Resident Evil Village: How to Escape Castle Dimitrescu (2024)

Resident Evil Village introduces players to Ethan Winters, a man who, after surviving a nightmarish ordeal, is now attempting to lead a peaceful life with his wife. However, tragedy strikes again when their home is attacked, and Ethan is thrust into a desperate search for his kidnapped daughter, a journey that will test his courage and resilience.

This survival horror adventure catapults players back into the harrowing world of Ethan Winters, this time experiencing it all from a first-person perspective. The game transports him to a mysterious Eastern European village teeming with horrifying mutated creatures and grotesque enemies. Ethan's survival hinges on his ability to scavenge for resources, deftly manage his inventory, and fiercely fight for his life as he relentlessly pursues his daughter and uncovers the village's chilling secrets.

The first real challenge players will encounter is House Dimitrescu, home to the vampiric Lady Dimitrescu and her three daughters. Players have to survive some deadly encounters while exploring the labyrinth-like manor to escape. Here's how to escape Castle Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village.

Updated on June 5, 2024 by Antonio Samson: Resident Evil Village introduced one of the most iconic characters in the series, Lady Dimitrescu. However, it can be difficult to escape from her grasp. This article was updated to provide more information and to meet CBR's editorial and formatting standards.

Use the Maroon Eye as a Key

Take the Ring Off of the Statue

Enter the next room after getting off the hook (literally) in the Drawing Room. The player may not be able to exit the locked door but can crawl through a hole in the chimney. Doing so takes the player into a small hall with a statue of a woman holding an infant. A notable piece of jewelry on her finger is the Maroon Ring, which the player can take — which will turn the statue around and allow the player to pass into a hall that leads to the Main Hall.

After doing so, inspect the ring in Key Items in the player Inventory, where the player can pull the marble-sized trinket off the ring. Doing so allows the player to use the Maroon Eye as a key for a distinct door with a marble face on the Second Floor of the Main Hall. Be mindful, though — this will catch the attention of Bela Dimitrescu, forcing the player on the run.

Light the Torches in the Hall of War

Shoot the Chandelier to Reach Both Torches

After evading Bela, the player must make their way through the Dungeons, fighting the lumbering but lethal Moroaica along the way. On this floor, the player enters the Hall of War, which initially appears to be a round room with a large marble etching of a massive battle. A torch lights the room from the center, hanging from the roof. Around the edges of the room are two small wooden pyres.

The player's objective is to light them using the flames from the torch. The easiest way to do this is to pull out the pistol and line up the shot, so the player can knock it toward the torches. The player can also run into the torch and try to force it into the pyre. However, a single clean shot allows the player to move along at a faster pace, revealing a doorway in the mosaic that the player can pass through.

The Silver Wine Rack in the Wine Room

Find the Danguis Virginus Bottle in Blood

While going around the Second Floor of the Main Hall, the player will discover the Wine Room, unlocked. There are a few crafting supplies around the room, but the most notable element is an ornate silver wine bottle holder. It requires a special bottle to be placed within it to activate. After going through the Dungeons and the Hall of War, Bela will find the player and force the player into a Boss Battle. After defeating her, the player will find a kitchen containing the bottle of Sanguis Virginus in a pot of blood.

Take the bottle and return to the Wine Room, unlocking a small room containing the Courtyard Key, which opens up an entirely new area of the House. Take note, however — killing Bela and going into the Courtyard means Lady Dimitrescu and her other daughters will start hunting for the player and try to murder them should they find the player in the halls. If the player is spotted, run as fast as the player can into another area of the map — preferably the Duke's shop area located in the Main Hall, as they won't follow the player into this area.

Use the Statutes in the Hall of Ablution

Turn the Statues to Move Forward

After moving through the Courtyard and the door near the Courtyard gates, the player will find a new section of the Castle to explore. This includes the Hall of Ablution on the Second Floor of the building, near Lady Dimitrescu's private chambers (where she can be heard screaming about Bela's death). Within the Hall of Ablution are four statues — a man atop a horse, a pack of male beggars, a hooded woman, and a beautiful woman in a fine dress and hat. At the center of the room is a pool of blood.

In the empty pool, there's a riddle hanging on the wall that clues the player to their goal: "Women are blind to male advances, but the poor shall take their chances to give their lord their bounty sown, so that soon the wine may flow." The player must twist the statues into the appropriate placements to solve the puzzle. The two statues of women should be turned to face each other directly, looking away from the male statues. Likewise, the beggars should be turned to face the statue of a man atop his horse, which should be positioned to look towards the hooded woman. This will drain the pool of blood and reveal a door, which leads into the Distillery — and more of the Moroaica.

