new Village gameplay, RE:verse multiplayer

Something to look forward to: Capcom’s Resident Evil Showcase took place yesterday, revealing gameplay footage of the next entry in the series: Resident Evil Village. The company also announced a new six-person multiplayer deathmatch mode called RE:Verse that comes free with the game.

The new Resident Evil Village trailer gives us a better look at the giant vampire woman that sent the internet into a frenzy last week. Called Lady Dimitrescu, we see her speaking to someone called Mother Miranda—possibly the game’s main antagonist.

We also get another glimpse of what could be Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters, who appear able to turn into clouds of insects—might there be some link to Resi VII’s Marguerite? And the hammer-wielding character who turns up at the end could be the vampire lady’s brother (Heisenberg?).

Looking at the gameplay, Resident Evil Village sticks with the same first-person perspective the series adopted in Resi VII. There’s also the grid-based inventory from Resi 4, along with a crafting system.

In addition to the main game, Resident Evil Village buyers get a completely separate multiplayer mode called RE:Verse. Between 4 and 6 players take part in deathmatches featuring “beloved Resident Evil characters.”

“When players are defeated in combat, their character respawns by mutating into a bioweapon to enact revenge on their foes,” said Capcom, which sounds pretty interesting.

RE:Verse has the same over-the-shoulder perspective as some of the older Resi games, and there’s a cartoony, almost cell-shaded style to the art, nothing like the more lifelike Village.

Resident Evil Village launches on PC, PS 4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X on May 7, 2021. Those lucky enough to own a PS5 can play the demo now. If you’re interested in RE:Verse, you can sign up for a chance to participate in the closed beta here.

Check out the full Resident Evil Showcase below.