Resident Evil Village – 15 New Details You Need To Know
The hype surrounding Resident Evil Village is palpable, and it grows with every day. We've certainly been looking forward to it in giddy anticipation. As you may have noticed, we here at GamingBolt have taken every chance we get to talk about all things Resident Evil of late, but thankfully, there's still plenty left to talk about. With the clock ticking down to Resident Evil Village's launch, in this feature, we're going to go over a few more key details you should know about the survival horror megaton.
OPENING DETAILS
Resident Evil Village's story is looking very promising so far, and though Capcom are keeping things close to the vest (as they should), we do know plenty about how the game begins, thanks to an interview with the developers and Famitsu from last year. Following the apparent murder of Mia at Chris' hands, the rogue agent kidnaps Ethan's daughter Rose and heads to the game's titular village, forcing Ethan to give chase and head there as well. Upon arriving in the village, Ethan quickly realizes that something is wrong, with its denizens seemingly involved in a strange cult of some sorts. Meanwhile, several characters that we've seen a glimpse of but don't know much about – such as the old shaman lady with the skull staff – are apparently going to have a pretty important role to play.
STORY CONNECTIONS
Something that Capcom have mentioned a couple of times now is the fact that Resident Evil Village's story will be tying in quite a bit with the series' larger narrative. In a recent stream, the developers said that players will want to replay all the mainline entries in the series before heading into Village, since apparently there's a lot of narrative connections to older games in Village's story. Given the fact that Chris Redfield is playing a major role in the story, on top of other things like the Umbrella logo appearing in trailers, it does seem like the story is going to be more closely linked with the series' larger overarching narrative than Resident Evil 7 was.
CONSISTENCY WITH LORE
From werewolves and vampires to witches and giants with sledgehammers, we've seen a lot of different kinds of enemies in Resident Evil Village so far, and it's fair to say that they're fairly off-beat for a Resident Evil game. But according to producer Peter Fabiano, all of the enemies in the game are going to not only be rooted in science fiction rather than supernatural stuff the way RE monsters tend to be, they're all also going to be consistent with the series' lore. In an interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine, Fabiano said, "We don't want to spoil too much of the story but what I can say is that the creatures all fit within the context of Resident Evil's world. We can assure you that Resident Evil Village takes into account the overall world and history of the series."
MORE FOCUS ON ETHAN
Ethan Winters returning as the primary protagonist in RE Village is significant for a number of reasons. This is the first time ever that a protagonist is going to return in a direct sequel immediately after making their debut in the series, while the only other time we've seen a character being featured as a playable protagonist back-to-back was with Chris in Resident Evil 5 and 6. So why is Ethan, who was so unremarkable as a character in RE7, coming back? Well, clearly, Capcom didn't think he was unremarkable, and they want to expand upon his story. Something that they've made clear (and that rumours have doubled down on as well) is that Ethan is going to have a much larger presence in Village, so here's hoping he is a much stronger protagonist here than he was in his debut.
RE4 INSPIRATIONS
With things such as the briefcase inventory management, the merchant, and its whole aesthetic, it's been clear for a while now that Resident Evil Village is leaning heavily on the RE4 influences. And Capcom haven't shied away from that, clearly, and have even said as much in as many words. Speaking in an interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine, producer Peter Fabiano said, "You'll notice we took a lot of inspiration from Resident Evil 4. The team has put a ton of effort into creating a truly authentic feel. There are plenty of surprises to keep you on your toes; players will find a balance of combat, exploration, and puzzle solving."
INTENSE HORROR
Whether or not Resident Evil will go back to focusing more on action than horror is something that series fans are always concerned about. Village certainly does seem to be a lot more action-packed and explosive than RE7 was- but Capcom have promised that this is still very much a survival horror experience. In an interview with Edge, game director Morimasa Sato said that Village isn't going to de-emphasize horror elements, in case fans were worried. He said, "As you know, one of the central themes of the Resident Evil series is horror or fear, and I would just warn you not to take anything you've seen so far as an indication that you can relax in terms of horror content. There are plenty of intense and horrifying scenes in the game, but we've chosen to leave those for you to experience by yourself."
