Resident Evil Village Village of Shadows difficulty is significantly harder than Hardcore, almost to the point of being unfair. The game doesn’t give a great description of the differences between Village of Shadows and the other difficulties. Since the RE games vary so wildly as to what their difficulty settings do, it’s hard to know at first glance what players are getting themselves into, but we’ve played enough of the hardest mode to gives a good rundown on what to expect.
What’s the difference between Village of Shadows difficulty and Hardcore in Resident Evil Village?
Village of Shadows is either unlocked after one playthrough of Resident Evil Village, or from the beginning for those with the Trauma Pack DLC. Since it’s unlocked from the start for some players, one would assume that it’s suitable for a first-time playthrough.
It’s possible to beat the game on Village of Shadows difficulty on a first run, but we don’t recommend it. The only big differences between Hardcore and Village of Shadows are:
- How much damage enemies can deal
- Enemy speed
- Enemy defense
- (Some) enemy placement
Unlike Resident Evil 3 remake’s Inferno mode, in Village of Shadows, there’s no difference with item placement, and there’s not a vastly increased amount of enemies. The big difference between Hardcore and the hardest difficulty is that enemies are spongier, more aggressive, and deal more damage. Even basic attacks from the weakest enemies can kill Ethan unguarded. Lycans in this mode can take 30-40 handgun rounds to kill, and it becomes very possible to softlock due to not having enough ammo at certain points.
In Resident Evil Village, Village of Shadows difficulty is balanced against New Game Plus items. So, it’s not really a fair mode until players have taken on the game at least once. For those that have unlocked NGP weapons, the added challenge can keep the game feeling fresh. Trying to take it on with the base weapons is just an exercise in frustration. It can be done, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
