RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE: GETTING STARTED GUIDE
Not exactly the most pleasant little village...
May 12, 2021
The word “village” usually has pleasant connotations that bring to mind somewhere peaceful and quaint. In Resident Evil Village? Yeah, not so much. As Ethan Winters — last seen in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard — you’ve got to get the lay of the land as quickly as possible if there’s any chance of saving your daughter Rose.
You’ll be up against vampires, werewolves, scary puppets, and whatever the heck Salvatore Moreau is, so it pays to learn fast. As you might expect, there are plenty of secrets in Resident Evil Village that are fun to discover on your own, but if you’re after some beginners’ tips to make surviving the mayhem a little easier, you’ve come to the right guide.
Recommended: STEALTH 600 & 700 GEN 2
The best-selling wireless headsets just got even better; the Stealth™ 600 & 700 Gen 2 feature massive upgrades to ensure that Turtle Beach gamers always have the definitive audio advantage.
Resident Evil Village Beginners Tips
As you can see on this map, the village itself is split up into sections.
Learn to Love Your Map (and Its Primary Colors)
Not since Dora the Explorer has a map played such a big part in a piece of pop culture. Lots of games have maps, but Resident Evil Village makes it a simple key to knowing whether you’ve uncovered everything important in a given area. New areas on the map appear red when first discovered, but turn blue once you’ve explored it completely and taken everything worth looting. It doesn’t get much more helpful than that.
Village’s map shows you basically everything you need to know. Handy!
Conserve Ammo and Other Resources
Resident Evil Village ratchets up the action a bit compared to other games in the franchise. That doesn’t mean you can just jump into the fray, guns blazing, however. This is still a Resident Evil game at its core, meaning bullets (and other items) are precious. If you’re running low, you can buy ammo from the Duke or craft your own, but it’s even better if you get in the habit of only using it when necessary, so that you never feel close to running out in the first place.
Your Knife is Good for Other Things Besides Fighting
Call this a bit of a warning for ignoring our previous tip, because if you’re down to using your knife to fend off werewolves, good luck my friend. Happily, that doesn’t mean your knife is useless. It’s also quite handy for destroying crates or cases that might hold items. In addition, it’s the best way to hunt chickens, pigs, and goats that get turned into Fish, Meat and Poultry. Take those to the Duke and he’ll express his gratitude by cooking up some stat buffs.
Dealing with the Duke, the village’s merchant, gives Ethan more than just items.
Sell Treasure, but Combine First When You Can
The treasure you find during your search for Rosemary is important, as you can trade it with the Duke in exchange for Lei. That, in turn, can buy you some vital upgrades. Don’t be too hasty before parting with your treasure, though. Before you sell, take a look at each piece to see which ones are “Combinable.” The ones that are can be (wait for it) combined with other treasures, and the resulting item is always worth more than the sum of its parts. Guess the Duke just wants the best stuff.
Increase Your Inventory Size, Pronto
Of all the upgrades you can acquire in Resident Evil Village, a bump to your maximum inventory capacity is the best. Thanks to the ethos of this series there’s a limit to what you can carry, and that means some hard decisions the further into the game you go. Make things easier on yourself by prioritizing increasing your inventory size so that you don’t have to drop a weapon or item you’d rather have kept.
Upgrading your guns is great – upgrading inventory space is paramount.
Run, Ethan, Run
Experienced Resident Evil players are likely already nodding in agreement, but there are times in Village where it simply doesn’t make sense to fight, even if you’re well armed. Occasionally, you literally can’t win. Much as you might like to stick around, most of the appearances by Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters are your queue to get jogging. It’s definitely OK to run away and live to fight again, so if you ever feel uncertain about a choice between combat or a hasty retreat, the latter is the way to go.
Stuck Somewhere? Advance the Story
While Resident Evil Village is designed to be explored at your own pace, it also has a linear story (and quite an interesting one, at that). Because of this, you’ll sometimes encounter places you can’t access or areas you can’t fully explore. Don’t fret, as that just means you haven’t reached the proper place in the narrative. Any time you’re confused about what to do next, simply get on with the story and you’ll be headed in the proper direction.
Read More: Returnal Beginner’s Guide: Avoid Agony on Atropos
Returnal is a brutal game. If you’ve spent any time in Housemarque’s latest roguelike, you’ve probably experienced this firsthand. Getting through a single run of Returnal, let alone the entire game, can be a challenge that even experienced Dark Souls players will struggle with. We’re here to help.
Nick Tylwalk is a longtime writer and editor who wants everyone to remember that mobile games are games too. He’s also a fitted hat aficionado, and a racing and combat sports enthusiast. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Tylwalk.
