My time with Resident Evil Village Shadows of Rose was all too brief. Yet, despite walking through the familiar halls of Castle Dimitrescu, there’s always a horrifying surprise hidden around every corner. What I played of the Shadows of Rose DLC is just as tense as the early moments of Resident Evil Village, and it honestly left me wanting more.
After rudely interrupting the ‘Masked Marquis’ as his minions overwhelm his latest victim, the new character, Rose, soon becomes his next target. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as some kind of spirit seems to be guiding her through the Mould-infested halls of Castle Dimitrescu by writing brightly coloured text in thin air. Occasionally, these words will transform into valuable items such as extra bullets or healing spray, just as well as the new monsters were a bit relentless at times.
Despite my familiarity with Castle Dimitrescu, it’s now infected with Mould, blocking pathways with a deadly substance that kills Rose after too much exposure. I get ambushed by these Face Eaters more than once, especially in dark mould-ridden rooms where they can appear from just about anywhere, including through walls and falling from ceilings. They shuffle around unpredictably, much like the infected people in past Resident Evil zombie games, and at times I find their pained moans incredibly unnerving.
The gameplay is pretty much the same as the main horror game, with Rose also able to combine items to make bullets and healing spray. Eventually, after somehow not getting Rose’s face sucked off by one of the many Face Eater mould monsters, I find a familiar-looking flask that amplifies Rose’s powers. By holding down one of the shoulder buttons, I can get her to erase any mould blocking her path by freezing off one of the cores. She also can freeze Face Eaters for a short time or counter their attacks if she gets caught in their grasp, provided she has enough charges.
Not too long after I find a flask, there’s a brief chase sequence where something big and stompy is behind me, but I can’t tell you precisely what it is, as my time ended not long after the chase began. Exploring Castle Dimitrescu with a new threat constantly appearing from out of nowhere makes it a rather intense experience. I look forward to discovering what’s happening in this bizarre, nightmarish world when the Resident Evil Village Winters’ expansion releases on October 28.