Now that Resident Evil 3 has hit the shelves it’s time to look to Capcom’s next foray into the virus-filled world of Claire, Leon and Chris. Though there’s been no official confirmation of Resident Evil 8 from the company, a series of leaks have made their way online, and they’re looking juicier than ever (if they’re true, that is).
According to a new batch of rumours [via RelyOnHorror], RE 8’s play testers have been hard at work on the upcoming title, and they’ve spilled a lot of beans on what we can supposedly expected. As always with rumours and leaks, take them with a pinch of salt for now.
The publication has collated tidbits from various different sources, all of whom claim to have been testing the game since March of this year. According to the leaks, the next RE title will be called “Village: Resident Evil,” with the “VILL” being the Roman numeral for eight.
Sources also called the game’s opening “shocking” for longstanding fans of the series, claiming it involved Chris Redfield sporting a new look. Some sources here have said that Chris appears older, while others have said he’s sporting an entirely new look, so I guess the jury’s still out on that one.
It’s also being said that Ethan, the protagonist from Resident Evil 7, will be making a comeback as the main hero of the next game. Some play testers said they played versions of the game where his girlfriend, Mia, is pregnant, though others said they played versions where their child had been born. The game will reportedly stick to its new first-person design.
It seems as though the game’s inventory has yet to be decided on, with some supposed players having tested out an RE 4-style slot-in-what-you-can-fit design, while others trialled a more traditional inventory.
It’s not clear where exactly the village from the title is set, but play testers reported playing a demo set in a snow-covered area filled with small houses. NPCs were featured in the demo, and the characters did speak English.
A new enemy type has also been leaked – wolf-like creatures with massive claws. Reports suggest these new enemy types are more of a “run or hide” kind of monster, as opposed to a shoot-em-up bad guy. However, not all reports are consistent with this.
The game’s Big Bad is said to be a stalker-like woman who resembles a witch, and a “gorilla-like” male monster who has “chains and a staff.” It’s said that the witch character cannot be killed, but instead melts down into bugs presumably in a similar way to RE 7’s Marguerite Baker. She reportedly stalked play testers throughout the demo, alerting them to her presence by laughing.
According to the testers, the new addition to the franchise leans heavily into a lot of what made RE 4 so iconic, featuring a supernatural element and – I guess- a sinister and creepy village.
Again, it’s not clear whether or not these supernatural elements will be legit supernatural, or if they’ll be a drug-induced hallucination which some play testers reportedly got to see in action. Whether or not the supposedly “shocking” into is drug-related or real, remains to be seen.
Other elements mentioned include a castle and a group of normal human characters. According to one report, a segment of the game saw one of these human characters fall into a drug-induced frenzy and killing one of their people.
So there you have it. Of course, we can’t say whether or not there’s any truth to these rumours, but an RE 4-like game with the cast of RE 7? Count me in!
Featured Image Credit: Capcom