In general, I wasn’t very scared, all the monsters and bosses were balanced and it was quite comfortable to play, I didn’t build brick houses, but this "child" in the basement(House Beneviento)... it’s something inhuman, a pure animal fear, I was almost born again when I saw him. God, save me from deciding to play again and seeing him again.

Fair warning: The first act is clunky, confusing, and unfun. As a newcomer to Resident Evil games, I almost put Village down at the start from frustation and not really vibing with the gameplay. (Spoilers act 1: walking in 90% darkness on a straight line, opening empty drawers in a cabin, going in circles in a village fighting lycans with no objective was a chore). But I'm very glad I gave it a second chance.

After the unfun opening act, things get much, much better! Soon the objective becomes clearer and less murky, which helps immensely. I had to restart on casual difficulty because I was so unfamiliar with the RE combat mechanics. But then I quickly realized casual was too easy, so I did a 3rd start back on normal. That felt perfect for a first playthrough. After 2 hours and 3 starts, things were finally rolling.

This game is a gem in my eyes, but not so much for the gameplay. The actual gameplay of Village - the combat, survival mechanics, puzzles, crafting, etc - although very good, don't particularly outshine the gameplay of other all-time great games.

Rather, what makes Village really special and worth the time is the game design. Starting from the top, the atmosphere and environment is exquisite and a genuine rush to explore. I haven't had so much fun in a spooky Slavic hamlet since the Trastamara Estate Ruins in the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. That's very high praise for any game to be held in the same category as the Witcher 3.

Village's world is haunting, foreboding, creepy, and makes your skin crawl with dread. Every setting feels so very thoughtful and artfully crafted. That's important because although the combat may not be the greatest ever, the environment truly amps up every encounter. Small noises and rustles, bells, doors creaking will startle you, placing you on the edge of your seat and making it an enthralling experience.

Aside from the phenomenal atmosphere, Village also has a great attention to detail and good quality of life features that earn my praise. Every area has been dotted with a number of resources and secrets, which feel carefully and lovingly placed. It's like finding stars in Mario 64, except in a horror game for adults. (The loading screen with a model typewriter is another small but superb touch). As for QoL, the map shows individual rooms with a red color indicating more items/secrets, and a blue color indicating it's cleared. That's a really nice QoL feature that I appreciate because it cuts so much of the guesswork and tedium out of it.

All in all I feel like this game deserves to get a 9/10 from me. Yes, I know that's high and some diehard RE fans may differ, but when I take the experience as a whole, appreciating all the morsels and flavor this game offers, I feel it's well-earned in my book. So if you're looking for a fresh experience of Resident Evil, and not coming in with expecations from other RE games, I highly recommend Village. Just watch out for that first act, and make sure to choose your difficulty properly!

Big booby woman :)