Capcom is celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Resident Evil” in style with major events across the board. That was highlighted in a January showcase this week that spotlighted “Resident Evil Village.”

The upcoming installment to the franchise got a May 7, 2021, release date. Capcom also showed off different versions including Deluxe and Collector’s editions, but more importantly, the showcase revealed more information about the next chapter in the survival-horror franchise.

Along with fresh details, Capcom announced wider promotions across Netflix and other games. Here are five quick thoughts on the “Resident Evil: Village” Maiden demo and the other pieces of news.

Expect the random puzzles in “Residentn Evil Village.” (Capcom) 

1. The “Resident Evil Village” Maiden Demo mainly shows off the tech — Capcom’s RE Engine has shown that it can create realistic visuals with “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” and the developers push the tech in the demo. It runs buttery smooth on the PlayStation 5 and it shows what the latest generation consoles can do with lighting.

One of the most impressive moments was escaping the dungeon and stepping into a circular room filled with bas relief sculptures. They jump out of the walls and the brazier in the center shows how the light dances across the intricate figures.

The other notable lighting tricks come in the castle. The RE engine shows that it can produce ray tracing in subtle ways in the floor and some tables. I also appreciated the way the light casts a convincing glow along the wood surfaces. All of this improves the immersion and makes the creepy locale inhabited by Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters even more real. It’s a demo that’s great for people who love video game eye candy.

The names of four families are seen on a wall in “Resident Evil Village” along with the Umbrella Corporation logo. (Capcom) 

2. The demo is thin on gameplay but offers some lore — Because the Maiden demo is a visual showcase, players shouldn’t expect much action until the end. It’s mostly a tour of what the game will look like. At the most, players will run across puzzle elements.

As the Maiden, players discover a note before escaping a dungeon cell. The scrap of paper offers obtuse directions, but that will lead players to a bolt cutter that opens up doors and that
in turn reveals the path to a key and a way to escape. Similar to previous entries, players can examine items and that’s necessary to find important clues.

While searching the castle, players will find a piece of lore about the owners of the locale. They run across a music player with a record called Danse Macabre, a reference to the allegory popular in the late Middle Ages. More historical references are found in a notebook that talks about the history of Castle Dimitrescu.

The building, established by Alcina Dimitrescu, was the center for winemaking. The flagship wine they make is called Sanguis Virginis, which translates to “maiden’s blood.” That doesn’t sound very appetizing if you think about it.

Lastly, Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters all appear mutated and have different abilities. One daughter appears to be made of moths while the mother has knives for fingers and likely kills the maiden at the end of the demo. Thankfully, that’s not the final word on the game. Another demo will be available for all platforms in the spring.

Ethan Winters has new defensive moves in “Resident Evil Village” including the ability to block and kick away enemies. The lighting heightens the realism and scares in “Resident Evil Village.” (Capcom) 

3. Important things not seen in the demo — Although there isn’t any combat in the demo, the showcase did reveal new wrinkles to that part of “Resident Evil Village.” Ethan Winters, the protagonist of the last entry, now has a block that can guard against attacks. He can kick enemies away if they get too close in order to buy time to gather himself.

The environment has destructible pieces such a red barrel that, yes, explodes and pots that hide items. I suspect Link would approve of this.

The item management system apparently resembles “Resident Evil 4.” Players can rotate and move items so that they fit in a tight inventory space. The other nod to that game is a new merchant dubbed “The Duke.” He’s a corpulent man who buys and sells items, offers customization options and barters for crafting consumables.

Ethan Winters has new defensive moves in “Resident Evil Village” including the ability to block and kick away enemies. The lighting heightens the realism and scares in “Resident Evil Village.” (Capcom) 

4. Capcom is still trying to make a multiplayer “Resident Evil” happen — The company has inexplicable fascination with turning the survival-horror franchise into an online experience. They’ve tried it with “Resident Evil : Operation Raccoon City,” “Umbrella Corps,” “Resident Evil Resistance,” “Resident Evil 5” and “Resident Evil 6.”

Capcom is trying again with “Resident Evil Re:Verse.” It’s a free multiplayer experience coming to the previous generation consoles and PC. Those who purchase “Resident Evil Village” will have access to the game. The publisher describes it as deathmatch experience starring an “all-star cast of fan-favorite” characters. It has an interesting comic-book art style and the maps are set in iconic series locations.

Although it looks like it will be fun, I’m not sure if it will have the staying power of other online games.


5. The “Resident Evil” celebration has crossovers and goes multimedia — One of the surprising parts of the showcase was that Ubisoft is collaborating with Capcom and offering outfit items inspired by the franchise in “Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.” Players can pick up weapon skins, arm patches and backpack trophies in addition to clothing.

The event runs from Feb. 2 to Feb. 15 and those who log in during that time will receive Leon Kennedy RPD 3-piece outfit. I’m a fan of the game and I’m looking forward to roaming around Washington, D.C. as a Raccoon City survivor.

The other big piece of news is that “Resident Evil” is getting the Netflix treatment. The CGI movie called “Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness” takes places a few years after “Resident Evil 4” and will star Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy. The two previously appeared in “Resident Evil 2.” It makes me wonder if the property will actually be canon.