Resident Evil 7 had a huge responsibility as it returned the franchise to its horror roots. After that installment became a resounding success, Resident Evil Village followed in its footsteps while also paying tribute to Resident Evil 4, perhaps in preparation for its upcoming remake. There is always uncertainty with regard to what direction Resident Evil might take next, but it seems like horror is here to stay in the Resident Evil franchise.
The Shadows of Rose DLC’s emphasis on horror helps reinforce that the franchise wishes to grip players with tension and fear, rather than with stunning spectacles and bombastic combat. Of course, fans can like either of those directions for Resident Evil, and both have done remarkably well for Capcom. But the House Beneviento sections in both of Resident Evil’s latest outings should be the horror standard that it establishes for itself in the future.
Resident Evil Village’s House Beneviento is a Standout Sequence in the Franchise
Resident Evil Village was arguably not as centered around horror as Resident Evil 7, but many fans would argue its House Beneviento section is one of the most frightening stretches of gameplay in the franchise. This sequence takes full advantage of horror tropes ranging from indie games to AAA games in a distilled experience not unlike P.T., but adds in brief and engaging puzzles to solve before the actual scares come out.
One of the most effective parts of the House Beneviento sequence is its long buildup, where players approach the estate by a cliffside waterfall without anything on Ethan’s person, leaving them no way to defend themselves. The house is silent, with seemingly nothing to interact with until they descend into its basement, when things become truly creepy.
The enormous, disfigured baby that appears here is horrendous, and when players finally flee back to the house’s foyer they are met with an abundance of blade-wielding dolls. Resident Evil Village’s Shadows of Rose DLC brings players back to House Beneviento, but with a more personal and haunting twist.
This time, players must keep their camera on Mia mannequins that will hastily advance toward them on creaky wooden legs if they look away. After that is a sequence that represents an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-esque atmosphere where Rose is tiny and must circumnavigate dolls and Mia mannequins to find her way out.
Future Resident Evil Games Should Strive to Exceed Beneviento’s House of Horror
There is a high likelihood that Resident Evil 9, which may or may not be what the next Resident Evil game will be titled, continues following Chris Redfield. This was explicitly teased at the end of Resident Evil Village as he mentioned the BSAA headquarters, and some fans are concerned that Resident Evil might be leaning more toward its action inspirations again.
Yet Capcom seems to have its thumb on the pulse of fans, and knows what they want to see from the franchise. It would be surprising if any future Resident Evil game completely abandoned horror, but Capcom should really attempt to amplify its horror in each new title. Following Resident Evil Village and its Shadows of Rose DLC, the franchise will hopefully continue its new trend of having an isolated sequence dedicated to just distilled horror.
This could still occur in a future Resident Evil game centered around Chris, and it would be incredible to see him in a purely terrifying atmosphere again following the original Resident Evil or Resident Evil Code: Veronica. But whether Chris is its next protagonist or not, Resident Evil needs to remind fans that it is a survival-horror franchise at its core, and its direction now aims to maintain that.
Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
