So, after playing through most of the Shadows of Rose DLC (and watching a friend's full playthrough), I have formed some opinions.
Overall, I have very mixed feelings. There were elements that I thought were done really well, and others that just... weren't so much.
Spoilery thoughts (and a bit of a rant) below.
First off, the positive: the gameplay was generally enjoyable! I liked the limited resources. Having to consider when to shoot vs when to run away really ups the survival aspect.
The dollhouse section was utterly terrifying, way scarier than the original imo. I'm so glad I was in a call with friends at the time, because otherwise I don't think I'd have managed. I actually still have to finish the section with the mannequins and I'm putting it off because it spooked me that much LMAO.
Also, Jimmy's Room was a great wee easter egg. I was laughing hysterically for like 10 minutes after I found it, probably because I was so terrified and it was a much needed tension breaker. It's so funny to think the devs were probably listening in on Andi and Paula's signing streams and were aware of their nickname for the fetus monster.
I know some people didn't like the stealth sections, but I enjoyed it. It was something a bit different from the main game. I watched a friend play through this part, and I think they probably took some inspiration from Little Nightmares, because it has similar vibes. (Also, wasn't Donna's bossfight originally meant to be more like a literal dollhouse, where a tiny Ethan had to hide from dolls/fight a giant Angie? Could be a reworked idea!)
Rose and Ethan's reunion was very sweet. You can feel how much he loves his daughter and I have to admit that his letter to her made me tear up a little.
Now the things I didn't like. My main gripes are with the storytelling and characterisation.
The story is set up very quickly. Within 5 minutes, we're introduced to Rose and K (the subtitles call him Canine, so I'm assuming he's the same Canine from Chris's Hound Wolf Squad), given some brief exposition about a mould-vanishing crystal, and sent on our merry way. I get why this is done. I would not want to sit through hours of cutscenes, but I feel like Rose suffers from the same issues as Ethan did when he was the protagonist. We know virtually nothing about her, except that she's Ethan's daughter and she doesn't like her powers. We're given brief glimpses into her childhood, which seems to have been rife with bullying. However, because we've spent no time getting to know her and she's had little opportunity to demonstrate her personality, it was hard for me to feel invested in her story until the very end.
It also felt like some decisions were made just for the sake of making Rose more tortured (and hopefully more sympathetic to the player), even if they didn't make sense. In practice this was counterproductive, because I felt like I didn't even have time to connect with Rose because I was too busy trying to figure out what was even going on. What was that throwaway line about Rose never seeing Mia anymore? What the hell happened over the past 16 years? Why is she followed around by armed men to mundane places, like her father's grave? What does Rose mean by "duty calls"? That would imply she works for them, but I thought she was just trying to be a normal teenager now?? What the hell is supposed to be happening beyond the DLC?!
I was also frustrated by how other characters were handled. We find out that the Masked Duke is not really him, but an entity created by Miranda using the memories of different peoples' consciousnesses (presumably, the various villagers' memories of The Duke). On the one hand, I'm glad because I wouldn't like to think The Duke was really evil all along. He was one of my favourites from the main game. On the other hand, the Masked Duke says in a note that he has no memories or sense of who he is supposed to be (lending to the idea that he was made using other peoples' memories of Duke, rather than Duke's own memories), he just simply exists to be sadistic, which makes me wonder what the point in his character was. We never see the Masked Duke again after the Castle, so was it just to prove that this was a thing Miranda could do?
I didn't mind that Eveline showed up (even if I personally would've preferred Donna), because in a way, it felt like the story was coming full circle. I felt bad for her when she broke down over feeling unloved. I thought they were going to try and humanise her by showing some vulnerability in front of Rose, which would have been a nice conclusion to her character arc. However, this gets thrown out the window immediately when she reverts to her usual self. We don't really defeat/destroy Eveline 'once and for all' either. So again, I found myself wondering: what was the point in that?
Then there's Miranda. I'll admit, I enjoyed seeing her. Hot Evil Bird Lady is always fun, but she's the exact same person she was in the main game. She wants to make Rose a vessel for Eva (again). The player destroys her once and for all (again). Bringing her back as the final boss might've made some amount of story sense, but it just felt a little tired to me.
Rose's story concludes with her accepting her powers after using them to save her father. She tells him it was worth it because it means they finally got the chance to speak (oki i cri a little at this), so I assume the central theme is supposed to be 'family matters most and is worth sacrificing for' or something similar. There's nothing inherently wrong with this message. I really enjoy stories themed around family, and I loved that aspect of RE Village. However, it feels a bit redundant, because we already had an entire game dedicated to proving how much Ethan loves his daughter. The only thing this story adds to the broader narrative is confirmation that Rose also loves her father. It's nice, but in an expansion that's around half the length of the main game, I can't help but think there was room for other plot developments.
I suppose I was hoping it would be handled similarly to RE7, where the DLC was an opportunity to expand upon the game's setting and characters. So when you go back to the main game it feels that much sweeter because you know these people a little better. That was why the premise for Shadows of Rose had me so excited! Rose entering the consciousness of the Megamycete, exploring the memories of the dead? There's a lot of directions you could go with that! However, it seems like the devs opted to go for none of them. I imagine it was partly due to budget constraints, but the world feels so empty and lonely for a place that contains the consciousnesses of thousands of people.
By the end, I realised that this wasn't so much an expansion as it was just an abridged remix of the original game, stripped of all its most interesting parts. It left me with far more unanswered questions than I originally went in with, and I'm especially frustrated because I know they'll probably never be answered.
Capcom have said this is the 'conclusion to the Winters family story' so future games and other content likely won't focus on them. They've not said definitively if this is the only expansion we're getting for this game, but judging by how long it took them to produce it (and the existence of Gold Edition), I'd wager the devs are eager to put a bow on RE Village and move on to other projects. It's a shame, because I think there's still some plot threads they could've explored. If only the devs had sacrificed some of the repeated elements taken from the main game in favour of creating a more cohesive story, then I think the DLC would have been a much more satisfying experience (in my personal opinion, anyway).
If I were to rate it, I'd probably give it around 3 out of 5 stars, or a 6/10. I initially would've said 7/10, but my issues with the storytelling and certain repetitive gameplay mechanics are just a bit too glaring for me to overlook, which is unfortunate. I really wanted to like Shadows of Rose more than I did. :(
Just to clarify, I don't think this is a bad DLC overall, I just don't really understand why most of it exists. I'd recommend it for people who are fans of the Winters family or just want something spookier than the original game. If you were hoping this expansion would satisfy a lore itch (like me) then you might find yourself disappointed.
(Also just throwing it out there, but Donna Beneviento Tea Party DLC when??? I'm looking at you Capcom 👁👄👁)
