Survival horror games were designed to inspire fear in players by limiting their resources and making every monster threatening, but Resident Evil 4 focused instead on action, providing far more zombies to shoot - and far more ammo to shoot them with. Many thought Resident Evil 5 took this kind of action a step too far, but Resident Evil 6 did so to the point that it wasn't much of a horror game anymore. Resident Evil Village ends with an intense action sequence that puts players in control of RE6's Chris Redfield, and it's better than the entirety of RE6.
While the modern RE games have used third-person and first-person perspectives like most other shooters, the original Resident Evil games had fixed camera angles that changed as players walked through each area. These created tension and helped form the scary atmosphere the series was known for. The third-person perspective of RE4-onward lent itself better to more aggressive gameplay, so there was a noticeable decrease in horror elements with each installment.
RE4 was a huge departure from what made the originals stand out, but it was also paced well, with all kinds of treasures and weapon upgrades to motivate players. RE5 ramped up the number of enemies and action scenes even further, but it introduced new ideas like co-op and was still a well-designed game. RE6, on the other hand, was all explosions right out of the gate, and it rarely ever attempted to scare players, instead trying to impress them with excessive action sequences. RE Village might be more action-oriented than RE7, but it still shows restraint, even in the high-octane Chris Redfield segment at its conclusion.
Resident Evil Village Successfully Builds Up To Its Action Finale
Despite being more of an action game after RE7 brought the series back to its survival horror roots, Resident Evil Village still has elements of survival horror. There's a higher enemy count than RE7, but the game takes time to force players to fight through dark hallways and to backtrack for progression and rare loot. Unlike RE6, Village has the trademark chilling scares of the series, with horrifying moments like Donna Beneviento's house. RE Village is a rollercoaster that doesn't rely only on action to impress or excite players, standing in contrast to RE6's pacing.
It's hard to feel much of anything after gunning down hoards of zombies or seeing Michael Bay-style explosions for an entire game, which is all RE6 provided. Resident Evil Village's Chris action segment instead feels like a climactic moment the game had been building up to, highlighting just how vulnerable players were as Ethan Winters. It makes sense that Chris would be significantly more equipped to handle these threats, and his preparedness provides a solid sense of satisfaction as players unload on a hoard of Lycans after being intimidated by them all playthrough. Chris's explosive segment is also easier to stomach because there's still plenty besides action to enjoy in Resident Evil Village - something that can't be said about Resident Evil 6.