Resident Evil Village gameplay: how upgrades and hunting work

Resident Evil Village
(Image credit: Capcom)

New Resident Evil Village gameplay has been released which details how the new Resi's extensive upgrade system, hunting and cooking will work.

The new gameplay video from Game Informer explains that the village is full of animals that Ethan can hunt and butcher for meat, including fish, chicken, rams and boars. While some animals are easier to hunt, others will fight back against Ethan's attacks - making them more dangerous adversaries. 

While Ethan can shoot these animals, the main challenge players will find is trying to conserve ammunition (like with all Resi games), so you're going to want to make sure you aim your shot just right so less bullets are wasted.

Once you've collected resources (like Poultry, Meat and Fish) from your hunt, you can take them to the Duke's Kitchen which offers a selection of recipes you can cook - if you have the right ingredients. These recipes, once completed, provide permanent upgrades. For example, the Bird and Beef Pilaf reduces the amount of damage Ethan takes when guarding. 

Upgrading your arsenal

In Resident Evil Village, players can also upgrade Ethan's arsenal. To upgrade weapons, Ethan needs Lei (the game's currency). Players can obtain Lei by taking down the game's adversaries, these enemies may also drop valuable items that can be sold for Lei at the Duke's Emporium. In addition, there are hidden treasures in the environment that can be sold for Lei.

Once you have enough Lei, you can buy supplies, weapons and upgrades from the Duke's Emporium. Upgrades include being about to increase a weapon's power, rate of fire, reload speed and ammo capacity, while you can also buy add-ons that reduce Sniper sway and more.

According to the video, while resource conservation will be important, as Ethan's arsenal becomes more powerful players will need to worry about this less.

More to come

Resident Evil Village

(Image credit: Capcom)

This is the second Resident Evil Village gameplay trailer that Game Informer has released this week, with the first introducing some of the game's new enemies.

We're expecting even more Resident Evil Village news later today, as Capcom is hosting a second REShowcase.

Taking place on April 15 at 3pm PDT / 11pm BST / 6pm EDT (or April 16 at 8am AEST), the next REShowcase is set to unveil a new trailer and gameplay for the upcoming Resident Evil Village, along with "a few other surprises as well". 

Vic Hood
Associate Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Vic is TechRadar Gaming's Associate Editor. An award-winning games journalist, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's also an avid mental health advocate who has appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.