Why Resident Evil Village Feels So Much Like RE4

From the very first announcement trailer for Resident Evil Village, fans have picked up on numerous similarities between the latest game in Capcom’s survival horror franchise and one of the series’ most beloved entries. Turns out that is completely by design, as Resident Evil Village’s creators took heavy inspiration from the critically acclaimed and fan-favorite Resident Evil 4 for the newest game in the series.

Resident Evil 4 was acclaimed by critics and fans alike when it originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. Ditching previous entries’ static camera angles, awkward gunplay, and even traditional zombies, Resident Evil 4 looked incredible and put an emphasis on action in a mysterious new European setting, where creepy villagers sought to impede protagonist Leon S. Kennedy on his mission to save the U.S. president’s daughter.

The similar village settings of the two games is an obvious point of comparison, but the shared DNA between the two games goes deeper than that. Here’s how Resident Evil Village takes inspiration from Resident Evil 4 in just about every aspect of its design.

How Resident Evil 4 Inspired Resident Evil Village

In a recent interview with IGN, Resident Evil Village director Morimasa Sato had much to say about the creation of the latest entry in the series and the inspirations behind it. In fact, Sato went as far as to compare the two games directly:

“If Resident Evil 7 was like a reboot that inherited the DNA of the original Resident Evil, then you could say that this time we’re doing the same for Resident Evil 4. We’ve designed the game and its structure with Resident Evil 4’s essence in mind, so I think that you’ll be able to find a lot of elements that remind you of that game.”

Sato goes on to explain how Resident Evil 4 is where the action and combat of the series evolved the most, and that he views Resident Evil Village as the offspring of both Resident Evil 7 and 4. It’s for that reason Resident Evil Village puts more emphasis on combat compared to the previous entry in the series. Sato says his team tried to capture the essence of Resident Evil 4’s action and adapt it to the first-person perspective of Resident Evil 7. Gameplay elements like being able to do combo attacks, as well the ability to leap from rooftops and through windows, make their way into Resident Evil Village, too, only this time in first-person.

While the village location seen in Resident Evil Village is inspired by Resident Evil 4’s iconic location, fans will remember that only a part of Resident Evil 4 took place in the actual village where players start the game. From there, Leon ventures into foreboding castles and secret island military bases in his quest to rescue Ashley. Resident Evil Village‘s protagonist Ethan Winters will be doing much the same, as he not only explores the village in question for his kidnapped daughter but also the areas surrounding the village, including giant gothic castles. That level of variety in locations was directly inspired by Resident Evil 4 as well, as Sato says the frequently changing locations and encounters kept the 2005 classic fresh until the very end.

Resident Evil Village and RE4 Parallels Explained

Even the iconic weapon merchant from Resident Evil 4 will be represented in Resident Evil Village, with a new character, The Duke, serving a similar purpose by selling players new weapons and upgrades. And then, of course, there’s the return of the arcade-style Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil Village, which has been featured in numerous entries in the series but was popularized in Resident Evil 4.

From the gameplay, the story, the setting, and even the inclusion of Mercenaries, there is a reason the newest entry in Capcom’s horror franchise feels very similar to Resident Evil 4, and that’s because the game’s creators took a lot of direct inspiration from it. Considering Resident Evil 4 is frequently regarded as one of the best games of all time, Resident Evil Village will have high expectations. However, everything fans have seen of the game so far seems to indicate it just might live up to its lofty inspirations.

Source: IGN

About The Author

Cameron Koch
(102 Articles Published)

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Cameron Koch is a Denver, CO based writer who’s writing on gaming has appeared on sites like Game Informer, Gamepedia, and now Screen Rant. On the rare occasion he’s separated from a keyboard or controller, he enjoys fencing (the sword-fighting kind) and obsessing over the latest kaiju film.

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