DIMITRESCU AND HER CASTLE
Lady Dimitrescu a.k.a. everyone's favourite Tall Vampire Lady has been the talk of the town for a while now, but though she clearly seems to be dominating most conversations about Resident Evil Village, the game itself is obviously going to have a lot more going on than her, her daughters, and her castle. According to the developers, she and her castle are just one section of a much larger game. Said art director Tomonori Takano in an interview with IGN, "What we've shown so far — Lady Dimitrescu, the village, and the castle — encompass just a section of Resident Evil Village."
LOCKPICKS
Conservation and smart usage of depletable resources such as ammo and health are obviously going to be crucial in Resident Evil Village, and apparently, there's going to be more similar things to worry over as well. For instance, it's been confirmed that lockpicks will be returning in Resident Evil Village. Lockpicks have been featured in RE titles as a limited and depletable resources, so it should be interesting to see how they're used in Village and how much of an emphasis the game will put on them.
THE MAP
It's been made abundantly clear by now that Resident Evil Village is going to be significantly larger than RE7, but exactly what do we know about its map? Thanks to a map of the game's setting that comes with the game's collector's edition, we know quite a bit. Castle Dimitrescu seems to take centerstage, and it's clear that it's going to be a pretty big location. The village itself is pretty large and spread out, and from a suspension bridge and mills to a sluice gate and windmills, there's quite a bit of landmarks here as well. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other locations that seem interesting that will likely play a part in the game, such as House Beneviento and Heisenberg's factory. Meanwhile, it also looks like there's a lake to the south of the castle, next to the factory, that's locked by the aforementioned sluice gate, and based on the map's artwork, seems to house a massive aquatic creature. Are we in for a boss fight that'll call back to the Del Lago encounter in RE4? It certainly seems that way.
CAPCOM'S HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Capcom have been quite bullish about how Resident Evil Village is turning out, and they've been all too happy to let that show. Whether it's in terms of the game's critical reception or how much they think it'll sell, they certainly seem to have high expectations. Producer Peter Fabiano said in an interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine, "Since we are constantly sharing information across Resident Evil teams, that really helped inform us in making what we consider the best survival horror game to date." Meanwhile, speaking to GamesIndustry, Capcom's EMEA and UK marketing director Antoine Molant said, "Our main ambition for this year, although there's so much going on at the same time, is to make sure Resident Evil Village will be the best-performing Resident Evil title, both in terms of quality as well as business."
SECOND DEMO
Resident Evil Village's Maiden demo has been available exclusively on PS5 for some time now, but as effective as it was at giving us a glimpse of the game's audio and visual capabilities, it was pretty light as far as gameplay was concerned. Thankfully, a second demo is coming as well, which will be releasing for every platform the game is coming to. The second demo, due out in the Spring, is going to be much meatier and will also include combat. In fact, Capcom have confirmed that this demo will include a section of the final game itself, so players will get a much better sense of what the final product is going to be like.
FILE SIZE
Resident Evil Village will be a cross-gen game, and while we don't know much about what its file size (or even its resolution and frame rate) will be on last-gen consoles, we do have those details for its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions. On Xbox Series X/S, the game will require 35 GB of free storage space, which will go up to 50 GB if you include Resident Evil Re:Verse. Meanwhile, the game's file size on PS5 is 27.3 GB, which can probably be attributed to the console's efficient compression tech. All of this, of course, doesn't take into account any updates and patches the game may receive on day 1.
