Capcom is honing in on survival mechanics with Resident Evil Village‘s cooking and upgrade system. A new exclusive preview from Game Informer shows how Ethan can permanently upgrade his stats and improve his weapons — for the right price.
Ethan has to kill to survive, but it’s not just zombies and other village monsters. He’ll have to hunt pigs, goats, chickens, and fish, then cook them at the Duke’s caravan. The Duke offers dishes of multiple varieties, and each gives Ethan a permanent stat boost of some kind. For example, the video below shows Bird and Beast Pilaf increasing Ethan’s defense when guarding.
Animals fight back, so it’s a matter of balancing ammo conservation and how much benefit the meal offers. However, it seems as if Ethan can only eat one of each meal, as there’s a “completed” message and a checkmark after the Duke finishes cooking the chosen dish.
That’s not all the Duke is good for, though. Ethan will come across a good deal of money, or Lei, in his quest, along with treasures the Duke happily pays high prices for. Ethan can exchange Lei for crucial weapon upgrades, such as increased rifle stability or more ammo capacity.
Resident Evil Village releases May 7 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, check out our RE Village pre-order guide to see what horrifying goodness awaits.
