In Resident Evil Village, instead of hordes of the undead, mutants, and parasite-infected townsfolk, there’s a whole host of new and monstrous foes looking to make your stay in the titular settlement a short and painful one. Some are clearly inspired by classic horror monsters, like vampires and werewolves, while others are a bit more madly 'Resi'.
Much has been said about the four lords that rule over each quarter of the village, especially Lady Dimitrescu, but what about the other enemies that haunt tight corridors, hide in the foliage, or even those submerged underwater? There are loads more throughout the game that haven’t been shown off yet.
So join us as we take a closer look at some of the lesser foes Ethan will face as he enters the village, from its oddly hirsute populace, to intimidating cybernetic hulks with drills for hands, and Lady Dimitrescu’s cackling daughters who will pursue Ethan through the village's looming gothic castle.
Lycans
These feral beasts are the first enemies Ethan encounters in the village, and add a lupine twist to Resi’s usual fixation on monsters that spread a horrific infection by biting people. These are local villagers that have turned werewolf upon being bitten, and will duck and weave to avoid being shot until they get close enough to add Ethan to their number.
Some Lycans can use weapons and may harass you with bows and flaming arrows from the rooftops, but these variants are rarer. If Ethan is overwhelmed by many Lycans at once, barricading a door with a bookshelf can prevent them from getting too close, and he can shoot through boarded-up windows to pick them off in relative safety. Their master, Karl Heisenberg, has full control over the Lycans, as they obey his every word.
Armored Lycans
A little further into Ethan’s journey to find his lost daughter, he’ll come across one Lycan with a big mask and claws on both hands. This Armored Lycan behaves similarly to its less-protected cousins, except any bullets hitting its head will ricochet off. But while bullets aren’t all that helpful in this situation, Armored Lycans fare less well against a competently placed mine or pipe bomb.
Heisenberg is, again, the brain behind these tactics. As he drags a captured Ethan to Mother Miranda, small chunks of metal can be seen falling off in Ethan’s weary body. Heisenberg is also stated to be an engineering genius who works from a factory in the village outskirts, so he’s well placed to kit out his most trusted Lycans with armour and blades.
Moroaică
Found in Castle Dimitrescu, these shambling shackled horrors are the closest things to Resi’s traditional zombies in Resident Evil Village. They slowly amble towards Ethan, hissing as they drag their weapons behind them. Fighting one of these with just a knife isn’t all that hard, but to handle several at once is a tall order. Moroaică are also very good at ambushes, since they can lurk around corners waiting to strike, or rise suddenly from pools of blood.
As for what they are, well, there are some clues in the documents hidden in the dungeon, which allude to failed experiments on people.
Samca
As Ethan climbs towards the castle rooftops, he’ll encounter this flying variant of the Moroaică. They’re the same creatures found on the lower levels, but now they’ve sprouted wings and their heads have burst to reveal a tendril of sorts.
Those familiar with Resident Evil 4 will remember the parasites that emerge from the heads of the Ganados: the villagers hunting Leon Kennedy. It’s a similar deal here with the Samca, except they can also fly and use that tendril to gouge at Ethan if they hit him.
Soldat Eins
If you thought the Armored Lycans were formidable, they’ve got nothing on these cyborgs. As Ethan explores the village, he’ll stumble upon a drawing of a man with a red glowing orb mounted onto his chest. These are the Soldat Eins and they will mess Ethan up if he’s not careful.
When Ethan first meets them, they’re just regular humanoids with one drill to contend with, but that drill is very powerful. They’re relatively slow at first, but can charge to close the distance. Proceed with extreme caution when fighting these hulks.
Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters
Not long after stepping into Lady D’s castle, her daughters will descend upon Ethan like a pack of vultures looking for their next meal. Ethan escapes their clutches, but it’s not long before he’s found again. While he can fire a few shots from his gun, all this will do is temporarily disperse the daughter into a cloud of flies. She’ll eventually reform completely unharmed, so it’s not worth wasting the ammo.
Are they invincible though? There are clues hidden throughout the castle to suggest that all is not what it seems with the daughters, and anecdotal evidence from those who work in the castle hint at their potential weakness.
This is just a taste of the beasties awaiting you when you step into Resident Evil Village. The game is out now, and you can pick it up here.