Capcom Reveals New Information About Resident Evil Village's Name

Last month, Capcom pulled back the curtain on Resident Evil Village, the eighth main series installment in the survival horror franchise. While the title is a direct follow-up to Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village does not have a numeral in its name, which has led to some confusion among fans. In Japan's Weekly Famitsu, producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Peter Fabiano were asked about the game's unusual title, and the rationale behind it. While it doesn't clear up a whole lot, it does lead to some interesting new questions about the upcoming title. The following exchange has been translated by Kotaku:

Q. In the Village logo, there is the numeral VIII, so why wasn't the title Resident Evil 8?

A. You could call the actual Village another character in the game, and we did that because we would like players to understand that.

Q. Which is the official abbreviation for the game: RE8 or Village?

A. There isn't really an official abbreviation, but we'd just be happy if you remembered Village.

It will be interesting to see what role the actual village plays in the game's storyline. So far, we know that Resident Evil Village will once again follow Ethan Winters, while longtime protagonist Chris Redfield appears in an antagonistic role. Redfield first appeared in the original Resident Evil, and has been a playable hero in a number of games since, so the change is surprising, to say the least. It's entirely possible that Chris isn't in his right frame of mind, and the village's inhabitants might be suffering from a similar ailment.

This wouldn't be the first time that a Resident Evil game has focused on villains that are under a form of mind-control. Resident Evil 4's villagers were infected by a mind-controlling parasite called Las Plagas. The villains in Resident Evil Village seem significantly different than those enemies, however, and the trailer evokes religious horror films such as The VVitch. Who or what is effecting the village in the newest Resident Evil entry remains to be seen, but that should make for a good mystery when the game finally does arrive next year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

What do you think of Resident Evil Village so far? Are you looking forward to the game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!