Resident Evil Village
Three years after the Baker estate incident, Ethan Winters and Mia are living peacefully in Eastern Europe when Chris Redfield's unit attacks their home. Mia is shot. Ethan is transported to a remote village controlled by Mother Miranda and her four lords — Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, Donna Beneviento, Salvatore Moreau, and Karl Heisenberg. Ethan must fight through each lord's domain to recover his kidnapped daughter Rose and confront the centuries-old Mother Miranda, who seeks to use Rose as a vessel for her dead daughter.
Review Scores
"Village doesn't pull any punches when it comes to horror, but a consistent rollout of new weapons and tools makes it hard to walk away from these terrors."
"Resident Evil Village proves to be an excellent evolution of the previous chapter: there is tension, exploration, combat, everything you could want and even more."
"Resident Evil Village is among the initial titles that genuinely feels 'next-gen,' showcasing remarkable technology powered by the industry-leading RE Engine. With breathtaking graphics, truly bizarre foes, a memorable cast, and engaging gameplay, Village excels."
"Resident Evil Village encapsulates the finest elements from the past 25 years of the franchise, offering an engaging journey that should resonate with both action and horror enthusiasts. Village represents the franchise at its peak."
"Resident Evil Village merges the grounded horror of RE7 with the swift action and unique elements of RE4. Increased tension, more combat, and an abundance of eccentricity — its shortcomings are minor compared to the overall enjoyment."
Resident Evil Village — Official Launch Trailer
Key Features
- First-person perspective continuing from RE7, set three years later
- Four distinct lords each controlling a unique domain with different gameplay tone
- Lady Dimitrescu's castle — gothic, slow-burn exploration and evasion
- Donna Beneviento's house — pure psychological horror with no combat
- Salvatore Moreau's reservoir — flooded maze survival
- Karl Heisenberg's factory — industrial action-heavy sequences
- The Duke merchant with full weapon upgrade and cooking systems
- Village exploration hub with locked areas opened progressively
- Mercenaries mode: time-attack combat with unlockable characters
- Winters' Expansion DLC: Shadows of Rose story campaign + third-person mode
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to play RE7 before Village?
Strongly recommended. Village directly continues Ethan Winters' story and heavily references RE7 events. Playing RE7 first provides essential context for Mia, Eveline, and the Mold organism that explains several key Village plot points. Village works as a standalone but is significantly richer with RE7 knowledge.
How long is Resident Evil Village?
A first playthrough takes approximately 9–12 hours on Standard difficulty. The Shadows of Rose DLC adds 4–5 hours. Completionist runs with all collectibles take 14–18 hours.
Is Lady Dimitrescu a boss?
Yes — Lady Alcina Dimitrescu is one of the four lords and serves as one of Village's major boss fights. Her castle is the game's first and largest area. She pursues Ethan across multiple floors before the final confrontation. Her three daughters — Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela — are mini-bosses fought before her.
What is the Winters' Expansion DLC?
Winters' Expansion (released October 2022) adds the Shadows of Rose DLC campaign, which follows Ethan's daughter Rose 16 years after Village's events. It also adds a third-person camera mode for the entire base game and the Mercenaries Additional Orders mode with new playable characters.
What is the Duke and how does his shop work?
The Duke is a merchant who appears throughout Village offering weapons, upgrades, and consumables in exchange for Lei (the in-game currency). He also runs a cooking system where meat and ingredients found from animals around the village can be cooked into permanent stat bonuses for Ethan.