Resident Evil Village Guide#
Resident Evil Village — known in Japan as BIOHAZARD VILLAGE — is a survival horror game developed and published by Capcom, and the eighth mainline entry in the Resident Evil series. Every figure in this guide comes from sources verified online as of October 2026; anything Capcom has not officially published, or that we could not verify, is marked as unconfirmed rather than guessed.
Game Information#
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game | Resident Evil Village |
| Japanese Title | BIOHAZARD VILLAGE |
| Series | Eighth mainline entry in the Resident Evil series |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Engine | RE Engine |
| Genre | Survival horror; first-person perspective at launch |
| Release Date | May 7, 2021 (May 8 in Japan due to the time difference) |
| Launch Platforms | PS4, PS5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Later Releases | macOS and Nintendo Switch cloud version (October 28, 2022), PSVR2 mode (February 22, 2023), iOS/iPadOS (October 30, 2023), Nintendo Switch 2 Gold Edition (February 27, 2026) |
| ESRB Rating | M (Mature 17+): blood, intense violence, strong language |
| Sales | 10 million units worldwide as of June 11, 2024 — the fastest title in the series to reach that milestone; roughly 12.2 million by mid-2025 |
Critical and Player Reception#
| Source | Data |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PS5 84/100, PC 83/100, PS4 81/100, Xbox Series X 83/100 |
| OpenCritic | 84/100, 92% recommended |
| Steam | About 154,000 reviews, 96% positive — “Overwhelmingly Positive” (observed September-October 2026) |
| Winters’ Expansion DLC | 62.81% positive (about 3,000 reviews) |
Story Summary#
The story unfolds roughly three years after the events of Resident Evil 7 (in-game documents date it to February 2021). Ethan Winters is living quietly with his wife Mia and their daughter Rosemary — until Chris Redfield leads a raid on their home and Rosemary is taken to a village in Eastern Europe. Waking up in the village, Ethan must face the four lords who hold sway over it, and the mastermind pulling the strings behind them, Mother Miranda, to bring his daughter home.
Core Gameplay Loop#
This is a first-person survival horror game (the third-person mode arrived with the 2022 DLC). The core loop runs as follows:
- Area exploration: The Village, Castle Dimitrescu, Moreau’s Reservoir, Heisenberg’s Factory, and other areas flow together as one continuous map — scavenge ammo, crafting materials, and treasures.
- Resource crafting: Combine limited materials such as herbs, gunpowder, and scrap into first-aid meds and ammunition; every trade-off is a survival decision.
- Trading with the Duke: The merchant known as the Duke handles buying, selling, weapon upgrades, crafting recipes, and cooking.
- Boss-driven progression: Defeat the four lords and each area’s boss to collect Rosemary’s flask fragments and push the story forward.
- Collectibles and challenges: Trackable collectibles such as goats, files, and recipes, plus 94 challenges that award Challenge Points (CP).
Difficulty#
At launch the game offers three difficulty tiers — Casual, Standard, and Hardcore. The highest tier, Village of Shadows, unlocks after clearing the game once, and can be unlocked outright by purchasing the Trauma Pack.
| Difficulty | Unlock Condition | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | Available by default | The lowest of the three launch tiers |
| Standard | Available by default | The regular choice for a first playthrough |
| Hardcore | Available by default | A high-difficulty challenge; clearing it unlocks the Handcannon PZ for purchase |
| Village of Shadows | Clear the game once, or buy the Trauma Pack to unlock directly | The highest difficulty; clearing it unlocks the Rocket Pistol for purchase |
Capcom has not published complete data on how enemy stats, resource drops, and save rules differ between difficulties, so this guide will not speculate — pick the starting tier that matches your experience.
Controls#
The layouts below are generic references; individual platform releases may vary, and the in-game settings screen is the final word.
