Capcom fans who for one reason or another are still on the fence about purchasing one of the next-generation consoles (or alternatively weren’t successful in pre-ordering one) may have just been given another reason to stay put.
Earlier this morning, Capcom producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Peter Fabiano appeared on the Tokyo Game Show 2020 Livestream to share new details regarding Resident Evil VILLAGE (known as Biohazard VILLAGE in Japan). After kicking off the stream with a repeat of the most recent trailer that was previously shown during Sony’s PlayStation 5 Games Showcase last week, Kanda and Fabiano endeavored to discuss the game’s themes and scope without revealing too much about the story. What they did confirm openly was that the game takes place several years after the events of RE7 and will once again feature Ethan Winter as its protagonist, who has somehow managed to return to a semblance of normal life with his wife Mia. Of course, being this is a Resident Evil game, it’s no surprise to anyone that Ethan’s idyllic illusion of peace isn’t meant to last for long.
Kanda and Fabiano also disclosed that while the word “village” tends to represent concepts like closeness and community, VILLAGE’s desolate, snowy setting will actually be quite vast and allow players to go to many areas that they may not have thought they could at the outset. Kanda promised that players will encounter and interact with various residents of the titular township and will confront dangerous, fast moving creatures that “hunt in packs”. “The village plays a central role, so much so that it can be considered another main character,” Kanda ominously suggested. And of course, keeping with the mysterious vibes set by the game’s official trailers, both Kanda and Fabiano remained tight-lipped about the involvement of franchise regular and former ally Chris Redfield in the story. All they would confirm was what the official trailers have already laid bare: it is a much-changed Chris that shatters Ethan’s newfound happiness and pulls him back into the darkness.
A surprising new developer video diary starring Kanda, Fabiano and the game’s director Tomonori Sato was then shown that drip-fed a few more tantalizing details, such as the seemingly Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired storybook elements serving as an allegorical summary of both the game’s narrative and Ethan’s horrific journey, and a cryptic statement from Sato expressing that the story of VILLAGE likely represents “the entirety of who (Ethan) is just kind of brought into one single game.” The most shocking reveal of the presentation however came near the end when producer Kanda let it slip that while VILLAGE is being developed for next-generation consoles and PC, the team is presently “looking into” bringing the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well. “We’re looking into it, but we can’t make any promises. However we will do our best in creating a top-tier survival horror experience on current generation consoles,” Kanda pledged.
Resident Evil VILLAGE is currently slated for release in 2021 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (Steam). With any luck, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One might be added to that list soon.
