Resident Evil Village continues to deliver a satisfying and diverse horror experience. Resident Evil 7 introduced the story of Ethan Winters, and its sequel improved upon the former's first-person perspective, offering gamers a much more terrifying, and altogether thrilling, experience. In October 2022, a major DLC titled the Winters' Expansion brought brand-new features to the base game, as well as the Shadows of Rose story mode to Resident Evil Village. While Shadows of Rose was certainly the DLC's main draw, the features added to the original title transformed its campaign into a brand-new experience for fans, overhauling Resident Evil Village's already high replayability.
Resident Evil Village released to positive reviews, with many citing its variety of horror genres and environments as a major highlight. When the Winters' Expansion was released, the Shadows of Rose DLC delivered an original story, set within the Resident Evil Village setting, but with a third-person perspective. However, it was the adaptation of this perspective to the original game that truly elevated the overall experience. Now, other horror games should consider borrowing this Resident Evil Village trick as its adaptation to other properties could heighten both their terror and replayability.
Other Horror Titles Should Borrow Resident Evil Village's Perspective Switch
The Resident Evil series is synonymous with third-person survival horror, so Resident Evil Village's third-person switch created an experience more aligned with the classics. In addition, it created an experience that reinvigorated fans who had become overly familiar with its first-person gameplay. Were other horror franchises to follow suit, the benefits to both fans and the overall experience could be manifold. Perhaps the most thrilling adaptation could see other third-person horror titles offer DLC that thrusts players into a first-person perspective.
The recent Dead Space remake harkens back to the heyday of third-person survival horror, delivering a thrilling, yet familiar, experience for longtime fans. Were the title to borrow a trick from Resident Evil Village, by releasing a DLC that changes the perspective to first-person, the original campaign could be reborn into something altogether new to longtime fans.
While the game largely remains the same, its horror would be transformed, with the USG Ishimura, its necromorphs, and Isaac's hallucinations melding to create a fresh and terrifying first-person experience. Even the most experienced fans could benefit, as the perspective would bring bold and unfamiliar challenges to nearly every facet of the game.
Resident Evil Village is a Testament to The Power of Perspective
Resident Evil Village is truly a testament to the power of perspective, as the title currently offers three unique ways to experience its main story. In addition to both first- and third-person camera options, Resident Evil Village offers fans a truly exceptional VR mode. While Resident Evil 7 launched with basic PSVR support, Resident Evil Village's VR mode transforms the experience into one of the scariest and most effective uses of VR technology to date, essentially becoming a different title entirely. What's more, the mode is offered as free DLC for fans with a PSVR2.
Resident Evil Village's various perspectives offer a prime example of how a player's vantage can alter the experience. By creating three entirely different modes, developer Capcom has essentially delivered three unique Resident Evil Village experiences. Were other horror series to adopt this approach, they too could offer fans diverse and thrilling new ways to experience their original narratives. With a PSVR2 mode for last month's Resident Evil 4 remake currently in development, other horror titles may be receiving the perfect roadmap for adapting their own properties to a first-person or VR perspective.
Resident Evil Village is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
