Resident Evil Village is finally getting its long-awaited story DLC on October 28th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Stadia. However, Capcom is going above and beyond with the Winters’ Expansion, also adding a new Third-Person Mode for the base game and new content to The Mercenaries. Here are 12 things you should know before picking up the expansion and diving into the DLC storyline. Slight spoilers are ahead for the base game’s story, so be warned.
Third-Person Mode
As the name implies, Third-Person Mode will let you play Resident Evil Village from a third-person perspective. The action is similar to the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes and features animations that weren’t present in the base game’s first-person mode. If you’ve ever craved that perspective or wanted to see Ethan’s face while he’s being devoured by Lycans, then Third-Person Mode is an interesting way to replay the game.
A New Game (Sort of)
In terms of the effort required, Third-Person Mode felt like making a new game, according to producer Masachika Kawata when speaking to IGN. This is somewhat of a stretch because it’s still the same game. Nevertheless, the work required goes above and beyond simply shifting the perspective given the number of player actions compared to Resident Evil 2 and 3.
Director Kento Kinoshita said, “You know, we felt we had to make something as good or better than RE2 and RE3. Compared to the previous games in the series, Resident Evil Village has an exceptionally large variety of player actions. You can guard, you can move while crouching, and there is a lot of examining objects. We made thorough adjustments to ensure that those unique animations would look completely connected and that it would be playable at a good tempo.” So if everything feels smooth and works as it should, then that’s due to the work put in by Capcom.
The Mercenaries: Additional Orders
The Mercenaries offers a hefty amount of new content and updates courtesy of Additional Orders. It adds two new stages and three new playable characters – Chris Redfield, Karl Heisenberg and Lady Dimitrescu. Each has unique abilities and powers that can radically alter the gameplay, and even lead to some new strategies.
Abilities for Chris, Heisenberg, and Dimitrescu
For instance, Chris Redfield possesses “top-class gear” and can use a Target Locator to call down support fire on a group of enemies. He also has the Straight Punch, which delivers a strong blow to enemies (though it can leave him open). Defeating an enemy with Straight Punch fills the Onslaught gauge – when full, the attack is faster and deals even more damage.
Heisenberg can hit enemies with his hammer to build up charge and then slam it down to discharge that energy – the more the charge, the wider the area of effect. He can also summon a Soldat Jet to rush forward at enemies and explode when hitting a wall. His Magnetic Field can pull enemies together and further empower his magnetic attacks, like tossing scrap at foes (at the cost of movement speed).
Finally, there’s Lady Dimitrescu, who can rip enemies apart with her claws and use Lady’s Lipstick to increase her power and movement speed. She also has a Thrill meter increased by attacking or using lipstick. Along with increased stats, it also grants access to moves like grabbing an enemy and slamming them down (and catching any nearby enemies in this increases Thrill further). Once her Thrill is at its max, Dimitrescu can summon her daughters for some added pain.
The Bloody River and Bloody Village
The two new stages added to the mix are The Bloody River and The Bloody Village, for a total of 10 stages in the mode. The former seemingly takes place near Moreau’s reservoir while the latter is closer to a windmill. Both have a variety of elevations and different foes waiting to tear you apart, but what else they bring to the table remains to be seen.
Shadows of Rose Story
Taking place 16 years after the conclusion of Village’s story, Shadows of Rose focuses on Rosemary Winters. While seemingly leading a normal life, her powers are still very much present. She finally decides to seal them away by delving into the mind of the Megamycete, the source of the Mold that appears in the village. This leads to a different version of the village, a “realm of consciousness” created from memories absorbed by the Megamycete. Played in the third person, it’s been confirmed that a single attack in this world can be fatal for Rose. However, she can also use her powers to freeze enemies and take them down quickly.
Four Hours Long
Shadows of Rose has been in development since at least June 2021, and as such, will offer one of the longest DLC experiences in the series yet. Speaking to IGN Japan, director Kento Kinoshita said it would be roughly four hours long. It’s understandable given the scale and scope of the story, from building Rose’s character to chronicling her battle inside the Megamycete’s mind and perhaps setting up the series’ future. Regardless, fans should get their money’s worth.
Several Locations to Explore
Even more interesting is that in the same interview, Kinoshita confirmed that Shadows of Rose would feature several locations. The footage thus far has only showcased an altered Castle Dimitrescu, but again, given that it’s not the real version and how the world inside of the Megamycete can shift on a whim, it makes sense there would be other places. The village itself, and maybe the Ritual Site seem like safe bets, but it should be interesting to see where else the DLC takes us.
Accessibility Update
Along with the launch of the Winters’ Expansion and Gold Edition will be an update to the accessibility settings. These include a permanent reticle, closed captions, displaying the speaker’s name in Story Mode subtitles, adjusting the subtitle size, and toggles for subtitle color and backgrounds. Unfortunately, it’s not confirmed whether there will be controller remapping or better colorblind settings.
Street Wolf Outfit for Rose
Preordering the expansion nets the Street Wolf Outfit for Rose. It can be equipped while playing through Shadows of Rose and features the logo of Chris’s Hound Wolf Squad from Village’s campaign. A nice little nod to the connection between the two, though it’s unknown whether Chris himself will make an appearance in the DLC.
Concluding the Winters’ Saga
Whether you’ve been a fan of the Winters’ family saga or not, one thing is certain – Shadows of Rose will finally conclude it, as per Kinoshita. Of course, producer Masachika Kawata told IGN Japan that Capcom could “absolutely not” reveal anything about the future of the series. Will you play as Chris in future entries? Will Leon make a return? What about Jill or Claire? Maybe there will be a new cast of characters or a soft reboot. Your guess is as good as ours at this point, but Capcom isn’t telling (at least, not before the expansion is out). Regardless, the Winters’ chapter will be closed, hopefully with a happy ending for Rose.
Resident Evil Village Gold Edition
The Winters’ Expansion is a standalone purchase for current owners of the game. However, newcomers who want everything in one bundle can purchase Resident Evil Village Gold Edition. For $50, it includes the base game, the Trauma Pack DLC (which includes goodies like a Resident Evil 7 Found Footage Filter, the Samurai Edge – AW Model-01, and Village of Shadows difficulty unlocked), the Winters’ Expansion and the much-delayed multiplayer mode Resident Evil Re: Verse. All of this, for just $50. Considering the Winters’ Expansion costs $20 on its own, it’s not a bad deal, especially for someone who wants all the content in one place.
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