Resident Evil Village is one of the most ambitious entries in the series to date, interweaving many supernatural creatures and themes with the zombies Resident Evil is known for. One of the highlights of Resident Evil Village is Castle Dimitrescu, perhaps one of the most regal locations in the franchise. Unfortunately, RE8 makes a major mistake: limiting players' ability to backtrack through areas like it.
Castle Dimitrescu is a dangerous place, full of enemies that want to disembowel Ethan Winters for their entertainment. The only way to survive these many horrors is to flee (or temporarily stun them to buy some time). Due to all this running, it can be easy to miss the smaller details of Resident Evil Village's areas, such as the many collectibles hidden throughout. Unfortunately, several points in the game prevent players from going back to find any missed items. For example, once Ethan gets the Dagger of Death's Flowers in Castle Dimitrescu, a set of scripted events keeps him from reentering.
Given that these collectibles require a fair bit of exploration and dedication to find, preventing players from going back to cleared areas without the rushed pace of action sequences makes Resident Evil Village more frustrating than it needs to be. Enabling free backtracking would not only have prevented this headache but allowed for a more thorough appreciation of the game in general. While each location is home to its own form of horrors, each also has unique designs and beautiful medieval motifs. Resident Evil Village is one of the most visually stunning games in the series, and giving players time to take it all in would only increase appreciation for its design.
RE Village: Enabling Backtracking Would've Saved Lots Of Headaches
In Capcom's defense, RE8 likely limited backtracking to prevent potential exploits. Part of the thrill of Resident Evil games is the constant pressure of being hunted and chased. Using cleared sections of the map as a way to escape or trap monsters would eliminate part of that intensity. Limited backtracking also works to prevent plot holes, as certain areas change after players leave, reappearing later for new encounters. Backtracking to the room where Ethan meets the Four Lords, for example, only to have another encounter there two minutes later wouldn't craft a seamless experience. Perhaps dedicating a specific difficulty level in RE8 to enabling backtracking, or creating a system of regularly respawning enemies, could have prevented any abuses. As it stands, Resident Evil Village players are doomed to nabbing every file on sight, all while being chased by a giant vampire lady.
The sheer number of collectibles available in Resident Evil Village's landscapes - more than 140 in total - places an unnecessary level of pressure on players who want to experience every aspect of the game. While Resident Evil Village delivers on a thrilling horror adventure, backtracking could have eliminated some of the more stressful parts of its gameplay.