With the release ofResident Evil Villageless than two weeks away, fans of the series have grown excited to see what happens next. Riding off the major success ofResident Evil 7,Resident Evil Villagelooks to expand upon everything that was introduced in the previous mainline installment as far as gameplay and narrative. However, it seems there will also be a nod to one of the most popular games in the series.
Many fans considerResident Evil 4to be the best game in the series, and for good reason. It was the first game to introduce a fixed camera perspective, which enhanced the shooting mechanics and made aiming more precise. It was also the first game to take place out of the Raccoon City area, and featured a shop where the player could buy and sell items. This would inadvertently create one of the most iconic characters inResident Evil.
RELATED:Resident Evil Village Advertised with Life-Sized Lady Dimitrescu Towel
The Merchant fromResident Evil 4is beloved by many in theResident Evilcommunity, and was confirmed to be making a spiritual return inResident Evil Villageas ‘The Duke.’ However, it seems ‘The Duke’ is more similar to the Merchant than fans may have initially realized. During the demo, he can be caught saying the Merchant’s iconic line, “What’re ya buying?”
‘The Duke’later goes on to say it was something an “old friend” used to say. There have been several comparisons made betweenResident Evil VillageandResident Evil 4, but this callback solidifies a connection between the two games. This could be a one-off callback meant to acknowledgeResident Evil 4, but perhaps more lore will surface during the main game that showcases a greater connection between ‘The Duke’ and the Merchant.
In any case, it will be interesting to see ifResident Evil Villagecontains any other connections to the larger story ofResident Evil. A lot of new developments occurred at the end ofResident Evil 7thatcould greatly affect the outcome ofResident Evil Village’sstory.
Having said all this, there still hasn’t been any solid news with regards to aremake ofResident Evil 4. While a VR version of the game was confirmed to be in development, there still hasn’t been any updates or confirmation that a remake of the game is officially in development. Even so,Resident Evilfans already have a lot to look forward to.
Resident Evil Villagewill launch on May 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
