A pretty good review that I mostly agree with. While I'm positive on Ethan's characterization, rewarding optional exploration and varied horror themes in 4 sections, overall the game feels more like a jack of all trades themepark. It doesn't feel claustrophobic as RE7, doesn't encourage overcome limitation and learning the environment like RE2R, and most of all it's just way too easy and too damn linear. The factory is my favorite section because it's the least linear area, and tangling between floors can get confusing due to the lack of natural light sources and convenient stairs, and it's exactly what a RE needs. If only the rest of the game was like this
The worst thing in this game, IMO, is the inventory:
- It has too much space, even without upgrade.
- You get inventory upgrade too early through the Duke's store, instead of exploration. Too easy to get with a few treasures and some spare changes from dead enemies.
- Crafting items don't take up space. In RE2R I often find myself passing up gunpowder or herb, memorize their position, then come back for them later when I need them. Never had to do that in Village. You constantly have a stream of resources readily available and that just lowers any kind of tension and decision making in this game.
- The game pauses, unlike in RE7, when you go into inventory, so we have another "pause the game to eat 36329 apples" dilemma here.
- There's very few item combinations, which further trivialize crafting system. In RE2R and the other classic games, you can have combinations like G + R or G + G + G or G + R + Y, in RE7 it's a bit simplified but you still can combine a Green Herb with First Aid Med to create Strong First Aid Med. So saving a hoard of green herb and wait for a yellow herb isn't always the best choice as sometimes you need to chew one to get through a hot spot quickly, but a small 2x green herb isn't enough in a boss fight for example. In Village, there's only one health item, you need it, you craft it, no need to consider anything. Ammo types do share resources, but they're so plentiful they have never come off as something worth planning ahead to me.
- Same with key items and the lack of item box. With the way the game places a key item at the most convenient time when you need it, there's no need to plan ahead where you're about to go and what key you gonna need.
- Same with treasure, there's literally no reason to leave valuable items behind. You can often find combinable items, but why sell the lone piece since you'll find the other pieces eventually? It's a no brainer, again, no decision making here.
There's also something ironic about the main inventory itself that contains only depletable items (except guns themselves). Since you don't need to worry about items that you're not sure when to use (like keys, or when you are holding a treasure but not sure when you're going to meet the Duke), it acts more like a funnel that constantly adds and delete items and it just renders managing the thing meaningless.
Also can we talk about how the Duke straight up mark secret weapons and treasures on the map for you, when in some optional quests, your only clue is a paper note or a picture??? It's so messed up how some aspects are true to RE spirit, but most others are so dumb-downed they feel stitched together and overly streamlined.