Maybe I’m just old, but horror games aren’t as scary as they used to be: photorealism isn’t as discomforting as chunky polygons, eerily static facial expressions, and environments that constantly judder with their own putrid early-3D lifeblood. This Resident Evil Village PS1 demake by YouTuber Hoolopee almost looks too good for the original console, but it definitely captures the weirdness of uncanny valley, back before they’d started to fill it in.
The video isn’t long, but it does feature Lady Dimitrescu, whose 1990s manifestation benefits from its lack of facial movement: just look at those permanently raised brows and that cemented-in smile. The werewolves are pretty creepy too, because they don’t even look like werewolves, more like scribbly polygonal figures that scream and murder you. Make sure you stick around for the end of the video.
PS1 demakes are all the rage, because it’s fun to imagine what Geralt taking a bath would have looked like in the ‘90s, and everyone wants to know how Cyberpunk 2077’s launch bugs would have played out in a pre-patch world. But if you’re an actual enthusiast for the early 3D style, the Haunted PS1 Demo Discs are a brilliant source of weird indie horrors.
As for Resident Evil Village itself, our reviewer Andy loved it—just don’t expect 13 hours of pure unadulterated Lady Dimitrescu, sadly.
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