Resident Evil Village is out now, and the reviews have been exceptional. Truth be told, this entry to the franchise adds so much to the series. While it's a continuation of the seventh game, it also takes the best from the past and applies them here. This might allow the game to rank highest on the list of best-selling Resident Evil games of all time. We'll just have to wait to find out.

But what makes this game excellent, anyway? While there are many things that we liked about the game, we think these five new features and changes made the most impact.

Resident Evil Village has better combat because Ethan finally received combat training

One of the most noticeable changes you'd notice when you play as Ethan again is how differently he plays now. He moves faster, can shoot better, and can even fight back better. The blocking system from RE7 returns, but now Ethan can even push enemies back after making a well-timed parry. He's also learned how to use new weapons, giving combat a much-needed refresh. Of course, these weapons you can buy from The Duke's Emporium which, by the way, almost made this list. He's a much more interesting version of The Merchant from Resident Evil 4. And unlike The Merchant, The Duke actually matters in the game's story.

Speaking of The Duke's Emporium and combat, Ethan's military training also taught him new survival techniques. Because of his training, he now knows how to identify valuable resources he can harvest from animals he hunts. He can take these to The Duke and trade them in for nutritious meals that can improve his stats permanently. They work kind of like the injections you use in RE7, but now presented as a better-designed mechanic.

RE4‘s Tetris Inventory System is back, and we're loving it

RE4‘s Tetris Inventory system is back. The producers said from previous live streams that Resident Evil Village will have an inventory system that works similar to the RE2 and RE3 remakes. However, it turns out that the inventory system in Village works much close to RE4‘s. The initial inventory space is very wide and spacious, and it can also be expanded over time. Resident Evil games have always had inventory management as a core aspect of their gameplay. However, going back to this rarely-used system is a great move by Capcom. It's not only a great mechanic, but it also adds to the immersion and realism of the game.

However, there seems to be a bug right now where you can't swap the weapons' places in the briefcase. This inventory bug in Resident Evil Village seems to be something you'll have to work around for now until an update rolls out to fix this.

Lots of new, varied enemy types keep the game from being stale

One of the main complaints people had from Resident Evil 7 is that it didn't really have great enemies. The Baker family sure was a fun antagonist to work against. But the Molded didn't really make for a memorable enemy type. Thankfully, Resident Evil Village introduces new enemies, and there are a lot of them. They also have very dynamic AI personalities. You might be reminded of the enemies in RE4, the Ganados, which have similar characteristics as Village‘s lycans. These wolve-like creatures move with agility and come in packs. They also wield weapons like sledgehammers and battleaxes.

If you've gotten used to Resident Evil‘s generic zombie enemies, then prepare yourself. The enemies in Resident Evil Village have been unlike those from previous entries. They're more unique, more interesting, and generally tougher to kill. They also come in different parts of the games, some appearing in just particular locations. Keep frosty and stay calm. Learn their movements and you'll easily get the best of them.

Photo Mode lets you take pictures during cutscenes, if you don't skip them altogether

Over the years, Resident Evil has become more and more cinematic. It's only natural, as it's just keeping up with the times. Of course, having great cinematics may be good for an optimal watching experience. However, modern gaming standards now have more requirements than just well-made cutscenes.

Thankfully, Resident Evil Village adds a photo mode into the game, allowing players to take photos during cutscenes. This is especially useful for Dimitrescu stans out there. Furthermore, this feature makes great use of next-gen consoles' improved graphics features, especially those playing at 4K. Take those beautiful pictures to immortalize the horror.

Meanwhile, there are those who would like to make do of cutscenes. They might be playing their New Game + playthroughs, and don't really want to watch scenes they've already seen before. There are also speed runners who'd rather not have their record times hampered by long cutscenes. Thankfully, Resident Evil Village now allows you to skip cutscenes. Say goodbye to the cutscenes that play over and over again when you die on boss fights repeatedly.

Resident Evil Village Mercenaries Mode is the cream of the crop of side modes

Finally, one of the most hyped-up details about Resident Evil Village leading up to release is the return of the Mercenaries Mode. Mercenaries Mode has always been popular among the Resident Evil community, even warranting its very own title on the 3DS. To unlock Mercenaries Mode, you'll have the complete the story at least once. This version of the Mercenaries Mode is the best it has ever been. It's action-packed, intense, and very entertaining. Bonuses you get from levels can carry over to the next, giving the game mode a better progression system. This system allows players to personalize the way they play the game mode based on their own preferences and play style.

Resident Evil Village‘s more action-oriented gameplay lends very well to the new Mercenaries Mode. With a much more combat-oriented gameplay, Mercenaries Mode truly feels like an arcade first-person shooter. It's a great completion reward for every player who plays the game through the end at least once. It's a perfect game mode to cap off a fantastic experience playing Resident Evil Village. We can't ask for a better finisher.

These five features and changes are what we enjoyed the most in Resident Evil Village, making it one of the best games we've played this year so far. Have you already played Resident Evil Village? Did these features able to sway your decision to buy the game? Which new features and changes did you enjoy the most in the game?