To be fair, when I mean map, I mean map. As shared by IGN, this isn’t a top-down, in-game snapshot of Village’s polygonal geometry; rather it’s a slightly more abstract cartographical interpretation, all inky lines on faded parchment, so we’re not in complete spoiler territory. Lean in close and you’ll get a glimpse of Village’s four main areas, alongside a number of key landmarks. Three paragraphs in, I’m going to assume you’re not that fussed about spoilers, so these are Castle Dimitresu itself (last see in the PlayStation 5-exclusive demo), Heisenberg’s Factory, House Beneviento, and Moreau’s Reservoir. Other lesser landmarks - although still significant enough to earn a place on the map - include the windmill, sluice gate, suspension bridge, mill, and stronghold. Squint and you’ll even get a decently atmospheric pictorial representation of each one too. “When you hear the word ‘village’, you might imagine quaint houses lined up along a street, but that’s not really enough to make a video game out of,” explains Village’s director Morimasa Sato to IGN when discussing the map’s diverse landscape. “Especially in a horror game, I think it’s important to keep providing new experiences along the way. Within the village, it’s important to keep delivering new surprises to the player.” That’s not quite the end of the teases, either; IGN also has a glimpse of Village’s Mother Miranda - the mysterious entity Lady Dimitrescu was seen engaging with on the telephone during a recent trailer - although Sato isn’t saying much more about her just yet. If all that’s got your appetite suitably whetted, there isn’t too long to wait until Resident Evil Village throws open its gates to Xbox, PlayStation, and PC on 7th May. And those seeking even more pre-release news would do well to tune into Capcom’s Resident Evil Showcase next week.
