Switching characters in a Resident Evil game is not uncommon, and Capcom keeps the trend alive (for better or worse) in Mother Miranda and the Four Lords to save his daughter, Rose. However, Ethan is not the only character that players control during the course of the story, as Capcom could not resist the temptation of bringing another perspective into the mix.
[Warning: Spoilers for Resident Evil Village below]
Many games in the Resident Evil franchise rely on multiple protagonists to help enhance and develop the story. Resident Evil 3 saw players control Jill Valentine for a majority of the game before switching to the perspective of mercenary Carlos Oliveira, while Resident Evil 4 took players through the story as Leon Kennedy before switching over to Ashley, the rescued president’s daughter. Even the recent Resident Evil 7 had playable flashback moments from the perspective of Mia and other characters that encountered the Baker family.
There are only two games in the series that take place from one character’s perspective the entire game. The original Resident Evil allowed players to choose from Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield to play the entire game, while Resident Evil 5 saw players take on zombies as Chris Redfield through the first playthrough. The lack of entries in the Resident Evil series with only one protagonist proves Capcom’s dedication to the multiple perspective trope, and the developer leans in deeper with Resident Evil Village by giving Chris Redfield his own playable section.
How RE Village's Character Swap Affects Gameplay and Story
The character switch in Resident Evil Village takes place after the Heisenberg boss fight, with Ethan defeating the final Lord using the chainsaw tank that Chris built. Mother Miranda appears to Ethan at this moment, explaining her diabolical plans to him concerning Rose and eventually ripping his heart out, seemingly killing the main protagonist. The perspective then switches to Chris, as he learns about Ethan’s demise and vows to avenge his death by killing Mother Miranda and the Megamycete and saving Rose.
The switch to Chris at this point in Resident Evil Village makes sense from a logical standpoint, as there has to be a secondary character for players to control after Ethan’s death. However, the shift takes any sort of survival horror elements that the game employs up to this point and throws them out the window, with Chris and his Blue Umbrella team battling lycans with military-grade weaponry and a seemingly endless amount of ammunition to reach the nefarious Mother Miranda. There is also a moment where players are allowed to call in numerous air strikes to destroy pieces of the Megamycete that runs beneath and through the village, making the game feel like Capcom’s attempts at a Call of Duty homage.
While the gameplay during the Chris section sticks out like a sore thumb, the character switch benefits the story of Resident Evil Village by setting up the ending in a very effective manner. After battling his way through the village of lycans, Chris reaches the core of the Megamycete and plants the bomb that Ethan will eventually use to destroy the village and save his family. Chris later ends up in Mother Miranda’s research laboratory and finds Mia, who explains that Ethan may not have died during his encounter with Mother Miranda after all.
The game promptly switches back to Ethan, delivering RE Village’s biggest twist and propelling the player to the final encounter with Mother Miranda. With good and bad elements of the multiple perspective format highlighted in Resident Evil Village, it remains to be seen if Capcom will stick to the formula with the eventual release of Resident Evil 9 or deliver a single protagonist experience.
