Resident Evil 8: Village PS5 - What We Know So Far

Resident Evil 8 rumors have haunted the internet for months. The most cursory of searches unearthed tales of werewolves and a narrative that was purportedly "the darkest and most gruesome" yet. Nobody knew what was plausible and what wasn't, so Resident Evil fans waited for anything from Capcom that confirmed or denied the speculation. The company remained silent until the recent PlayStation 5 event video, which teased, among other games, Resident Evil 8: Village.

As the title suggests, the game will take place in a mysterious little village. Unlike previous Resident Evil games set in contemporary, third-world towns, Village seems like half Yharnam from Bloodborne and half unnamed rural Resident Evil 4 town. If you went into the trailer blind, you probably wouldn't guess it was for an RE game until the very end — or until the Umbrella logo flashes on the screen in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

Just what is Capcom planning with this new game? When will it release? These are all good questions.

Resident Evil 7 blindsided audiences with a surprise E3 2016 trailer that promised a January 24, 2017 release date. And true to Capcom's word, the game launched on the promised day to glowing reviews. While Resident Evil 6 failed to impress audiences, Resident Evil 7 proved Capcom was back in the survival horror business, and many gamers are ready to chew their own arms off waiting for the long-awaited follow-up. Unfortunately, everyone will have to wait an undisclosed amount of time.

Resident Evil 8: Village is scheduled to release in 2021, and Capcom will not get more specific than that. However, since Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 6 Remake each launched in January, you will probably see an early 2021 launch. Will Village actually materialize in January? It's too early to tell, but fans can hope.

Oh yes, there is a trailer. By Albert Wesker's sunglasses, there is a trailer for Resident Evil 8: Village.

Granted, the trailer doesn't show its hand until the very end, but that's par for the course in the current generation of Resident Evil games. The video begins with the cryptic statement of "His story comes to a close." Whose story, exactly? And what does the folk tale that follows the opening blurb have to do with the ensuing chaos? These questions are never answered, which helps set the stage for several mysteries.

The perspective shifts throughout the trailer, never giving the audience a chance to catch their breath. One second it presents a first-person perspective of a man being dragged under the floorboards. Then it pivots to various clips that spawn even more questions. The faces of countless characters who will no doubt be paramount to Resident Evil 8 flash on the screen, but none are remotely familiar. 

The trailer concludes with Chris showing his boulder-punching, beefy boy face. It's enough to give a person whiplash, as well as pique their interest.

Now, isn't that a difficult question? How does one glean a plot from a teaser video?

Apparently, Resident Evil 8: Village will once again star Ethan Winters, the main protagonist of Resident Evil 7. However, instead of being stuck in a large bayou manor filled with mold zombies and a family of crazed, nigh-immortal redneck stereotypes, Ethan is now stuck in a snowy gothic village that is filled with Bloodborne-esque werewolves and ruled by a coven of witches. While much of the game's mystery will revolve around the existence of these witches and werewolves, apparently a sizable chunk will also involve Chris Redfield, who isn't completely right in the head since he (spoilers) murders people in front of Ethan.

Why has Chris suddenly gone rogue? What is the source of the lycanthrope-esque infection plaguing the village? All these questions and more will be answered throughout the course of Resident Evil 8: Village.