PlayStation Controller#
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Move | Left stick |
| Camera | Right stick |
| Aim | L2 |
| Shoot | R2 |
| Block | L1 |
| Melee attack | R1 |
| Reload | Square |
| Pick up item | Circle |
| Open map | Triangle |
| Crouch | L3 |
| Sprint | L3 + left stick |
| Open inventory | Touchpad |
Xbox Controller#
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Move | Left stick |
| Camera | Right stick |
| Aim | LT |
| Shoot | RT |
| Block | LB |
| Melee attack | RB |
| Reload | X |
| Pick up item | B |
| Open map | Y |
| Crouch | L3 |
| Sprint | L3 + left stick |
| Open inventory | View button |
PC (Keyboard and Mouse)#
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Move | W/A/S/D |
| Camera | Mouse |
| Aim | Right mouse button |
| Shoot | Left mouse button |
| Block | Q |
| Melee attack | F |
| Reload | R |
| Pick up item | E |
| Open map | Tab |
| Crouch | Ctrl |
| Sprint | Shift |
| Open inventory | I or V |
System Requirements (PC)#
Minimum (1080p/60fps Target)#
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or Intel Core i5-7500 |
| Memory | 8 GB |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 50 GB |
Recommended#
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700 |
| Memory | 16 GB |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon RX 5700 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 |
| Ray Tracing | Requires AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or better |
Editions and DLC#
| Content | Details |
|---|---|
| Base Game | The complete main campaign, released May 7, 2021 |
| Trauma Pack | A bonus content pack including the Samurai Edge AW Model-01 pistol (200 Lei from the Duke); purchasing it also unlocks the highest difficulty directly |
| Winters’ Expansion | Released October 28, 2022 — includes the third-person mode, The Mercenaries: Additional Orders, and the Shadows of Rose campaign |
| PSVR2 Mode | A free DLC released February 22, 2023 |
| Gold Edition | A bundle of the base game, Winters’ Expansion, Trauma Pack, and VR mode |
How Long to Beat (HowLongToBeat)#
| Goal | Time |
|---|---|
| Main story | About 10 hours on average (2,100 players polled: average 10h 03m, median 9h 38m) |
| Main + extras | About 13.5 hours |
| Completionist | About 38.5-39 hours (310 players polled: 39h 19m) |
| Any% speedrun | Fastest run: 1h 29m |
| Shadows of Rose campaign | About 3 hours (676 players polled) |
Pricing#
| Edition | Price |
|---|---|
| Steam (US) standard edition at launch, reported March 2021 | $59.99 |
| Launch bundle with the season pass and Resident Evil 7 | $79.99 |
| Steam (US) current price, observed October 2026 | $9.99 (-75% sale; historical low $9.99) |
| Gold Edition, PlayStation (US) store, current price | $49.99 (historical low $14.99) |
Tips#
- Use the dual save system: The game features automatic checkpoint saves, and you can also save manually at typewriters — double up before major story beats.
- Don’t waste herbs on their own: A herb used alone restores only a sliver of health; combining it with chem fluid to craft a first-aid med is far more efficient.
- Sell treasures to the Duke: Treasures are your main source of income, funding weapon upgrades and recipe purchases.
- Weapon upgrades have a direction: The Duke can upgrade power, rate of fire, ammo capacity, and magazine size, while attachment slots must be found during exploration.
- Break a window in an emergency: The castle’s three sisters share a weakness to extreme cold — let in the freezing outside air and they freeze into solid form.
- Collectibles are tracked: All 20 goats, 47 files, 11 recipes, and more can be tracked, and completing each set unlocks achievements.
- Spend Challenge Points wisely: CP unlocks The Mercenaries mode, infinite ammo, and bonus weapons — plan the order in which you spend it.
FAQ#
When did Resident Evil Village release, and on which platforms?#
It launched on May 7, 2021 (May 8 in Japan) for PS4, PS5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Later releases include the macOS and Nintendo Switch cloud version (October 28, 2022), PSVR2 mode (February 22, 2023), iOS/iPadOS (October 30, 2023), and the Nintendo Switch 2 Gold Edition (February 27, 2026).
How long does it take to beat?#
Per HowLongToBeat, the main story averages about 10 hours, main plus extras runs about 13.5 hours, and 100% completion takes roughly 38.5-39 hours. The Shadows of Rose campaign adds about 3 hours.
Is there a third-person mode?#
Yes — it was added with the Winters’ Expansion DLC on October 28, 2022, alongside The Mercenaries: Additional Orders and the Shadows of Rose campaign.
How do I unlock the Village of Shadows difficulty?#
Clear the game once, or purchase the Trauma Pack to unlock it directly. Clearing Hardcore unlocks the Handcannon PZ at the Duke’s shop, while clearing Village of Shadows unlocks the Rocket Pistol.
What are the PC system requirements?#
Minimum (1080p/60fps target): Windows 10 64-bit, AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or Intel Core i5-7500, 8 GB RAM, Radeon RX 560 4GB or GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB, DirectX 12, and 50 GB of storage. Recommended: Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700, 16 GB RAM, Radeon RX 5700 or GeForce GTX 1070; ray tracing requires a Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 2060 or better.
How many collectibles and challenges are there?#
20 goats, 47 files, and 11 recipes are all trackable, and the game offers 94 challenges that award Challenge Points (CP) toward The Mercenaries mode, infinite ammo, and bonus weapons.
What engine does the game run on?#
RE Engine, Capcom’s in-house technology, the same engine behind recent entries in the series.
What is the game’s rating?#
ESRB M (Mature 17+) for blood, intense violence, and strong language.
Related Games#
- Resident Evil 2 Remake — a survival horror classic, remade
- Alan Wake 2 — a psychological survival horror action game
- Resident Evil 4 Remake — a survival horror action-shooting classic
- Resident Evil Requiem — the newest entry in the Resident Evil series
- Silent Hill 2 Remake — a psychological horror classic, remade
Related Rankings#
Best Shooter Games · Hardest Bosses in Gaming · Best Survival Crafting Games
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, the full regional walkthrough, story analysis, combat and weapon deep dives, every boss strategy, collectibles and treasures, secrets, achievements, builds, and endgame content — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Resident Evil Village section.