#3. THE VILLAGE
The village is the heart, the spine, the foundation of the entire game- which makes sense, because it’s important enough to have made its way into the game’s name itself. From beginning to end, the village is an area that you keep coming back to time and time again. Its snow-covered environments and its gothic horror create an aesthetic that is entirely new to Resident Evil, while towering spires and towers and statues here and there also contribute to the atmosphere. But more than that, the village is also excellently designed. Each time you come back to it, you’re able to explore more and more, and exploration is always thoroughly rewarded, thanks to its winding interconnected design that feels all-too-familiar in a Resident Evil game, and thanks to treasures, valuable resources, notes revealing flavourful lore and backstory, hidden areas, enjoyable combat encounters, and more. As the hub location that connects all the other main locations of the game, the village succeeds in every way imaginable, and spectacularly so.
