Recently I bought RE7 and RE8 (Village) with their respective DLCs when they were on sale as a package. I wanted to play through RE7 first and then continue with the second part of the Ethan Winters storyline. However I hated RE7 so much from a gameplay perspective that I abandoned it. RE7 in fact left me so angry and frustrated that I was hesitant to even install RE8. In the end I was glad to give the game a chance though as it is an improvement in every way possible for me.
- The movement of the character is faster and not as clunky and slow as it was in RE7
- The inventory management has been tossed to the side for the most part again
- I can actually use the inventory, read story content and check the map without having to worry about being chopped to pieces
- The combat is actually fun
- The characters are more interesting and "fun" than in RE7
I actually had a good time with the game even though it has flaws. Visually the game looks great. In addition the voice actors are doing an incredible job with their respective characters.
I also like the whole aspect of how you can upgrade your weapons and don't have to constantly worry what to take with you due to space limitations. There are limitations in place but they are very generous and it's more intended so you keep yourself limited to one weapon per type. The boss fights feel actually fair and not as random as they did in RE7. I like the level design even though is is very linear with the game blocking of a lot of sections and only unlocking what you're supposed to see which results in RE8 guiding you down very specific paths with very few exceptions where you can actually go and explore some hidden areas.
The game is more action oriented than RE7. However it still has very good horror sections that will at least push your pulse a little bit higher the first time you play them.
The story is entertaining but if you start asking questions it falls apart in terms of sensible logic. There is more than one scene where Ethan (the main character) is in the hands of the bad guys, completely surrounded and could be easily killed but the plot demands for him to survive (or the game would end) and so he does. The RE story still is constantly jumping the shark in various sections in terms of craziness but often it's fun to watch.
Something that is bothering me though is the fact that the game in various sections just takes control away from you to turn itself into a movie. You shoot a boss a few times and then it triggers a video sequence where something else happens. You may shoot it some more to trigger the next sequence. And during those sequences you can basically grab some popcorn or a drink and enjoy the show because your input is not required. It's like instead of replacing quick time events of older games with something more interactive they just removed the QTE and turned it into a video sequence. If you want to make a movie then make a movie...
Also there is no decision making within the story. There have been sections where I would've made different decisions than the main character and this creates a disconnect as I then don't like what my character is doing. It's not as bad as it was in RE7 though where I thought Ethan was completely brain dead from the start. In RE8 I rather think about him as someone with limited mental capabilities...
Anyway overall Resident Evil Village is a fun game and through the action and selection of different weapons as well as mercenary mode after the main game provides potentially quite a bit of replayability. It's also a good time when you just want to enjoy the story once. From what I heard it can be finished in about 10 hours. I took my time and finished it in around 15 hours on normal while I tried to explore as much as possible and get whatever item I can find.
The DLC Shadow of Rose can add another 2 1/2 hours but overall just has slightly modified versions of already existing maps while adding some twists and new parts to the story.