Challenge For the launch of the new Resident Evil, known as THE survival horror licence, Capcom wanted to reach a more mainstream audience without compromising the game’s core essence. We wanted to capture the mystery and feeling of dread synonymous with the Resident Evil franchise, while positioning Village as an entirely separate entity from the others.
Idea Go beyond the horror to reveal the true value proposition of Resident Evil Village; a game that’s able to trigger the imagination of action-adventure players. Keeping in mind the key element of fear, we proposed a deeper look into the lore and the mysterious backdrop the game is set in.
1. Get in - For the first time ever, you might not be trapped with Lady Dimitrescu, Mother Miranda, lycans and a two-faced Chris Redfield… they might be trapped with you.
2. Say hello to the unknown - For the first time, creatures of unknown origin are getting involved, as the game takes inspiration from the vampires, witches and lycans of European folklore.
3. New levels of immersion in both plot and design - Everything takes place in a mysterious, remote mountain village in Eastern Europe. Our hero Ethan is able to freely travel and explore (to an extent) to uncover hidden secrets and the dark lore of this never-seen-before locale.
In Village, the classic Resident Evil recipe of being chased by zombie hordes is turned on its head as we have to dig deeper, not just flee. Through showcasing new characters, unfamiliar monsters, and hinting at a deeper story behind it all, our tagline - “Nothing is as it seems” - and the tone of our display campaign makes people question this turn of events and leans heavily on the fear of the unknown.
Nothing is as it seems, after all.
Results
It was great working with Biborg again on RE Village. Their take on highlighting the more mysterious elements our game had to offer was something we were immediately impressed with. And this paired together with strong creative, including a brilliant trailer edit, helped make RE Village a huge success!
For its release, Resident Evil Village was #1 in UK physical sales, and sold 4.5 millions copies in only two months. So far, out of the entire Resident Evil franchise it is the best selling one.