A Closer Look At ‘Resident Evil Village's’ Upgrade System

Acquiring an increasingly powerful arsenal of weapons has always been a key part of the “Resident Evil” franchise, but Capcom has made the character and weapon upgrades a bit more significant in “RE Village.”

The latest game in the franchise will have players face off against multiple manners of monsters, from intelligent Lycans in the village proper to the mindless thralls beneath the castle’s cellars and dungeons. “RE Village” will have the standard selection of firearms one can expect in a “Resident Evil” game, but players will also be able to make their weapons stronger in a fashion similar to “Resident Evil 4.”

The new player and weapon upgrades systems in “RE Village” was showcased in a recent exclusive dive into the game by Game Informer.

Players will be able to gather raw materials from the various fauna around the village. Ingredients like raw meat, fish and poultry can be spent at the Duke’s Kitchen and cooked into a fine meal that grants a permanent buff to Ethan’s abilities. Animals like goats, chickens, boars and pond fish can all drop useful ingredients, and players may need to pick fresh herbs as well.

This upgrade system seems to be a nod to the Skills system in “Resident Evil 6,” which also granted useful passive bonuses to playable characters. However, instead of simply gaining skill points, players will have to hunt for specific ingredients in order to cook their desired dishes.

Fans of “Resident Evil 4” will immediately recognize the weapon upgrade system introduced in “RE Village.” Both systems are very similar to each other, with both requiring players to spend currency in order to boost a weapon’s stats like damage, rate of fire and reload speed.

Lei, the currency used around the village, can be acquired by defeating enemies and trading valuables to The Duke, who serves as the game’s merchant and upgrades provider.

With the heavier emphasis on combat in “RE Village,” players will have to make sure that their arsenal can keep up with the game’s challenges. The nods to “Resident Evil 4” have many fans hopeful that Capcom will provide another game that’s worthy of its predecessor’s smashing success.