Capcom has announced that the eighth installment of its long-running survival horror franchise, Resident Evil Village (RE8), will be released for Steam and current-gen/last-gen platforms (i.e., PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One) on May 7, 2021. The news was shared as part of today’s Resident Evil Showcase event, which included a new trailer demonstrating the game’s central locale, Dimitrescu Castle, and its beautiful gothic interiors.
“[…] we put the spotlight on a mysterious castle and its residents, particularly everyone’s favorite new character, the tall lady who’s captivated everyone’s hearts as of late,” Capcom wrote. “We’re happy to put a name to the face: Lady Dimitrescu, who appears alongside her three daughters. We won’t spoil what role this quartet plays in the story, but we can tell you that you’ll see them throughout Dimitrescu Castle. That should give you a strong idea of the relationship between these women and the castle they reside in.”
Capcom also shared a bit of gameplay footage that reveals Resident Evil Village will take a few pages out of one of the franchise’s most popular installments, 2005’s Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil Village not only brings back the Tetris-like inventory system of RE4, in which players can rotate the placement of items, but expands upon it with the ability to craft items such as first aid and ammo. RE8 also sees the return of a merchant character that protagonist Ethan Winters can purchase things from.
“You may remember a certain side-shot of a man shrouded in darkness from the previous trailer,” Capcom teased. “We’re finally able to shed some light on who he is: A rather large merchant that is only known as “the Duke.” You’ll be able to purchase weapons, items, and perhaps even customize your arsenal with his help – but remember, everything comes at a price, which is something the Duke is all too fond of reminding you of.”
Resident Evil Village won’t be released until May, but PlayStation 5 owners can get a feel for how the game looks and plays right now with a demo/spin-off called “Maiden.” As Capcom explains, there’s no combat or even blocking in the demo, but it does let anxious fans explore a piece of the heavily anticipated game well in advance.