The Piano Has the Keys

The Music Sheet is the Answer

After escaping the Distillery and returning to the Manor's main floors, the player encounters Lady Dimitrescu and is forced to flee from her — but only after claiming Dimitrescu's Key from a vanity she threw at the player before dropping the player into the Dungeons. Eventually escaping, the player can use Dimitrescu's Key to enter the Opera Hall. After moving around the surrounding area, dispatching the Moroaicas, and finding scrap to be used for crafting, the player can discover an ornate piano with a piece of sheet music.

If the player can read sheet music, this should be an easy enough puzzle, as the game requires the player to play the tune and unlock a secret compartment. Notably, though, the keys don't have to be played in quick succession. Getting one wrong does not reset the puzzle. For the less musically inclined, the combination is, counting from the left, 15-12-14-13-13-16-15-16-17-17. This unlocks the Iron Insignia Key, which is necessary for further exploration.

The Atelier is a Safe Haven

Shoot the Portrait of Lady Dimitrescu

The Atelier is a specialized section of the Castle where Lady Dimitrescu won't follow. Within the Atelier, the player finds a note telling the player to "let the five bells of this chamber ring out." Exploring the room, the player needs to find five bells and shoot each one with their pistol. Doing so will cause them to ring out and light a flame, signifying that they've been struck. The bells can be found on the table next to the staircase, atop a large glass cabinet, swinging back and forth between the gears through the wall, on the chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the room, and through the nearby skylight.

A portrait of Lady Dimitrescu will move upon striking all of them, allowing the player to progress up to the attic and discover the F2 Rifle, which will make life a lot easier going forward. However, make sure to hold on to what sniper rounds the player can find for the gun, as the F2 rifle is a very useful weapon in the ultimate fight against Lady Dimitrescu. This will also lead the player across the rooftops, where the player has to evade and take down the flying Samca creatures. Following this path will unlock an elevator back down to the Main Hall while also leading further across the castle towards the Mask of Rage.

The Four Masks are the Last Step

Place the Masks on the Statue to Unlock the Door

Shortly after the player initially makes the player's way into the Great Hall, four statues of angels rise out of the floor — each missing their head. To escape House Dimitrescu, the player must find all four "Masks" to fit onto the statues. However, the player won't even find the first mask until after killing Bela and escaping the Hall of Ablution. After being knocked into the Dungeons by Lady Dimitrescu and escaping her grasp despite being (briefly) disarmed, the player can make their way to a room containing a large statue that holds the Mask of Sorrow. Taking it will return the player to the Courtyard, which is now teeming with Moroaica. The other three Masks can be taken in any order.

The Mask of Joy can be found in the Hall of Joy shortly after defeating Daniela in the Library and making the player's way back to the main halls. Returning to the Main Hall, the player can run back through the Maroon Eye Door and use Dimitrescu's Key to enter the Hall of Pleasure to take the subsequent Mask of Pleasure — but the player won't be able to exit the room with the mask in their possession.

Instead, follow the path through the chimney to find and defeat Cassandra, the last of the Dimitrescu Daughters. Pulling the animal skull off the nearby wall, the player can remove the nail from it in the player Inventory and then place the skull on the statue, opening the door. The last of them, the Mask of Rage, can be found on the path the player takes across the rooftops of the building following the player's completion of the Atelier.

Prepare to Fight Lady Dimitrescu

Make Sure to Stock up on Ammo

Once the player has all four Masks, return to the Main Hall, deposit the masks into their subsequent statues to unlock the door, and go towards the Tower of Worship — and the player's ultimate boss battle with Lady Dimitrescu. Players can run up the stairs and can stock up on Sniper Rifle Ammo, Shotgun Ammo, Handgun Ammo, and some First Aid Meds.

Make sure to swing by the Duke before, though, to stock up on any supplies the player's in need of, as well as make any further explorations for treasures if the player so please, as the manor will be locked off once Lady Dimitrescu is defeated. Now that the player has escaped Castle Dimitescu, it's time to finally defeat Lady.

Developed and published by Capcom, Resident Evil Village is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

Resident Evil Village

Ethan Winters' world suddenly comes crashing down when Chris Redfield's appearance sets off a chain of events that ultimately leads him to a mysterious village.

Franchise

Resident Evil

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Stadia , PC

Released

May 7, 2021

Developer(s)

Capcom

Publisher(s)

Capcom

Genre(s)

Survival (dupe) , Horror

Engine

RE Engine

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

10 Hours

Prequel(s)

Sequel(s)