PC REQUIREMENTS
What if you're planning on playing the game on PC though? Well, system requirements have also been revealed. At minimum settings for 1080p/60 FPS gameplay, you'll need either an Intel Core i5-7500 or an AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB RAM, and either a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB VRAM or a Radeon RX 560 with 4GB VRAM. Recommended settings stipulate 16 GB RAM and either an Intel Core i7 8700 or an AMD Ryzen 5 3600, along with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700. If you want ray-tracing, you'll need either a GeForce RTX 2070 or a Radeon RX 6700 XT or a Radeon RX 6800 for 4K/45 FPS. For ray-tracing at 4K/60 FPS you'll need either a GeForce RTX 3070 or a Radeon RX 6900 XT.
EDITIONS
Resident Evil Village will also be launching with various special editions in addition to the standard one. The Deluxe Edition will include the game itself and the Trauma Pack DLC, which includes the Samurai Edge, an in-game "Found Footage" filter, safe room music from RE7, tape recorders as save points instead of typewriters, the Mr. Everywhere weapon charm, and the "Village of Shadows" difficulty. Also included is the "Tragedy of Ethan Winters" artwork. Then there's the Collector's Edition includes everything from the Deluxe Edition, in addition to a Chris Redfield figure, a 64-page hardcover artbook, a reversible microfiber cloth map, and a steelbook case, all of this will come in a suitably large box. Finally, there's also the Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7 Complete Bundle, which, as its name suggests, will include both games, as well as the Trauma Pack DLC.
STADIA
Resident Evil Village is going to be releasing for a ridiculous number of platforms right out the gate. In addition to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, it's been confirmed that the game will also launch for Stadia on May 7, simultaneously with the other versions. Meanwhile, Resident Evil 7 will also have been available on Stadia for a while at that point, with a release date for the cloud service of April 1. Google may have abandoned any and all efforts of supporting Stadia with first party developed exclusive content, but hey- at least it's still getting some pretty major third party releases. That's something, right?
Switch Pro – 8 Rumours That Could Be True
The Switch is now halfway into its life, and the hybrid is doing better than Nintendo could have imagined. Having already sold over 80 million units, thanks to its catalog of excellent exclusive releases, solid support from indies and third parties, and the sheer convenience of its very design, the Switch is continuing to sell gangbusters. And it doesn't look like that's going to stop any time soon. Even with the launch of the much more powerful PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the Switch is showing no signs of slowing down, at least in terms of sales- but it does seem like Nintendo wants to close the gap between the Switch and the new 9th gen consoles at least to some extent.
Rumours of a more powerful hardware upgrade of the Switch – the Switch Pro, so to speak – have been around for well over a year at this point, but recently, those rumours and leaks have become much more prominent, with new potential details emerging what feels like every week. In this feature, we're going to parse that stuff and talk about a few of the rumours about the Switch Pro – or whatever else Nintendo chooses to call it – that might just be true.
4K
We're now at a point where 4K visuals are beginning to become the new standard for visuals for games on consoles. If not native 4K, developers at least try to target dynamic 4K, or, failing that, 1440p resolutions. And that push for 4K is only going to grow as the PS5 and Xbox Series X grow longer. For the Nintendo Switch, a console that caps out hard at 1080p and often doesn't even hit those numbers, that's not exactly an ideal situation.
With the Switch Pro, however, it seems Nintendo is looking to address exactly that issue. There have been multiple leaks and reports about the more powerful Switch variant over the last few months, and the one thing they all seem to agree on is the fact that when docked, the device will support 4K visuals, the lack of which in the regular Switch has been a long-standing issues with players and with developers. If this is indeed accurate – and it's looking like it probably is – then hopefully, we'll be seeing more third party support for the Switch down the line.
DLSS
That the Switch Pro will support DLSS is something else that we've heard more than a few times at this point. In fact, a Bloomberg report claimed as recently as a couple of weeks ago that the Switch Pro would have a new Nvidia chipset, and that it would support their Deep Learning Super Sampling (or DLSS) technology to be able to upscale visuals to 4K. Obviously, it's unlikely that DLSS will be applied retroactively to existing Switch games (though hopefully there will be at least a few cases where developers and publishers decide to go back and release visual upgrades for their titles), but it should help the hardware target 4K in console mode going forward.
