There’s still time for references, even in a game as terrifying as Resident Evil Village. The early hours of Village have more references to past games than we expected — and we’re talking about the classic entries in the series. There are tiny, easy-to-miss Easter eggs in Ethan’s house in the prologue, and the references just continue from there. We’re going to try our best to list them all, so keep an eye on this space. We’ll be adding anything else that belongs in the Easter eggs category.
Resident Evil Village might not look like it, but this is a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. After relocating his family to Europe, Ethan’s life is disrupted once again by Chris Redfield — his wife is killed and his child is kidnapped. Armed with nothing but your wits, you’ll have to survive a nightmarish new reality in a secluded village guarded by four insane lords. To save your family, you’ll have to take them all down. This is a very different Resident Evil, sharing a surprising amount of similarities with RE4, the most highly rated game in the series history. And yes, there is an Easter egg related to the traveling RE4 merchant.
More Resident Evil Village guides:
Beginner’s Guide | Easter Eggs & References | All Boss Fights Tips & Tricks | How To Solve All Puzzles In Castle Dimitrescu | How To Solve The Doll Workshop Puzzle | Rare, Juicy & Quality Meat Locations | How To Complete The Necklace With Two Holes | All Treasure Chests Locations | All Labyrinth Ball Locations | All Goat Collectibles Locations
Joseph Kendo & George Trevor
Right at the start of the game, you’re in Ethan’s new house with his wife and child. The house is pretty reference free — you won’t see any pictures of Barry (or a Tyrant) on the walls, but there are two major references only Resident Evil aficionados will notice. Upstairs, there are two optional rooms you can explore — one is the storage room, the other is the office — both have bookshelves you can examine.
The storage room has a bookshelf with this description; “A Historical look into the Architecture of Eastern European Castles and Keeps by George Trevor”, which is a name fans will recognize. George Trevor is the same George Trevor that built and designed the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil 1. In the remake released later, George Trevor’s descendent Lisa Trevor was included as an unstoppable monster chasing you through the halls. Trevor isn’t the only famous character referenced in the house!
Go to the office behind the bedroom and examine the bookshelf back there. You’ll find this description; “Gun Survivalist: A Heavy Firearms Manual for Field Combat Situations by Joseph Kendo”, and we all should remember him. Robert Kendo is the owner of the Kendo gunshop — one of the first locations you visit in the original Resident Evil 2. In the Resident Evil 2 Remake, we get a little scene with Kendo and his daughter. Joseph Kendo is Robert Kendo’s brother, and they’re both in the gun business. They’re the guys that developed the unique Samurai Edge pistols!
Joe Kendo never appears in any game, so how do we know he exists? Well, he’s the creator of Leon’s gun in RE4 — where he owns his own gun shop in San Francisco. It looks like Joe Kendo is still going strong in the RE-verse.
What’re ya buyin’?
There’s a new mysterious merchant on the block. When Ethan Winters arrives at Castle Dimitrescu, the Merchant is the only friendly face you’ll encounter for a very long time. This extremely large man fills every space he’s in — and he’s got a few things to say. He sells weapon upgrades, healing items, ammo, parts and more. He’s basically just like the Merchant from RE4!
And that’s confirmed with a little Easter egg. After a few visits, the Merchant will bellow “What’re ya buyin’?” — a well-known line from the Merchant in RE4. The RE8 Merchant says it’s something an old friend of his used to say. It’s a cute little reference to a fan-favorite character from the series best game. Now I really want to see the RE4 Merchant make a comeback. Maybe he can be your friendly vendor in a DLC episode? Come on, Capcom!
That Boulder-Punching Bastard
Late in the game, during your battle with Heisenberg in the Factory, the technological villain starts talking about your new partner-in-crime Chris Redfield. Exposing his deep knowledge on the lore of Resident Evil, Heisenberg calls Chris a “boulder-punching bastard” — which is a reference to one of the most ridiculous and memorable moments from the entire series. In Resident Evil 5, during the final showdown with Wesker in an active volcano, Chris has to beat up a giant boulder to save his partner. It’s one of the famous QTEs that’s been immortalized in gif form.
The Origins of Umbrella
Here’s a shocker — and a huge spoiler moment. The villain of RE8, Mother Miranda, once had a student by the name of Ozwell E. Spencer. The founder of Umbrella, and the man behind-the-scenes that’s the cause of most of the monster-related problems in the series, was once a visitor to the unnamed village of Resident Evil Village. He liked the founder’s crest so much, he stole it for his own company as a young man! But according to these documents found in Miranda’s lab, you’ll see that his ideas for changing humanity are completely different than Miranda’s. Instead of using a strange ‘megamycete’, Spencer is all about those viruses.
Work-in-Progress: Check back soon for more Easter eggs and references!
