The Duke in Resident Evil Village has upgrades to offer Ethan Winters, but only if the protagonist can bring him the right resources needed to perfect the stat-boosting dishes. Some of those recipes call for resources from animals that’ll be plentiful throughout the game while others call for special items that’ll only be found once per playthrough and in relatively secretive locations. Those rare animals aren’t marked on the map like their common counterparts are, but we’ve tracked them all down for you to make sure you’re able to get the upgrades as soon as you’ve got the rest of the resources.
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Upgrades for Ethan in Resident Evil Village deal with stats like health, blocked damage, and movement speed, but honestly, none of them ever felt too impactful whenever they’re earned. Part of that is due to the lack of a traditional health bar since Ethan’s tracker only changes colors after so much damage, so you won’t have a good idea of what’s hurting you a lot compared to how durable Ethan is after getting upgraded. Movement speed similarly doesn’t feel too great when increased either with these lackluster improvements being one of our few complaints about the game from our review.
Regardless, it’s silly to leave upgrades on the table, so you’ll want to get them all even if they don’t feel super impactful. The locations of these animals are hinted at by photos you’ll find that direct you to their locations, but you can just head to the spots on our maps to find them. Below you’ll find info on getting all the rare animals to compliment the basic livestock that’ll be marked on your map. We’ve listed them in the order they were found, though you may be able to find the first two in the opposite order.
Juicy Game
The Juicy Game you’ll need for one of the recipes comes from a blue bird sitting atop a tree. It’s a bright spot in Village’s otherwise bleak little town which means it’s a shame you have to kill it, but you’ll have to do that if you want the Tochitura de Pui recipe that greatly increases your permanent health.
To find this bird, head to the location marked above which will put you in the graveyard near the hub of the village area. Put yourself right up against the boundary to the area and look back out towards the graveyard so that the church is to your left. The bird should be sitting atop a branch on the tree directly in front of you.
Quality Meat
Next up after finding your fish is the Quality Meat that comes from a pig. This pig looks grimy just like most other animals in Village, but it’s a much lighter color which makes it stand out more than others. This Quality Meat that comes from the pig is used to make the Ciorba de Porc recipe which greatly reduces the damage you take when you’re guarding.
To find this animal, head over to the Fallow Plot and, more specifically, to the location marked above. You’ll have to climb through a window in the building nearby to reach the animal, but there aren’t any other steps to get it. This one was actually found before picking up the photo hint for it, so if you’re exploring everything, there’s a good chance you’ll find it before you even know what you’re looking for.
Finest Fish
Last on your list will be the Finest Fish, the animal you’ll need to complete the Sarmale de Peste recipe. This dish is the one that increases movement speed and is the only recipe of its kind. It’s therefore a valuable upgrade even if you don’t notice a huge difference, so naturally, it’s always going to be the last one you’re able to find.
You’ll know when you’re able to obtain this fish because you’ll have gotten the crank after your battle with Moreau. Head back to the drawbridge down the road from the main Altar โ it’s the drawbridge you had to pass by early in the game when you left the castle because you couldn’t operate it. Hop into the boat afterwards and travel to the location above, and you’ll have the final rare resource to collect in Resident Evil Village.