OLED SCREEN
The Switch Pro is getting some obvious upgrades where its docked mode is concerned, if rumours are to be believed, but portable mode isn't getting left behind either. According to reports, that's getting its own enhancements as well. According to a Bloomberg report from early March, the Switch Pro will have a 7 inch screen, as opposed to the regular Switch's 6.2 inch screen (and the Switch Lite's 5.5 inches). The screen's resolution will be 720p, and on top of all that, Nintendo has also allegedly partnered with Samsung to replace the Switch's LED screens with new OLED panels, which will offer better contrast, better image quality, and consume less battery.
CPU AND MEMORY
An upgrade to portable mode, support for 4K, and DLSS have been the headline grabbing parts of most Switch Pro rumours of late, but the console is supposed to be getting other enhancements as well. As you'd expect, rumours have also said that the Switch Pro will have an improved processor and memory, and as we mentioned before, it is allegedly going to have a new Nvidia chipset. Exactly what those improvements are going to look like isn't something that any of the reports have gone into, but it should be interesting to see how much of an upgrade they will be over what the regular Switch already has- after all, most games will need to be able to run on the base Switch as well.
LAUNCH
Exactly when the Switch Pro will launch is a question that's been asked often over the last few months. All reports seem to indicate that it shouldn't be long. The Bloomberg report that talked about the device's OLED display mentioned that Nintendo would be beginning mass production as early as June, and that assembly will begin in July. Meanwhile, it's also been reported that Nintendo is expecting record software and hardware sales for the Switch in fiscal year 2021-22, which runs from April 2021 to March of 2022. All of that put together would suggest that Nintendo is targeting a late 2021 launch for the Switch Pro- possibly for the Holidays. Of course, in the absence of official word from Nintendo, all we can do is speculate right now, but a late 2021 launch for the Switch Pro does seem likely at this point.
2021 GAMES
More powerful hardware is all well and good- what about the games though? Well, it seems like Nintendo has big plans for that as well. As we just mentioned, Nintendo is expecting record software sales for the Switch in FY 2022, which would indicate that they have major releases planned. Interestingly enough, a Bloomberg report back in August 2020 mentioned that the Switch Pro's launch would be accompanied by a full slate of major new releases from first party studios and third party partners alike. Currently, we don't have exact release dates for a lot of major upcoming games for the Switch, with the exception of the likes of Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Splatoon 3, both of which are supposed to launch in 2022.
What we can do, however, is speculate. Could the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild be positioned as a flagship game for the Switch Pro in the console's launch window, for instance? Recent rumours have also spoken about Resident Evil Outrage, a new mainline title in the series that's being developed with the Switch as its lead platform, and is supposedly due out within a year of Resident Evil Village's launch. If those reports are accurate, it would be a perfect game to show off the Switch Pro's new capabilities, thanks to the excellent RE Engine's capabilities.
EXCLUSIVES
How developers choose to leverage the Switch Pro's more powerful hardware while ensuring that they maintain support for the base Switch will be interesting to see, but it seems like not all of them will choose to strike that balance. Insider NateDrake has said on ResetEra that the Switch Pro is likely going to have a few exclusive games, especially from third party developers, and that he knows of at least one of them (though he didn't mention what that is, obviously). It wouldn't be surprising if that were true. From the Game Boy Color to the DSi to the New 3DS, Nintendo has released its fair share of more powerful mid-generation hardware upgrades in the past, and all of them had at least a few exclusive releases that didn't support those systems' base versions.
PRICE
This isn't a rumour as much as it is a prediction. With more powerful hardware, the Switch Pro is obviously bound to be costlier than the regular Switch- but how much costlier? According to Bloomberg Intelligence's analyst Matthew Kanterman, Nintendo is likely to target a price in the range of $349 to $399. There are a few other questions that are worth asking though- once the Switch Pro launches, will Nintendo slash the prices on existing Switch models? Will the regular Switch and Switch Lite continue to be sold at $299 and $199 respectively, or will Nintendo choose to lower the price for one or both of them? That remains to be seen.
