Capcom held a digital Resident Evil showcase and provided information on the next round of releases for the beloved survival horror franchise. From the contents of the DLC releasing next week to the remake of Resident Evil 4 a lot of information was dropped in a 35-minute video presentation. All pleasantly narrated by The Duke, nonetheless.
Resident Evil Village Expansion Announcements
The bulk of the showcase was centered around the expansion to Resident Evil Village releasing next week. On October 28th the gold edition or standalone DLC will be available. This includes a variety of additions and changes to the game.
For starters, the entire game will be playable in third-person mode. The last two new Resident Evil games were only in the first person. It was decided to add this option to make the game more accessible to a wider audience. Even with this change, the mystery of Ethan Winters remains as the character will look away if the camera is turned to see his face.
Ethan Winters in the new third-person mode.
Given that there may be a bit of an adjustment with the shift in perspective a demo will be available. Starting today, October 30th, at 17:00 EST players will be able to play a 60-minute demo. This will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam.
The Winters Story Continues
As was teased at the end of Resident Evil Village, the game will be returning to tell Rose’s story. Details about the DLC were provided during the presentation. Picking up when she is 16, Rose seeks to rid herself of her powers. To do so, she must return to where it started and venture into the Realm of Consciousness. This story DLC aims to explore a new character type (a teenage girl) and close the saga of the Winters family.
Rose Winters from the Shadow of Rose DLC trailer.
Mercenaries Mode Additions
Resident Evil Village includes a return to the classic arcade-style Mercenaries mode. This expansion will bring about new characters, including Lords. These specific types of playable characters provide the player with powers and abilities that would not be possible from a human character. Heisenberg and Lady Dimitrescu were shown off as the Lords coming to the mode.
Mercenaries mode from the perspective of playing as Lady Dimitrescu.
A few other changes were mentioned to enhance the quality of life for Mercenaries. New weapons are coming to give players more options when facing down a horde. Additionally, enemies have been altered so that they chase the player. This aims to lessen a player standing around waiting for the next move and quicken the tempo of play.
RE:Verse is Still Coming
A multiplayer mode, RE:Verse, was initially planned to launch with Resident Evil Village but was delayed a few times. This mode will be released on October 28th and is free to all owners of the full game, regardless of edition. Initially, it will have 6 survivors, 5 creatures, 2 stages, a challenge mission, and a battle pass. Three updates were outlined on a roadmap with no dates provided.
Jill Valentine facing down three Nemesis in RE:Verse.
RE:Verse will be crossplay across all platforms. The game will also have an early access period running from October 23rd at midnight EST until October 26th at 2:00 EST. This is a chance for players who missed the beta prior to the release of Resident Evil Village to get a taste. It will be available to anyone who owns or has preordered the game.
Resident Evil is Coming Everywhere
Capcom announced that Resident Evil Village will be coming to Mac computers on October 28th. This will be the first RE Engine project to run natively on Apple Silicon. There are some graphical alterations to make the project optimized. This was teased to be the first project to pursue Mac computers.
The game is also slated to come to the Nintendo Switch via the cloud. Resident Evil Village will run at up to 60 FPS regardless of Switch mode. There will also be a demo to try the game and functionality of cloud gaming available before purchase. The Switch version will release on October 28th with the Winter’s expansion coming on December 2nd.
Covers of new Resident Evil games coming to Switch through cloud gaming.
This is not the only Resident Evil project coming to Switch through the cloud. First, Resident Evil 2 Remake will release on November 11th. Next, Resident Evil 3 Remake will come on November 18th. Finally, Resident Evil Biohazard will hit the Switch on December 16th.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Updates
New footage of the anticipated remake of Resident Evil 4 was shown. Enhanced graphics, stealth, and a few gameplay changes were highlighted. It aims to stay true to the original while modernizing to please veterans and newcomers alike. Enemies have new ways to attack and a parry mechanic has been added for those times Leon just cannot get away. Classic resource management and the merchant are still present. A new trading option in which rare gems found are exchanged for special items is also added.
Resident Evil 4 Remake will be coming to current generation consoles as well as PS4 and Steam. The PS4 version can be upgraded to the PS5 version at no additional cost.
Leon Kennedy searching through the grounds in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Various preorder bonuses and editions were shown off as well. A deluxe edition comes with new costumes, an in-game map, and weapons. A physical collector’s edition includes the deluxe edition as well as a Leon Kennedy statue, soundtrack, collector’s box, and physical map. Preordering the base game includes an in-game gold resource case and ammo charm. Deluxe or collector’s edition preorders include these as well as an additional “classic” case option and a second charm. Preorders are live now and the full game is slated for a March 24, 2023 release.
The showcase came to a close with The Duke briefly recapping everything shown. From the Resident Evil Village expansion, Mercenaries mode, RE:Verse multiplayer, and Resident Evil 4 Remake coming there is plenty to be excited for. As a closing, The Duke gave a cryptic tease about meeting another merchant who is quite the “odd chap.” What is to come from this is yet to be seen.
