Resident Evil Village released on May 7th to rave reviews. The first-person perspective and gameplay continues the trend established with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. On the surface, the game appears to have little in common with the greater Resident Evil franchise. However, as players progress through, the story they learn the deeper connections between the terror lurking in the village and the overall lore.
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Maybe the connections are not as deep as some fans would have liked, but most of the entries below point to a bigger culmination coming in the near future. Here's how the events in Village connect to the story that's been building since 1996.
8 Fans Learn The Origins Of The Umbrella Logo
Partway through his journey, Ethan Winters sees the Umbrella logo etched on walls and on some architecture. Later on, the player learns that these belong to some group who lived in the area long before the modern village settled there. It is confirmed that this is where the Umbrella Corporation got its logo.
As fascinating as this is, it does lead to other questions. Who were these people who lived here before, and what was the relevance of the symbol? Will fans receive answers in a prequel game taking place hundreds of years in the past? Imagine taking out Mold-infected people with a sword and shield.
7 The Duke Might Know The Merchant
The Duke is a mysterious being, but ultimately becomes a trusted ally despite his enigmatic ways. While purchasing some things from him, he asks "What're you buying?" before laughing and mentioning it was just something an old friend used to say.
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Any Resident Evil fan knows this is a reference to the Merchant from Resident Evil 4, who used to say this line. Maybe this is a joke, but it could also imply a deeper connection between the two traders. Maybe whatever enables the Duke to travel instantly between places is the same power that allows the Merchant to show up wherever Leon Kennedy goes.
6 Ethan Winters Owns A Book By George Trevor
Inside Ethan and Mia's house is a book called "A Historical Look Into the Architecture of Eastern European Castles and Keeps," by George Trevor. This name should be familiar to veteran fans who played the original game and its remake.
George Trevor designed the mansion where the debut entry takes place. His wife and child were kidnapped and Umbrella conducted experiments on them. Lisa, Trevor's daughter, was even an enemy in the GameCube remake, and one of the most terrifying foes in the campaign.
5 Ozwell Spencer Knew Mother Miranda
At the end of the game, players learn that Oswell Spencer was a friend of Mother Miranda and worked with her. He eventually left and chased his own ambitions with the viruses, while Mother Miranda stayed and studied the Mold.
Mother Miranda was only interested in reviving her daughter while Spencer wanted to change the whole human race. She would do anything to save her daughter, while he would do anything to become a god. It must have been particularly shocking for Chris Redfield to see parts of his past come back in the Village.
4 Ethan Also Owns A Book By Joseph Kendo
Another book on Ethan's shelf is called "Gun Survivalist: A Heavy Firearms Manual for Field Combat Situations" by Joseph Kendo. Joseph Kendo is the brother of Robert Kendo, the gun shop owner from Resident Evil 2.
Players never see Joseph, but Robert also shows up in the remake and is fleshed out more. He has a daughter who is infected, and opts to stay with her as she turns into a zombie and ends her life instead of escaping Raccoon City.
3 The Progenitor Virus
In a letter from Ozwell Spencer to Mother Miranda, the scientist details his discovery of the Progenitor Virus in Africa. He would eventually use this to create the T-Virus, which is what causes the Raccoon City incident and sets off the franchise's events.
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Fans wonder what Mother Miranda ultimately thought of Spencer's work once he left her tutelage and started his own company. From her perspective, she might have seen Spencer as selfish. Mother Miranda did what she did for her daughter's sake; Spencer did it for his own ego and scientific ambition.
2 The BSAA Shows Up
The end of the game sees the BSAA attack the village. Chris used to be a member of this anti-B.O.W. organization, but the two seem to have a falling out. By the end of Resident Evil Village, he finds out the organization is using B.O.Ws, which prompts further rage within the protagonist.
The BSAA probably feels that B.O.Ws are okay in the right hands, while Chris is vehemently against them in any form. No wonder they don't get along anymore.
1 Mother Miranda Was In Contact With The Connections
In letters scattered about her lab, Mother Miranda details her relationship with the Connections, the organization that made Eveline. Eveline was modeled after Miranda's daughter, but she sees the experiment as a failure.
The Connections also trace back to the Umbrella Corporation. The criminal organization was founded by Brandon Bailey, one of Umbrella's cofounders whom Spencer removed from the group. Brandon Bailey was thought to be dead, but he likely survived — perhaps fans will see him in a future game.