Resident Evil Village releases this May, and more from the showcase

Today, Capcom streamed a special showcase for Resident Evil with information on everything going on this year for the series’ 25th anniversary. We can now confirm that Resident Evil Village releases on May 7 for PC, making for a spectacularly spooky summer. The showcase also covered the upcoming CG movie, Infinite Darkness, but our main focus will be on Resident Evil Village and the CG trailer for it that was revealed today.

The showcase included a little bit more of the game’s world and story. But we are still left with a lot of questions. We first see Ethan and his wife Mia, returning from Resident Evil 7, in what appears to be a nursery. Based on what we have seen in previous trailers, plus this, it is clear that the couple are expecting. A mysterious voice says “they” are coming, and soon we see a lot more of the castle that Ethan will presumably spend most of the game trapped in. Thanks to a press release from Capcom, we know now that the castle is named Castle “Dimitrescu.” Dimitrescu is a Romanian surname, further leaning on the vampire-like aesthetic of the game and some of its characters.

We see the super tall woman from the previous trailers on the phone with someone called Mother Miranda, informing her that Ethan has escaped “Heisenberg.” It is unclear if this woman — who we now know is named Lady Dimitrescu, as she seems to be the owner of the castle — is referring to a new character, or perhaps Jack Baker. He does bear a resemblance to Walter White, but that’s probably a little too meta. The game is also in first person just like Resident Evil 7, which we already knew.

Later in the clip, Ethan encounters some more traditional zombie-like creatures in what appears to be the castle’s dungeon. Or perhaps they are even some sort of proto werewolf (more on that in a bit).

Something wicked this way comes

There’s also a shot of Chris Redfield, holding what is presumably Ethan’s baby. This is likely the reason for his sudden and violent intrusion into Ethan’s life once again. Lady Dimitrescu’s “daughters” then stalk Ethan. They can also transform into swarms of insects, similar to Marguerite’s powers in Resident Evil 7. It seems that this gathering of ghoulish gals needs Ethan for some sort of ritual, but for what exactly we don’t know. Based on all the medieval torture devices strewn about the castle though, it definitely won’t be fun for Ethan.

We then see a couple quick shots of a coffin (leaning more into the vampire look of Lady Dimitrescu) among other things. Finally, Lady Dimitrescu squeezes through a door having finally found Ethan. It seems to be hinting that she will be a Nemesis-like character that stalks you throughout the castle — a “Ms. X,” if you will. The last shot is of the mysterious man with glasses from the last trailer, wanting to test Ethan. He appears to be levitating objects around him. No word on who this mysterious man is yet, or if he is friend or foe.

After the trailer, producer Pete Fabiano revealed the news that everyone has been waiting for: Resident Evil Village releases on May 7. Pre-orders officially go live today as well. The Deluxe Edition will contain the base game and a digital “Trauma Pack.” The Trauma pack will consist of additional in-game content, including a Samurai Edge weapon, Resident Evil 7 biohazard-inspired found footage screen filter, and tape recorder save point options. This version will also include immediate access to a higher difficulty setting.

Chris is looking a bit… uh… hairy.

The physical Collector’s Edition that will coincide with the Resident Evil Village release contains a Chris Redfield statue that is, sadly, exclusive to consoles. However, worth noting that while Pete was talking, the artwork of Chris covered in snow showed half his face transformed to something like a werewolf. And if that wasn’t enough, the Collector’s Edition statue of Chris has a wolf emblem at his feet. Interesting.

Pre-orders for the game should be live sometime today, and you will be able to pre-order or wishlist it via Steam. Also announced today was a new multiplayer add-on to Resident Evil Village called Resident Evil Re:Verse. This game features a comic book art style and has characters from throughout the franchise’s history engaging in PvP multiplayer deathmatches. When characters die they will turn into a bioweapon to wreak havoc on the match. It sounds like a lot of fun, and will be included with every purchase of Resident Evil Village, similar to Resident Evil Resistance from the Resident Evil 3 Remake last year. The wait until the Resident Evil Village release will be a long one for fans, but at least it is only a few months away.