Village of Shadows is the hardest difficulty available in Resident Evil Village (RE8 / RE Village). Learn the changes, how to clear & beat, how to unlock, best weapon, and strategies!!!
Table of Contents
What Is Village Of Shadows & How To Unlock It
Hardest Difficulty In RE8
Village of Shadows is the highest difficulty available in Resident Evil Village. This difficulty is recommended for hardcore fans and seasoned players of the series.
Unlocked After Clearing The Game
The hardest difficulty, Village of Shadows, can only be unlocked by clearing the game first. You not need to clear any specific difficulty to unlock Village of Shadows.
Check Out The Post Game GuideComes With Trauma Pack DLC
If you bought the Deluxe Edition with the Trauma Pack DLC, Village of Shadows will automatically be unlocked from the start. However, starting with this game mode from zero is not recommended as you need in-depth knowledge of its mechanics to succeed.
Difficulty Levels & DifferencesVillage Of Shadows Difficulty - Rewards & Achievements
Unlocks Rocket Pistol
The Rocket Pistol will be purchasable from Duke's Store upon finishing Village of Shadows difficulty. It is a powerful weapon that shoots mini-rockets at enemies.
More About Rocket Pistol Here!Clears The "Universe's Best Dad" Challenge
After finishing the story on Village of Shadows difficulty, you will also accomplish the "Universe's Best Dad" challenge. You will also receive 100,000 CP which can be used for unlocking weaponry and special items.
Check All Challenges List Here!Differences With Other Difficulties
| Village of Shadows Differences |
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New Enemy Spawn Locations
▲ The Soldat Panzer appears earlier on Village of ShadowsIn Village of Shadows, you'll encounter more enemies than normal. Aside from that, you also encounter more difficult enemies way earlier than the Casual or Standard Difficulty. Make sure you are armed and ready to fight before taking on this challenge!
Faster & Stronger Enemies
Enemies in Village of Shadows are far stronger and more resilient than normal. Even a normal enemy can send you to a critical state even with all the food buffs. Make sure to know how to guard and keep away from the enemies' range of attacks when you can.
Tougher Bosses
▲ Heisenberg has about 3 times more HPGiven that this is more difficult than normal, some bosses are far more resilient against Ethan's firepower. Keep vigilant and try not to be overconfident with the bosses.
All Bosses ListEnemies Drop More Lei
▲ Enemies drop 5 to 6 times more LeiAs a reward for trying out the hardest difficulty in the game, normal enemies drop far larger amounts of Lei from the get-go. If collected well (and with a bit of luck) this can help you upgrade your weapons to the maximum.
Money Farming Guide(!) No Story Or Item Changes
Village of Shadows does not show any secret ending or additional story content. Story is wholly the same as with any other difficulty. In addition, item placements and rewards do not change, and you still get the same things as you would with lower difficulties.
Story Walkthrough & GuideVillage Of Shadows Difficulty - Clear Tips & How To Beat
| Village of Shadows Tips |
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Unlock Infinite Ammunition
Infinite Ammunition is one of the features of New Game+. Make sure to unlock it! It will be very important for Village of Shadow, as you'll be forced to use Lei on healing items over weaponry.
How To Unlock Infinite Ammunition?Fully Upgrade STAKE
We recommend the weapon STAKE, a semi-automatic magnum with incredible fire power and speed. It's destructive power gave it the nickname "Piledriver". This weapon is one of the best weapons to use for higher difficulties.
More About STAKE Here!Fully Upgrade M1851 Wolfsbane
A runner up to the STAKE is the M1851 Wolfsbane, a revolver that uses magnum rounds. It truly packs a punch with incredible fire power and piercing ability, especially when fully upgraded.
More About M1851 Wolfsbane Here!Collect All Cooking Buffs & Max Out Your Stats
Food provides permanent buffs to your character which will be crucial in this difficulty. Make sure to collect all buffs before challenging this difficulty.
