“Ever get the feeling we’ve been here before?”
Following the hugely success launch of Resident Evil Village in May 2021, Capcom has finally released the Winters’ Expansion, which includes a swath of new content addons for the blockbuster horror title. With additions to the fan-favourite mode: The Mercenaries called Additional Orders, a new third person perspective for the main campaign as well as the long awaiting sequel DLC: Shadows of Rose, the Winters’ Expansion offers quite the chunk of content for Resident Evil Village, overhauling the original content, while offering enough new stuff to keep the experience fresh for veteran players. Having released for all major platforms on 28th October (stylised as the Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition) I’ll be going over the time I’ve spent with the DLC, detailing the good, going over the bad, while ultimately discussing whether it’s worth the £15.99 asking price (or £44.99 for the Gold Edition via the UK PSN Store).
Resident Evil is a franchise that has had a bit of an undulating history since its inception in 1996; having high notes, low notes, then high again, the series has had a bit of an identity crisis with what it wants to be in respect of the overall franchise. I’ve made it no secret with my time reviewing for Game Hype that Resident Evil 4 (2005) is my least favourite of the franchise, not because it’s a bad game (its actually bloody excellent) but for what it represented at the time. From RE4 onwards, the series took a turn into action horror, and away from the survival horror roots that established the franchise; whilst this was probably a very profitable decision for Capcom, it (in this humble writer’s opinion) took the identity of the franchise away, which would only resurface later on (after a 5-year hiatus) with the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, acting as a resounding return to form for both the developer and franchise. Resident Evil Village was a continuation of the winning formula, offering the perfect blend of action and horror (read my full review of the game here) which resonated with both veteran fans of the genre and newcomers alike, leaving everyone wondering what what was next for the franchise, as well as the eventual DLC for RE Village and the long-rumoured remake of Resident Evil 4.
Several showcases and a train-load of hype later, that DLC is finally here. Stylised as the Winters’ Expansion, the DLC offers content additions to nearly every aspect of Resident Evil Village; a new third person perspective for the main campaign (although you still can’t see Ethan’s face) numerous additions to the games’ ever-popular Mercenaries mode, as well as the meat of the content itself: Shadows of Rose, which see’s Ethan’s daughter: Rose Winters (some 16 years later) and Dion Wilson (a member of Chris’ Hound Wolf Squad) investigating the research of Mother Miranda (the primary antagonist from RE Village) into something known as the purifying crystal, which should allow rose to dispel the Mold (and it’s subsequent powers) from her body for good. To obtain more information on the crystal, Rose must merge her mind with the consciousness of the ‘Black God’ (the Megamycete fungus root from the end of RE Village) and enter the nightmarish realm that the root has conjured up (a sort of archive of the minds and memories of the fungus’ victims over the years). Upon entering, Rose is sent down an Alice in Wonderland-esque nightmare of her own worst fears in an attempt to find the crystal, as well as commune with those left behind.
From a narrative perspective, Shadows of Rose acts as the final chapter of the Winters’ arc in Resident Evil, closing off the narrative branch first introduced in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. While somewhat short in length (3-4 hours long) the DLC follows through many of the same story locations as the main campaign, offering a familiar yet tortured view of the consciousness of the Black God. The main difference however is the DLC’s pacing in comparison to its parent, opting for a slower, survival horror focus akin to the RE2 Remake and RE7 in place of the action/horror hybrid that is RE Village. The primary antagonists in Shadows of Rose are known as Face-Eaters; pale, crusted, humanoid creatures that are driven by a hunger for Rose’s life force (who live up to their namesake if they get ahold of her) who are close in attack pattern to the zombies seen in the RE2 and RE3 remakes. Shadows of Rose has a much stronger emphasis on atmosphere and horror, which is something that will resonate with a lot of fans, with previously scary sections (the basement of house Beneviento) actually being somewhat scarier than before (if anyone thought that was possible) with a more personal emphasis on Rose’s own demons. Mixing the gameplay up is Rose’s powers that come from the Mold, which allows her to destroy mold cores (which allow access to both hidden and areas needed to progress) as well as stun/slow down enemies, allowing you to mix up your attack and save your ammo (which is surprisingly scarce in the early stages) whilst simultaneously mixing up the gameplay.
Along the way is an anonymous entity trapped within the Megamycete only known as ‘Michael’, who acts somewhat like a guardian angel to Rose as she traverses the hellscape, offering calming words and even weapons and ammo when the occasion calls for it (I still haven’t gotten over the PTSD of being chased by Sheva with a first aid spray in Resident Evil 5 if I so much as stepped on a thumb tack). Whilst the narrative is personal to Rose, it has numerous connections to the main plot of RE Village (be of sound mind, no spoilers here) culminating in a bittersweet closing chapter to the Winters’ story arc, with plenty of tearjerker moments that offer a brief moment of calm before the inevitable storm. There is also influence from other horror titles out there, with one particular section of the DLC feeling like a homage to the excellent Little Nightmares franchise from Tarsier Studios (see my review for Little Nightmares II here) which was a nice little touch (no pun intended). Played from the game’s new third-person perspective, the DLC feels like it was made with it in mind, whereas the main campaign feels a bit weaker for it overall. RE Village’s first-person perspective is still the best way to play the game, as the combat, controls and even the scares feel all the more visceral; even down to simple things as being chased, or hearing a noise behind you and not being able to look back are simple examples as to why first person is best for horror. The new third person camera detracts from this somewhat, taking your view away from what’s happening in right in front of you, in favour of the usual OTS perspective the series is known for. Ultimately this boils down to personal preference, and the core experience of RE Village is still there regardless of which perspective you play from.
Whilst the bulk of the Winter’s Expansion is tied up within the Shadows of Rose chapter, there has been a swath of content added to RE Village’s minigame: The Mercenaries, dubbed as Additional Orders. Joining Ethan to begin with is Chris ‘Fuck Boulders’ Redfield, who plays significantly different to Ethan, with new abilities and weapons to mix things up (the guy throws a mean right hook). Alongside this are two unlockable characters from the main campaign: Karl Heisenberg and Alcina Dimitrescu, both of which are unlocked after getting a certain rank on all stages, both bringing new gameplay elements, abilities and weapons that keep the experience fresh and engaging with a different gameplay loop depending on who you decide to play as. Alongside the new characters are two new stages, ‘The Bloody Village’ and ‘The Bloody River’, both of which are also unlocked with certain ranks on the game’s core stages. It has to be said that even if you’ve mastered the four original stages from the base game, the two new ones offer a significant challenge across the board, so get ready to bring your A game if you decide to give them a go. Ultimately, The Mercenaries mode is still a fun means of extending the time you’ll spend with Resident Evil Village, with the Additional Orders only further adding to the experience which has kept the mode a fan-favourite of the franchise for many years.
Overall, The Winters’ Expansion is a perfect addition to an already perfect game; offering a multitude of additions for the modest price of £15.99 (or £44.99 if you’re picking the whole game & DLC up for the first time via the gold edition) that not only enriches the experience, but solidifies Capcom’s commitment to delivering quality when it comes to one of their oldest and longest running franchises, whilst still taking the time to scare the living shit out of you.
SCREENSHOT GALLERY
A PlayStation 5 review code was provided by Capcom Europe.
