I feel like I want to give 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Resident Evil Village a running commentary of scores, such is the range and variety of its sections: 8, 9 (...Jesus, maybe a 10?), 8, 7, 6… There's so much going on but it chops and changes from beat to beat in such a way you can almost see the line between sect🧸ions. Most noticeably it feels like there's a real difference between the first and second half. The opening is strong, clever, and fun - full of atmosphere and intrigue as you explore (and features a part that's probably one of the best stand-alone horror levels of the year). While the latter half veers into 'okay' territory, with some combat slogs, a boss fight that's a bit of a stretch even by Resident Evil standards and, while it's still good, it lacks the same spark and craft as the beginning. 

New in town

To be clear, I enjoyed Resident Evil Village, as when it's great it's on fire. Characters are entertaining, there are some lovely 'holy shit what?' twists and turns, while exploring and unlocking the titular village is satisfying. But it does feel like a mishmash of directions. Early rumors suggested this started life as Resident Evil Revelations 3, before being reworked and upgraded to a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Resident Evil 7 sequel, and having finished it I can believe that. The change between the first and second halves feels like a gradual drift from the sinister tone of the last game, to Revelations' louder, fun action movie vibe. That said I'm going to have to try to explain as much as I can without spoiling anything, because Capcom has impressively💧ꦺ managed to keep about 90% of the game secret and only shown off the first maybe three or four hours. Almost everything I could mention that isn't Vampire Mommy or a werewolf will be a surprise I don't want to ruin. 

It opens strong as you explore the village via a dark forest full of things just out of sight. Something terrible has happened, with body parts and blood scattered like gory narrative confetti. This 'what the hell is going on?' stage is great, as the world does most of the talking and it's a beautiful place to explore. Even the most mundane bits of table crap and floor detritus in the village are incredibly crafted - I spent far too long just looking at clutter. 'Monsters? Yeah, there's a bunch out there somewhere but just look at this dirty table with a rusty pot on it.' The level of detail is never less than impressive - Castle Dimitrescu alternates between the fading finery of i🐲ts halls, and c💜rumbling dank cellars and dungeons. I don't think I passed a single shelf in the game without looking it over. 

It's these opening sections that feel the most well crafted and balanced. The monsters in the castle besides Dimitrescu and her daughters are the ghoulish female Moroaică (Dimitrescu eats men and enslaves women apparently). They're creepy, lumbering, and slow - the threat mainly coming from your own mistakes. The ability to guard against attacks and follow up with a kick to push back enemies adds an interesting dimension to combat and means it's not just about deciding between shooting and backing off. The Lady of the house and her children, when they appear, are more of a set piece adding brief, intense, structured encounters to vary the mix. 

Key progression

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