All Food & Cooking Recipes HereMaster Blocking & Memorize Moves Of Enemies
Every point of damage you receive in this mode, including from normal enemies, can be deadly even with all the Cooking Buffs and Max Stats. Memorize the attacks of the boss and try to block or dodge them.
Stock Up On Medicine
Since the damage that enemies & bosses deal is so high in this mode, you will need to use a lot of medicine to remain safe. Make sure to buy or create tons of them.
Concentrate On The Story Only
Since all of the enemies and bosses in this difficulty are deadly, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary battles and focus on clearing / battling enemies necessary for the story. Avoiding mobs and extra bosses will save you time and very valuable resources.
Avoid Farming Lei In Village Of Shadows Difficulty
It would be difficult and counter productive to farm Lei in Village of Shadows. If your goal is to farm Lei, it would be better to just do it in lower difficulties.
Check Lei Farming Here!Hardest Difficulty Walkthrough Tips Per Area
| Area | Changes |
|---|---|
| The Village | ・Immediately guard to prevent getting damaged by the first Lycan. Alternatively, you can quickly pull out your gun and shoot it. ・Survive by barricading the door of the house with a second floor. Guard the door and shoot down anything that tries to break it down. ・The fields in front of Luiza's house spawns an armored Lycan. |
| Castle Dimitrescu | ・The prison cell chase with first daughter spawns new enemies in them now. ・The dungeon where the Lady Dimitrescu chase occurs spawns another enemy. Take care not to be sandwiched by both. Guarding won't help as Dimitrescu's damage is too high and getting hit will leave you at a critical state. ▼ Strategy Video |
| House Beneviento | ・The bridge connecting the Altar and Ceremony Site now spawns Lycan archers. ・No changes in House Beneviento |
| Reservoir | ・An additional Varcolac (Beast Lycan) spawns at the southern-most part of the village. ・No changes in the navigating the flooded house segment ・Moreau's vomit attack is deadlier. Fight is way easier if you have unlimited ammo weapons. |
| Stronghold | ・Fortress has more enemies inside it. Advance slowly and clear as many Lycans as you can. ・Try to not get surrounded and clear enemies as soon as they appear. Look for their spawn points and shoot them down before they can come near. ・Mines and Pipe Bombs are effective here. ▼ Strategy Video ・Use Flash Rounds with your Grenade Launcher to stun the Urias. |
| Heisenberg's Factory | ・A Soldat Panzer (Heavily Armored Soldier) now guards the Foundry. ・Haulers are now present during Sturm chase scenes. ・Use Flash Rounds to confuse Sturm ▼ Strategy Video ・Use the machine gun to hit Heisenberg's glowing red parts. Hitting him enough may cause him to reel back and cancel the attack. Use the cannon to push him back. ・Aim for the red spot when Heisenberg tries to form a shield using the metal sheets to cancel it. ▼ Strategy Video |
| Finale (Chris) | ・Get the Grenades and Flash Grenades from the Supply Crates ・Enemies before you arrive at the Maiden of War statue are numerous. But given your equipment and the layout, you can easily funnel and defeat them, ・Before dropping the first salvo with your Target Locator, get all items from the surrounding buildings first! ・For the 2nd wave, use the houses to funnel enemies. Do not try to eliminate them all but find a good breathing space where you can land the next salvo. ▼ Strategy Video ・Use the Flash Grenades to defeat the Urias Strajer. One Flash Grenade is enough for one charge of the Target Locator. |
Village Of Shadows Walkthrough Videos
Castle Dimitrescu: Dimitrescu Chase
Stronghold: Battling Enemies
Factory: Sturm Battle
Factory: Heisenberg Battle
Chris: Using The Target Locator
Related Articles
Resident Evil Village Guide Top PageGameplay Guides
Items & Databases
| List Of Items | List Of Puzzles |
| List Of Combinations & Passwords | All Treasures List |
Challenges & Rewards
Weapons Guides
| All Weapons List | |
| Weapon Upgrades | Infinite Ammo Weapons |
| Best Weapons | - |
