered with new ideas and a new perspective. Similarly, Village is an intelligent reintroduction of the best action elements of Resident Evil. Though it captures some of the same things that made RE7 such a breath of fresh air (or maybe rancid, stale, mold-filled air, but in a good way), Village evolves to become its own unique creature. It makes you wonder what beautifully twisted fiend Resident Evil might mutate into in the future.” – Phil Hornshaw
IGN – 8/10
“Roaming the streets of Resident Evil Village is like visiting a disturbing and deadly Disneyland, where every attraction is a house of horrors. I got just as big a thrill out of revelling in its frenzied violence as I did retracing my steps through the gradually revealed recesses of its sizable village setting to uncover the darkest story secrets of its monstrous main cast. Boss fights are a bit of a letdown but the great variety of enemies throughout keeps things tense, especially on Hardcore mode. The fact that it’s very much a throwback to the fast-paced action of Resident Evil 4 also means it largely takes a step back from the slow-burn scares of Resident Evil 7’s excellent opening hours, which may well disappoint those who prefer more psychological dread to blowing off heads. But if you have an itch for action-heavy survival-horror, then Resident Evil Village will scratch it like a fistfull of Lady Dimitrescu’s freakish fingernails.” – Tristan Ogilvie
PC Gamer – 85/100
“Village can occasionally feel like half a dozen different horror games jammed together. But the strength and variety of its ideas, the quality of the art direction, and its darkly evocative atmosphere more than make up for it. It’s a bold and experimental horror game, but also one that leans into the series’ past glories—particularly Resident Evil 4. There’s a lot of Mikami’s 2005 reinvention here, from the enigmatic merchant and weapon upgrades, to the rural setting and corrupted villagers. But ultimately, Village is its own game with its own identity, and the elements it borrows from earlier sequels never define it. This is a quality horror game in its own right, and proof Resident Evil still has the power to thrill, surprise, and scare 25 years on.” – Andy Kelly
Reviews for Resident Evil Village seem generally favorable. While many critics have been praising the atmosphere, environment, and story of Village, others have disliked the heavy action elements the game turns to during its final stretch. Though Village seems to shy away from the horror foundation of its predecessor, Capcom has once again delivered an engaging entry to the beloved franchise.
Resident Evil Village releases on May 7th for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Stadia.
