The Winters expansion is finally here for Resident Evil Village. The expansion brings a new story campaign starring Rose Winters, daughter of Ethan and Mia. Furthermore, it also brings new playable characters and stages for The Mercenaries as well as a new third-person perspective for the main campaign.

Firstly, let’s talk about the new story campaign. I will be keeping details vague on the Shadows of Rose, especially in relation to its plot. I went into Shadows of Rose with certain exceptions and while some plot details can be seen coming, it also throws in a few surprises too.

One section, in particular, is as scary as it is stressful. In my opinion, it will certainly go down as one of the most memorable moments in recent Resident Evil history. If you loved a certain scary section in the main Village campaign, then you’ll be in for a treat with Shadows of Rose.

resident evil village dlc

Credit: Capcom

Shadows of Rose takes place 16 years after the events of the main campaign. Being created in large part by the Mold that was introduced in Resident Evil 7, Rose is supercharged with unique powers. However, these are powers that Rose never asked for and as a result, she hasn’t been able to live a normal life.

When an opportunity presents itself to finally get rid of her powers that she considers being a curse, she jumps at the chance to relinquish them once and for all. In order to get rid of her powers, Rose must revisit the Village. However, things have changed quite considerably, and Rose must explore her inner nightmares if she is ever going to have a chance of living a normal life.

Without giving too much away, going into Shadows of Rose, I thought the experience might be diminished by the fact that Rose Winters has superpowers. Thankfully, while that is true for the most part, she certainly doesn’t feel overpowered, especially during the early stages of the story. There are plenty of moments when Rose is extremely vulnerable, and she is left exposed both physically as well as mentally, providing some genuine moments of terror.

resident evil village dlc

Credit: Capcom

It also has to be said that while Shadows of Rose takes you back to the Village, more so taking you back to Lady Dimitrescu’s castle, this is a very different world. A world that Capcom described as the Realm of Consciousness. Don’t get me wrong, this DLC stays very true to RE Village. However, the Realm of Consciousness plays on Rose’s inner fears and insecurities, perhaps sharing a resemblance to the town of Silent Hill in that respect.

As you might expect, Shadows of Rose is a quite short experience. For me, I finished it in about 3 and a half hours for my first playthrough, which is kind of expected given that the expansion costs £16 as a whole. That being said, despite only being a short stint, Shadows of Rose is a worthy conclusion to the Winters saga with moments that will live long in your memory.

As well as the Shadows of Rose story, the Winters Expansion also comes with The Mercenaries: Additional Orders. This addition brings new stages and characters to the already enjoyable Mercs mode. You can now play as Chris Redfield, Heisenberg and Lady Dimitrescu.

resident evil village dlc

Credit: Capcom

Each of the three new characters comes charged with super abilities. Chris Redfield is armed with his USM-AI and Dragoon firearms. Both are very theopoetic and you’ll be popping through waves of enemies in no time. Of course, being a bolder punching expert, Redfield is armed with two natural guns of his own.

Heisenberg comes equipped with his giant hammer and electromagnetic powers; he can literally shock his foes to death. Furthermore, being able to turn scrap metal into lethal weapons, it’s a lot of fun ploughing through enemies like a buzzsaw maniac. In some ways, the powers of Heisenberg in The Mercenaries are very reminiscent of that of the Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2.

Finally, we have Lady Dimitrescu and while the other two new characters are fun, the Vampiric Vixen is the cherry on top. Lady D will hurl vanity tables, summon her three daughters, chokeslam and slice enemies to pieces, all for the thrill of the kill. Lady D will also have a thrill metre and as long as you keep the steaks going, she will grow more powerful and you’ll hear her letting you know how much fun she’s having.

resident evil village dlc

Credit: Capcom

Lady D does feel overpowered at times, but that’s why she’s so much fun. However, being so tall (though shortened in the Mercs), she does have to crouch to get through most doors. Which I suppose offers a little extra challenge.

However, that can be countered by choosing increased speed via the various Blue Orbs that can be found during the stages. Ethan Winters is also playable in the new Mercenaries maps, as are the new characters for the original maps. Sadly, Ethan has no special abilities, which is a shame considering what happened during the conclusion of the main campaign.

Now, finally, let’s talk about the new third-person perspective. This perspective is available for both the Shadows of Rose story, as well as the main campaign. However, while you get the choice of first or third-person for the main campaign, only third-person is available for Shadows of Rose. Playing in this additional perspective for the campaign is fun and it helps the campaign feel fresh, especially if you’ve played through it a few times already. So, if you’ve got some Trophies/Achievements to mop up, the third-person perspective is certainly worth checking out.

resident evil village dlc

Credit: Capcom

If I was going to have one critique of this expansion, it’s not having the third-person perspective across the board. During the recent Resident Evil Showcase, Capcom explained one of the reasons that they brought the third-person perspective to the campaign was to make it more playable for those that suffer from motion sickness.

If that is the case, bringing this perspective to The Mercenaries would have offered the same consideration for those that suffer from motion sickness. After all, throughout the various adaptations of The Mercenaries, it has primarily been in third-person.

All in all, the Winters expansion is well worth the launch price of £15.99/$19.99 USD. Each three additions are more than worth the price. However, if you’re yet to play Resident Evil Village, you can pick up the Gold Edition which bundles together the base game as well as the Winters Expansion.

Shadow of Rose is a fantastic stint and offers closure for the Winters family. The Mercenaries is more fun than ever and the third-person perspective offers yet another incentive to play the main campaign. If you’re a fan of Resident Evil Village, the Winters Expansion is an essential addition and one that you should pick up now.