Resident Evil Village

Play RE7 first. If you want more of the same, lower your general expectations and revel in RE Village's improved gunplay. If not, skip.

There is no doubt that Village is a great Resi entry, with more variety and sheer bombast than its predecessor ever delivered. In prizing its many made-for-Twitch-and-YouTube moments over tone and consistency, it falls short as an evolution of the franchise. Village is still a bold, silly and beautiful thing, but there’s no avoiding a murkier focus and a less compelling story resulting is a slightly mish-mashed “Best Of”. One that’s easy to love when you’re caught between its vicious gothic claws and a little forgettable once they’ve relinquished themselves.

Resident Evil Village is a slick, atmospheric addition to the franchise, and it bookends the story started in Resident Evil 7 beautifully. Every area is dripping with dark personality and it's filled with memorable characters, while fun combat and a satisfying upgrade system keep things fresh throughout your adventure. Higher difficulties, the Mercenaries mode and other fun unlockables will keep hardcore players coming back after they've beaten the story, so there's plenty of value and challenge beyond the main game. It could definitely be a bit scarier and more difficult, and the final major area isn't quite as visually arresting or fun to explore as earlier ones, but it's a strong start for the series on next-gen consoles and a delightful tribute to the series on its 25th anniversary.

This game manages to find new ways to thrill, excite, and stomp all over your poor, terrified little heart – which we suppose is great for people who have that sort of kink. Whatever floats your boat, we suppose.

Sackable offences? Of course not. And for all these flaws, Resident Evil Village was a thrilling adventure that kept me hooked from beginning to end, despite its jarring twists and turns. But the delightful level design isn't enough to mitigate a strange, unsatisfying, plothole-ridden story, and that bizarre final act ultimately sullies what is an otherwise terrifyingly good horror romp.

Some say it takes a village to do a quick look, others say it only takes Brad and Vinny. Sit back and enjoy as the Giant Bomb team takes an unedited look at Resident Evil Village.

Village may not live up to the potential of its immediate predecessor, but it’s a safe new entry in the series that induces the same entertaining anxiety as my favorite Resident Evil games and provides a few interesting wrinkles for where the franchise might go next.

Eventually, the swings between horror and action became so common that, moment to moment, I had no idea what I’d see next. That’s the cycle that Resident Evil Village keeps chasing: the hesitation, anticipation, and payoff that make both action and horror such powerful draws. It’s definitely an action game, and despite all the shooting, it’s also a horror game. And while it induces both creeping dread and righteous fury, its biggest triumph is in not-so-quietly arguing that horror and action aren’t that different after all. They’re both just ways to get your blood pumping. [Polygon Recommends]

If you’re in it for the outlandish characters and labyrinthine level design, you’ll probably love Village. If you’d hoped 7 would spark a fresh new direction for the series, though, you might be disappointed.