The eighth installment in the popular Resident Evil franchise has been released, and it is a horror-survival shooting at its finest. True to its name, Resident Evil Village places you in a village filled with werewolves and vampires, while you try to shoot hide, and stab your way through the main story. Resident Evil games can get a bit grueling, throwing hordes of enemies at you while arming you with a limited number of bullets. If you picked up this game just to get a chance to encounter the famous Lady Dimitrescu then here are a few tips that can help make your first playthrough easier and set the tone for your fated meeting.
1. Pay attention to your map
The Resident Evil Village map is filled with several treasures to find, monsters to kill and crates to break. Thankfully, the map itself will help you in this quest. If you pay attention, you will find that the first time you enter a building or a room, it will be displayed in red on your map. This means that there are still secrets hidden away for you to discover. Once you have found everything, the color on the map will turn blue to indicate that you have found everything there was to find in this location. Remember that some secrets can only be uncovered later in the game via the story, so if the map stays red even after frantic searching, you will need to come back later to discover the hidden secret.
2. Learn the sounds enemies make
Sound is a big part of the experience in any survival horror game, but Resident Evil Village takes this a step further. If you put in the time to remember the sounds that each enemy makes, you will be able to tell what enemies lay ahead of you before you enter a room. This sound will only disappear when all the enemies in the area are dead so that you know when you are safe. In the same way, ticking noise signifies a collectible Goat of Warding nearby, while creaking means there is a birdcage somewhere to shoot down. Learn to associate the sounds with the gameplay element, and you will find it much easier to locate both enemies and hidden treasures.
3. Guarding is a good idea
The Guard mechanism in Resident Evil Village has been carried over from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and improved upon. While guarding doesn’t make you immune to damage, it does lessen the damage, save you from grapple attacks, and gives you the ability to counterattack. You can also upgrade your Guard ability later in the game to shield yourself from additional damage. With limited bullets and hordes of enemies, guarding every once in a while is actually an extremely helpful ability.
4. Fight or flight
While the Mercenaries mode might make it feel like you are playing Doom Eternal and mowing down waves upon waves of enemies, it is a good idea to remember that it still is in fact a survival horror game. Sometimes you will encounter enemies that cannot be taken down or a large horde of enemies that cannot be defeated even with unlimited ammo. While the game itself might not tell you this – this is when you run away. Take the hint and live to fight another day.
5. Visit the Duke regularly
Everyone loves the Duke. The Duke is the merchant who will be happy to sell you his wares for the in-game currency – Lei. We recommend making your first purchase to upgrade your storage space and learn a few useful crafting recipes. Crafting recipes allow you to craft custom weapons that carry extra ammunition and even exploding rounds. Upgraded storage space might seem expensive, but it is well worth it as you keep progressing through the game. You can also store items such as meat with the Duke and access it again whenever you meet him.
6. Save your ammo
Rationing your ammo and using it tactically is a core gameplay mechanic of the Resident Evil franchise. When hunting animals or breaking boxes, it is advisable to switch to your knife and conserve ammo. In the same way, different types of ammo are useful for different enemies. Which makes it an even more tactical decision to use the right type of weapon. Conserve your shotgun shells and explosives for crowded situations, or you will soon be reloading your game from your last save point.
7. New game plus
Completing the main story of Resident Evil Village takes the average person a little more than 10 hours. Yes, that might make it seem like a short game, but completing it once is not the end. Completing the game will unlock the Extra Content Shop. Here you can spend Content Points (CP) to collect new weapons, upgrade ammo and unlock the Mercenaries mode. Completing the game will also allow you to unlock New Game Plus, which will boot up a new game while still retaining your weapons and ammo from the previous game. Finishing the game is just the door to unlocking new objectives and an easy excuse to dive in again into the exciting world of Resident Evil Village.