Oddworld: Soulstorm Gets Multiple Videos Highlighting Crafting, Stealth, Loot, And Much More
Next week we're be able to once again return to the enigmatic Oddworld with Soulstorm. The game looks to revisit the classic series, once again putting us in the footsteps of Abe as he must partake in a perilous journey. And he will do a lot, and there's no exaggeration. The game has tons to do, and today we got a look at the various activities our hero will have at his disposable.
The game's official YouTube released a ton of 'Quick Look' videos highlighting the many aspects of the game. Things like crafting, loot, sneaking and the general environments are all covered. You can check out all videos in full below. It seems to be a pretty comprehensive look at what you'll be doing within Abe's new quest.
Oddworld: Soulstorm will release on April 6th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 (of which there will be a free upgrade option), as well as PC, and you can read the full PC requirements through here. For those on PS5, if you have a PS Plus subscription, it will be on the service for the month of April. You can also read about some exclusive PS5 features here.
Resident Evil Village Seemingly Confirms Having Photo Mode
It's hard to believe, but we're only about a month away from Resident Evil Village. It's the highly anticipated next mainline entry in the survival horror franchise, and one Capcom is putting some high hopes on. It's coming to a variety of platforms, from current gen to next gen, even to Google Stadia. We got our first current gen look at the game earlier with a look at the game running on the PS4 Pro, and it also seems that video may have confirmed something else.
The video was posted by IGN, and you can see it in full through here. One thing that is interesting, as noticed by the good folks at MP1st, is that there is one image that explicitly talks about a photo mode. There was no explicit mention of the mode in the video, but it had not been confirmed before hand. You can see it below.
Resident Evil Village will release on May 7th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Stadia. You can check out the game's PC requirements through here.
Oddworld: Soulstorm Details Game Help And PS5 Activity Card Use
It's been an eventful day for Oddworld: Soulstorm. The game looks to revive the classic franchise centered around Abe and his odyssey against vile corporations and capitalism run amok. The game has gotten several details today, such as the upgrade options you have for PS4 to PS5, as well as PC requirements. Now we have something specifically about the PS5 version, and the help you can get with it.
As detailed in a press release from the PS5 version of the game will see use of the system's unique Activity Cards as well as Game Help. If you're unfamiliar, these are custom made to help you get through levels or get specific achievements with videos and tutorials, with as few spoilers as possible. You will need PlayStation Plus to access these features, do keep in mind.
"On PlayStation 5, Oddworld: Soulstorm players can get hints, tips, and walkthrough videos, without needing to leave the game. These hints can be accessed for the specific area of the game they are playing (using PlayStation 5's Activity Cards), so they don't have to spend time searching the internet or risk seeing spoilers. (Active PlayStation Plus membership required.)"
Oddworld: Soulstorm is set to release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC on April 6th. The PS5 version of the game will be available for no extra charge to those wo are subscribed to PS Plus.
Oddworld: Soulstorm Will Support Free PS4 to PS5 Upgrades
Oddworld: Soulstorm is launching as a cross-gen release, as most major games are right now, and like most major games (though sadly not all of them), it's going to offer a free upgrade path to players.
Oddworld Inhabitants has confirmed (via Gematsu) that Oddworld: Soulstorm will offer a free next-gen upgrade path, allowing those who purchase the game on PS4 to upgrade to its PS5 version for free. Of course, given the fact that the platformer is going to be available for free on PS5 for all PlayStation Plus subscribers throughout the month of April, its PS4 version is not going to be available for free for those who have the PS5 version.
Oddworld: Soulstorm launches on April 6 for PS5, PS4, and PC. On PS5, it's been confirmed to be running at 1440p and 60 FPS. Meanwhile, if you're planning on playing it on PC, make sure to check out its system requirements through here.
