Shadows of Rose Preview: One More Run Through Castle Dimitrescu

thegamer.com:

I probably spent more time asking Capcom lore questions than I did actually playing Resident Evil Village’s Shadows of Rose expansion last week. Ahead of Tokyo Game Show, I was invited to play through an early part of the game (15-30 minute minutes in) to get a feel for Rose’s playstyle, her powers, and to see Village in third-person for the first time. And while I had a great time playing as Rose and exploring Castle Dimitrescu, all I really wanted to know is how the hell did we get here?

Resident Evil Village ended with a massive 16-year time jump - a first for the series - that introduced a teenage Rose Winters who appears to be in Umbrella custody. While that’s not entirely surprising, given the unique circumstances of her birth (undead dad, host for Miranda’s dead daughter, ect.) what is surprising is that Rose is back in the Village and somehow trapped in Castle Dimitriscu. Even more bizarrely, Ethan’s enigmatic ally, The Duke, seems to be the antagonist. If you’re confused, you’re certainly not alone.

Related: The Time Skip In The Village Expansion Is A Big Deal For Resident Evil

Capcom is intentionally keeping the story of Shadows of Rose pretty close to the vest. In fact, I have some pretty strict guidelines about what I can and cannot write about my play session - one of the strictest I’ve ever seen. Capcom wants to make sure that players get to enjoy the big surprises when the expansion comes out next month, but there’s still a few things I can clarify.

First, the setting. The Castle Dimitrescu Rose is exploring is an entirely metaphysical space. Rose has discovered that her connection to the Megamycete has allowed her to enter its Realm of Consciousness. Here, Rose is hoping to find a cure for her powers,