Resident Evil Village Launch Celebrated With Giant Chalk Lycan
Capcom celebrated the launch of the hotly-anticipated Resident Evil Village this month by drawing a giant chalk lycan across a UK hillside. Lycans are a prominent enemy type among the supernatural creatures spread throughout the game.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting a proper sequel to the massively popular horror title Resident Evil 7 since its release in 2017. Interstitial remakes of RE 2 and RE 3 have filled the void in the meantime, but neither are a continuation of the RE 7 story. With Resident Evil Village out this month, players are finally able to face a new host of frightening characters as protagonist Ethan Winters. Many players have taken particular interest in the giant vampiress Lady Dimitrescu since her reveal during the marketing cycle of the game. However, a host of lycans and other monsters also haunt fans throughout their playthrough. Though it would have been hilarious to see a giant image of Lady Dimitrescu depicted on a hillside, Capcom decided to go a different route with its release-day marketing.
Instead, Capcom celebrated the launch of Resident Evil Village on May 7 by drawing a giant image of a cartoon lycan across a hillside in Somerset, UK. Images of the artwork taken at both day and night were posted on the Resident Evil Twitter page for all to see. Along with the pictures was the clever quip, "We’re really lycan this massive piece of chalk artwork that has somehow appeared in the countryside, just in time for the #ResidentEvilVillage launch!"
Resident Evil fans in the Somerset area might be able to spot this massive lycan if they visit the Mendip Hills. The image was drawn in chalk, though, so it's likely either gone or quite faded by now. Nevertheless, the story and pictures will live on in perpetuity - a testament to the launch of a popular entry in a long-running horror franchise.
Publishers and developers market their games in a number of ways, but it's refreshing to see a more creative approach being taken for Resident Evil Village. Capcom celebrated the launch with a piece of real-world art that could only be viewed in person at a specific place for a very limited amount of time. With RE Village now out in the wild, the pre-release marketing hype is finally over, and players can jump into the game without worrying about a demo timing out. The game already has a generally positive reception among fans and critics, and the story is already being discussed online in detail.
Resident Evil Village is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia.
Source: Capcom/Twitter