Resident Evil’s producer says Village was balanced based on feedback that ‘RE7 was too scary’

Resident Evil Village producer Tsuyoshi Kanda has said he doesn’t want players to be in constant fear when playing the upcoming horror game.

In an interview with Axios Gaming included in its latest newsletter, Kanda said Village’s development team didn’t want to frighten off players, after some feedback suggested the game’s predecessor was too scary.

“When we develop a new Resident Evil game, our goal is not always to make it scarier than the previous title, but find a balance to deliver a scary but fun experience for players,” he said.

UPDATE 05/05/21: Read VGC’s Resident Evil Village review.

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ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES: “Some of the feedback we received regarding [RE7 was] that it was too scary to play,” Kanda added. “In one regard, that’s exactly what we were striving for, so it’s a huge compliment for us.

“But at the same time, it’s always our goal to create something that anybody can feel comfortable jumping in and playing, so we eased up on the tension curve [in RE Village] relative to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, so that players aren’t in constant fear.”

While Resident Evil 7 put players in a series of confined spaces, “as if the walls of the Baker mansion were closing in on them”, Resident Evil Village’s relatively open environments aim to create tension differently.

“For Resident Evil Village, we took an entirely different approach with the openness of the village and players not knowing what might be lurking beyond the trees,” Kanda said.

“Something we also always have to pay attention to is the tension curve. We also find that people grow immune to fear if they’re consistently pitted up against a tense situation or environment.

“Those moments of solace act as a buffer to make sure that people aren’t completely desensitized to the horror. The save rooms that you often see in many ‘Resident Evil’ games is a great example of that, where players can take a deep breath and know that they are safe.”

Resident Evil Village is the 10th main game in the Resident Evil series and the sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It will be released on May 7 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Stadia.

A 60-minute playable demo was released on Sunday, allowing players to explore the Village and Castle areas for a total of 30 minutes each.

Capcom released a prior PS5 exclusive Resident Evil Village demo in January, which saw players take on the role of a character called the Maiden as she attempts to escape Dimitrescu Castle.