Oddworld: Soulstorm PC Requirements Revealed
Given the fact that the PS5 version of Oddworld: Soulstorm is going to be free for all PlayStation Plus subscribers up until the end of April, that's probably the platform where a large number of people will be playing the game (at least to begin with). If, however, you're planning on playing it on PC instead, the system requirements for the platformer have been released- and they're pretty modest.
On minimum settings, you'll need an Intel Quad Core 1.7 Ghz processor, along with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 760, and 8 GB RAM. Meanwhile, the recommended requirements are also very reasonably, stipulating a 16 GB RAM, an Intel Quad Core 2.3 Ghz processor, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970. All of which is to say, there's almost no way most gaming PCs aren't going to be able to run the game. Check out the full requirements below.
Oddworld: Soulstorm launches in a couple of days on Aprl 6 for PS5, PS4, and PC. On PC, it will be available exclusively via the Epic Games Store. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage on the game.
MINIMUM:
- OS: Windows 7 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Quad Core 1.7Ghz
- GPU: Nvidia GTX 670 or equivalent
- RAM: 8 GB
RECOMMENDED:
- OS:Windows 10 64 Bit
- CPU: Intel Quad Core 2.3Ghz
- GPU: Nvidia GTX 970 or equivalent
- RAM: 16 GB
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Has Been Delayed Again
Originally slated to release this Spring, Traveller's Tales Games' LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has been delayed again. Though a new release window wasn't provided, the developer said on Twitter that it would update the launch timing "as soon as possible." It revealed that more time was needed in order to make the game "the biggest and best-ever LEGO game."
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a pretty ambitious undertaking, packing all nine episodes from the Star Wars film saga into one title. Each episode consists of five missions and players can either go through them all in order or play each one individually. Classic locations like Tatooine, Coruscant, Jakku, Endor and many more will be available to explore.
There are also 300 different characters to play with, from Force users (who can now use light and heavy attacks in combos) to blasters that utilize a third person aiming system. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker is in development for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC. Stay tuned for an update release date in the coming months.
Thanks to all our fans for your continued patience. pic.twitter.com/tCDV9Ikftd
— TT Games (@TTGames) April 2, 2021
Resident Evil Village Receives First PS4 Pro Gameplay
While Capcom is prepping its next Resident Evil showcase, the first ever gameplay for Resident Evil Village running on previous gen consoles has been revealed (via IGN). The footage showcases the game running on PS4 Pro and actually looks pretty solid. Check it out below.
Initially announced for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, Capcom would later confirm Xbox One and PS4 versions. Earlier reports by insider Dusk Golem indicated that the title had issues running on previous-gen hardware with the updated fidelity leading to pop-in and long loading times. Of course, that was when the game was still in progress so perhaps those issues have been circumvented.
Regardless, Resident Evil Village is slated to release on May 7th. Along with previous and current gen consoles, it will also be coming to Google Stadia with pre-orders receiving a free Stadia Premiere Edition with Chromecast Ultra and a Stadia Controller. The offer is valid until May 21st, 12 AM PT. Stay tuned for more details on the title and the upcoming beta for its multiplayer mode Resident Evil Re:Verse.
MLB The Show 21 Will Launch for Xbox Game Pass on Day 1
The very fact that MLB The Show 21 – a Sony first party developed series that has always been exclusive to PlayStation – was momentous enough in and of itself, but it seems the release is going to be even more reasons than expected.
Microsoft have announced that MLB The Show 21 will be available via Xbox Game Pass right at launch, on day 1. Both Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions will be available for Game Pass members (several enhancements and features, such as the Stadium Creator, are going to be exclusively available in the game's next-gen versions). Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will also be able to play the game on Android devices via xCloud.
MLB The Show 21 is not the first major third party release on Xbox two be joining the Game Pass on day 1, with the recently released Outriders also having joined the service right at launch. Unlike Outriders, however, MLB The Show 21 is a Sony-published and Sony-developed game, which makes this a much more surprising turn of events.
MLB The Show 21 is launching for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and Xbox One on April 20.