Resident Evil Village showcase - Trailer, game modes and news round-up

Details for no less than three demos of the eagerly awaited Resident Evil Village dropped. Although you can only play them during a limited window of time, you can preload the game ahead of time so your precious free taste of Resident Evil Village can be maximized to your undead heart’s content.

The Village and Castle Demos are exclusives for PS4 and PS5 that are only available for eight hours. The Village Demo starts in North America on April 17th at 5pm PDT and in Europe on April 18th at 7pm CEST. The Castle Demo starts in NA on April 24th at 5pm PDT and in Europe on April 25th at 7pm CEST.

The Village and Castle multi-platform demo, which includes Stadia and Steam PC along with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X platforms, is available for a whopping 24 hours in North America starting on May 1st at 5pm PDT and in Europe starting on May 2nd at 2am CEST.

Which areas will you tackle first, the titular village or the creepy castle? I’m a sucker for medieval settings myself, but make the most of your time whichever you choose first!

Probably most awaited was the world premiere of 'Story Trailer 2'. There's a lot to unpack here, but what's a Resident Evil game without a complex story?

You play as Ethan Winters, the same protagonist from the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Again, like RE7, the game is played from a first-person perspective.

Among the horrific visages we see are you being led through a mine having to keep quiet from creepy crawly humanoids, Lady Dimitrescu lapping at blood from your freshly cut hand to see "how special you are", and a snarling werewolf leaping towards you.

We also see glimpses of Chris Redfield, a bridge rising up from the ground to create a new pathway in the castle, and several characters cooing “Poor Ethan!” What could all this mean?

Could Resident Evil Village be the scariest entry yet?

The time trial Mercenaries mode from Resident Evil 6 and the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis makes a hell of a comeback in Resident Evil Village. Among the upgrades to the classic time trial Mercenaries action are The Duke’s Emporium, an in-game store players can access between rounds where they can check out supplies, upgrade weapons, or purchase a variety of items.

Gamers can further strategize by choosing abilities to specialize in. Among the abilities shown are speed boosts, increased handgun damage, and a guard boost that results in you taking less damage.

The stages get harder and harder, so choose wisely and see how hard you last!

We just touched on the treasures present in the April 2021 Resident Evil Showcase. You’ll want to re-watch it a time or two to get all the details, including a new animated movie for Netflix, an Oculus VR version of Resident Evil 4, and more!

Be sure to pre-order your officially licensed Resident Evil Village Steam PC key from Fanatical. There's also the Resident Evil Village - Deluxe Edition which includes the base game and The Trauma Pack.