Resident Evil 7 is generally considered one of the scariest games in the Resident Evil series, if not the scariest. In the lead-up to Resident Evil Village, it seemed as though Capcom was going for a similar feel with the sequel, but as it turns out, the horror has actually been scaled back in the new release. Evidently, Capcom got a lot of feedback about Resident Evil 7 actually being "too scary to play."
This is according to producer Tsuyoshi Kanda, who was speaking with Axios Gaming (as spotted by VGC). Apparently, Capcom's goal when it makes games it to create something that will have wide appeal that should be comfortable for anybody to play. This resulted in the developers scaling back the "tension curve" in Resident Evil Village so that the new game is effectively not as scary as Resident Evil 7.
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That isn't to say that Resident Evil Village will be without scares. Anyone that has played Resident Evil Village's demos can attest that there are still plenty of intense and scary moments to be had. Whether it's being attacked by Lycans or being chased by the Lady Dimitrescu's daughters, it seems that Resident Evil Village will still be on the scarier side when compared to some of the other games in the long-running survival-horror franchise.
While some hardcore horror fans may be somewhat let down by this revelation, it's worth pointing out that the Resident Evil franchise has rarely been purely about scaring the player. There have always been scary moments in the games, but the first Resident Evil is more focused on puzzle-solving and exploration than it is on jump scares. And later games in the series completely abandoned trying to scare players at all, with Resident Evil 4 through 6 taking a more action-oriented approach.
Resident Evil Village is inspired by Resident Evil 4, so it makes sense that the game has a bigger focus on action than it does on scares. Ultimately, it seems as though the developers are trying to find the right balance between the scares of Resident Evil 7 and the more accessible nature of other games in the series, and fans don't have to wait much longer to find out for themselves if the developers were successful at this balancing act.
Early Resident Evil Village reviews have been mostly positive, though, so it seems like a safe bet that the game has successfully reached its goals.
Resident Evil Village launches May 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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Source: Axios Gaming (via VGC)