After finally finding the time to sit down and play through the story of RE 7 Biohazard, our review is here.
Resident Evil as a franchise is without a doubt one of the most iconic in gaming today, and perhaps one of my most personally beloved gaming titles of all time. Our last experience in RE 6, left a bad taste, and left me wanting. With the conclusion of RE7, there is nothing left to want, except more of this direction with the series.
By now, you have probably played or even beaten Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, and if you haven’t, then you are missing out a great deal. Despite having a lackluster gaming experience with RE6, RE7 is a brand new style of horror, one that easily delivers in every conceivable way. And more so, considering the bold perspective Capcom decided to shift away from with so many of their previous entries in the franchise following a very similar format and formula.
The game begins with players taking control of Ethan, a young man in search of his missing wife of three years, leading him to a seemingly abandoned home in the middle of nowhere, Louisiana. Things start to get spooky when Ethan begins finding clues and newspaper clippings suggesting that the home is a site for a mass kidnapping scene, leading all of the victims to having been tortured, and ultimately murdered. Eventually, Ethan is confronted by the home-owners/culprits, the Baker family, and realizes that they are not only psychologically insane, but perhaps not even human, as suggested by their seemingly immortal beings, and ability to regrow/reattach lost limbs in the ensuing struggles for Ethan’s survival.
Eventually, Ethan finds his wife, Mia who is infected with the same ailment that plagues the Baker family, and Mia, who reluctantly turns batsh*t crazy, attempts to kill Ethan. After escaping, Ethan blacks out and wakes up to a dinner with the Baker family, whose intentions are teased, before Ethan can once again escape and make light of who the Baker family really is, what is going on with Mia, and to make sense of who a strange little girl is that keeps popping in and out of view throughout Ethan’s journey for answers.
Would one of you pass the salt?
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With so many twists, turns, and jump scares, Resident Evil is without a doubt, an extremely refreshing change for RE as a whole, and the horror franchise entirely. Taking on a first-person perspective throughout, and adding in a variety of classic RE-style puzzles, the RE7 truly brings gamers into the world in a whole new way, creating suspense, terror, and at some points, tragedy to light.
What stands out most to me personally within RE7, is that it doesn’t look like a typical Resident Evil title, but it sure as hell feels like one. Still fresh, new, and polished to boot, RE7 brings the scares and the cares towards a diverse cast of characters and elements that future horror games could take notes from. Such a drastic shift in style, while sticking true to its classic roots is an impressive accomplishment, especially for a series that has been around for nearly 20 years.
Oh, and what’s more, the Demo will make COMPLETE sense when you get through midway of the story. All the tools that didn’t make sense, and even that mysterious mannequin finger you found in the Demo? You will find out what it’s for later. I really want to tip my hat to Capcom on this one. In the past, demos usually give you a taste of an actual part of the story in a way that you end up replaying it in full once you get the complete game. But in this particular case, much like P.T. from the late Silent Hills, the Demo stands on its own with a direct tie-in. You will see what I mean eventually. And it is so satisfying once you do.
The ending of the game comes at somewhat of a shock, if you don’t manage to pay attention to the clues and cues on-screen at any given moment. Even if you happen to guess the ending correctly, or if you saw it coming a mile away, it doesn’t once distract you from the glory and emotional feels that you have toward the story and gameplay as everything is finally revealed to you.
Say ‘cheese’! Or better yet, just stop trying to kill me.
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Considering that there still are some questions I have, which I can’t even present to you now in written form without spoiling anything, one can only assume all will only further be brought to light with the future DLC. The first of which I am literally downloading now.
If you happen to skip out on horror games, then it’s best to keep at that mentality when considering RE7, because this game will terrify you, especially if you spend the 10+ hours playing in the dark like I did. If you are a horror fan like myself, and happen to remain skeptical about it, then reconsider immediately. This is one game you will end up shooting yourself in the foot for if someone spoils for you, but regardless if that happens to you, the puzzles, scares, and boss fights each stand out on their own as a reason to pick this one up.
Editor’s Note: If you ever get around to trying RE7 on VR, DO IT. Make no mistake, PSVR is something that many gamers are holding back from picking up, with too little available to make the purchase justifiable. However, RE7 is without a doubt, your single greatest reason to pick up a VR headset, even if it is just for this game by itself. You have never come across a gaming experience so terrifying, captivating, and jaw-droppingly awesome. Thank us later.
Directed by Koshi Nakanishi, and written by Richard Pearsey, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard is out now for PC, XBO and PS4. The first DLC, Banned Footage Vol. 1, is available now.
