You can now play Resident Evil Village’s ‘Maiden’ demo on PS5

First gameplay of the next Resident Evil looks familiar (in good ways)

Capcom premiered first gameplay from Resident Evil Village, the eighth main entry in the survival horror franchise, during its Resident Evil Showcase on Thursday, giving fans a glimpse at the direct sequel to Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. It appears that Village will be heavily influenced by another game in the franchise, the beloved Resident Evil 4, based on its setting, characters, and inventory system.

While Village will retain the first-person perspective of RE7 — and its protagonist, Ethan Winters — the sequel is dripping with RE4 vibes, from its village setting to its quirky in-game merchant. Here’s what we learned about Resident Evil Village today, based on a new trailer and a brief gameplay segment.

ETHAN RETURNS

We’ve known that Ethan Winters, the Everyman hero of RE7, will return for the Village. Now we know why: He’s searching for his kidnapped daughter. And it appears Resident Evil veteran Chris Redfield maybe… behind that kidnapping? Ethan must make his way from the surrounding village to the similarly spooky castle, where a Giant Vampire Mom (real name: Lady Dimitrescu) and her man-bloodthirsty vampires daughters reside.

Ethan will have plenty of weapons at his disposal, like pistols, shotguns, and rifles. He can also act defensively, guarding against melee attacks similar to Resident Evil 7.

BIG RESIDENT EVIL 4 VIBES

Resident Evil 4-style inventory-management-Tetris returns to the franchise. Players will also be able to craft items like first aid kits and ammunition.

But it’s the mutated villagers and creepy castle of Village that feel a lot like we’re stepping back into the world of Resident Evil 4. The castle of Village is incredibly detailed and ornately decorated, and seemingly run by an evil, cultish family,

with the mysterious Mother Miranda at the very top. The decaying and dilapidated house of RE7 is gone; Village brings back that classic Resident Evil mansion atmosphere, with suits of armor, marble statues, and an ostentatious foyer that will likely serve as your entry point into the castle.

Image: Capcom

Village will also bring back a merchant character. This one’s named The Duke. According to producer Pete Fabiano, The Duke will buy and sell weapons and other supplies. He’s “an interesting fella,” Fabiano says, and will show up throughout the course of the game — seemingly protected from vampire threats by cloves of garlic.