After the long run up to Resident Evil Village, players are finally getting a chance to explore the titular town and the halls of Castle Dimitrescu. Protagonist Ethan Winters finds himself in Romania trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter, and will unravel a mystery related to Umbrella in the process. Observant players have probably already stumbled across some small, wooden goat statues scattered throughout the game. Looking like hand-crafted bobbleheads, these goats will disappear in a flash of sparks when shot or struck with a knife. A plaque near one of the earlier goat statues in the village says destroying this little idols is not recommended, lest Mother Miranda become angry, but what do these little wooden collectibles actually do?
Resident Evil's Goats of Warding - their official title in Village - serve as the game's collectibles, something familiar to fans who have played previous Resident Evil titles. Destroying one will unlock an achievement or trophy, with another one being awarded when all 20 goats are found. The Goats of Warding do not have any effect in the game, but will award players with collectible points, redeemable for rewards in Resident Evil Village's extra content shop. Collectible points can be used to access Village's Mercenaries Mode, to purchase curios such as figurines and concept art, or to unlock special weapons and infinite ammo.
The extra content shop won't be available until players beat Resident Evil Village, but plenty of collectible points will be awarded throughout a playthrough, including 16,000 for determined players that find every Goat of Warding. More collectible points can be earned in Mercenaries mode as well, which can be bought after completing the game for a measly 10 points. Some of the items in Resident Evil Village's extra content shop require more than just the currency, and special, hidden objectives will have to be completed in the game.
Resident Evil Village's Goat Statues Can Be Easy To Miss
Getting every one of Resident Evil Village's Goats of Warding in one play through may prove difficult without a guide. Some are pretty hard to spot, and others are in areas that can't be returned to. Missing one in one of Village's less explorable areas will mean having to go back and do it again, a potentially long undertaking for trophy hunters. There is, however, a subtle sound cue when the player is in close proximity to a Goat of Warding in Resident Evil Village. The goat's bobbing head can be heard, though it is very quiet. Any other noise going on may be enough to completely drown it out.
There is a palpable amount of excitement surrounding Village, which seemingly stemmed from everyone's obsession with Lady Dimitrescu. Now that there are plenty of people actually playing the new Resident Evil game, many may be on the lookout for the little wooden Goats of Warding. Ethan Winters has bigger things to worry about in Resident Evil Village, but the player can certainly make time to go collectible hunting.