True AAA horror games have become quite rare in recent years, and even former icons like Resident Evil have been lost along the way. And if that weren't sad enough, last hopefuls like "Silent Hills" have also fallen by the wayside under rather unfortunate circumstances.
Capcom is now seizing this ideal opportunity and aims to deliver true horror with "Resident Evil 7," terrifying players like never before.Resident Evil 7"It throws pretty much everything overboard – no familiar characters, no ongoing story, no well-known gameplay. Sometimes you have to take such a radical approach to offer something truly new without risking falling back into old patterns. On top of that, long-time fans shouldn't be left out either. Our review of the game shows you how they succeed in doing this in a refreshingly new way."
Welcome to the family
Dulvey, Louisiana – a fictional and sleepy town in the southern United States. Here lies the estate of the Baker family, who could be described as rather backwoods, steadfast in their faith, and where strangers are unwelcome. More and more people are mysteriously disappearing here, including young Mia, who has been missing for three years… until a VHS tape surfaces, offering a glimmer of hope while simultaneously warning against coming to this place.
The idea that you can't just abandon your lover in the middle of nowhere also encourages our protagonist Ethan to search for Mia. He immediately sets off and finds a huge, dilapidated estate in Dulvey that seems quite deserted. Anyone who played the demo for "Resident Evil 7" will recognize this place; it's the estate's guesthouse and, in the main game, serves as the gateway to a true nightmare. After just a few meters, it's clear that this is not a place you'd want to be. A feeling of unease surrounds us: boarded-up doors, dead and rotting crows in the refrigerator, a musty and damp cellar where we find Mia locked in a dungeon. After initial relief and the hope of a quick escape, it becomes clear that something is very wrong. Mia doesn't seem to be the same anymore; she becomes aggressive, attacks us, and smashes a screwdriver through our hand – a frantic fight breaks out, from which we barely escape… but only just!
Enter Jack
After initially disposing of Mia and making a run for it, we quickly encounter Jack and his hard fist in our own face. Just like in the demo, the head of the Baker family does everything in his power to make our escape impossible. We only regain consciousness during the already familiar dinner scene, which has already been described in detail. in the preview version This was explained. It's the actual beginning of the game, where it's no longer about saving Mia, but about finding out what happened here and how we can escape.
A quick note on this: While the first section also takes place in the demo area, it's not a 1:1 copy. Objects are located in different places, the puzzles aren't as complex, and the gameplay is different. Nevertheless, the demo is incredibly helpful for getting your bearings in the first few steps.
Fears that "Resident Evil 7" takes place exclusively within this mansion can also be dispelled. While this is true for about two-thirds of the game, the mansion itself is quite large, including the main building, the old house, underground cellars, and later on, a swamp, a huge ship, and more. Naturally, it all feels less expansive, but it still manages to comfortably fill 10 to 12 hours.
Atmospherically, however, they've hit the nail on the head. As already suggested in the preview, the setting is very similar to those in well-known films like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Even the Baker family isn't so dissimilar to the Sawyers: a strong patriarch, a deranged mother, and a paranoid son who constantly lurk around the house. You might even recognize familiar phrases from the films. However, this shouldn't be seen as a mere imitation, as it fits perfectly into the overall picture, and "Resident Evil 7" ultimately tells its own unique story.
The story is further enhanced by playable flashbacks presented as VHS tapes. These not only enrich the narrative but also aid in solving puzzles. For example, you can explore an escape room that, thanks to the VHS tape, doesn't need to be solved twice. You can also briefly step into Mia's shoes and experience events from before the game's main storyline.
Puzzles, searches, hiding
Another crucial element is the puzzles, which demand one thing above all: keen attention to your surroundings. While they aren't as complex or even pointless as in the demo, they can still be incredibly frustrating at times. This is largely due to the constant panic and anxiety as you move through the house, your senses fixed on the Bakers, who can appear at any moment. It's easy to overlook useful objects or even how to progress. The puzzles themselves are also quite varied – positioning a lamp correctly here, assembling a key there, or rotating and combining objects in the light. The fact that the puzzles almost never repeat themselves keeps the challenge increasing.
As is well known, "Resident Evil 7" playfully switches from a third-person to a first-person perspective, a move Capcom has had to defend ever since its announcement. Besides the fact that this represents the best possible experience for the VR version, it also offers significant advantages. For most of the time, you move stealthily through the house to avoid being detected by the Bakers. Even when you're in the same room as them, you can still sneak away, for example, by crouching and moving around furniture. This creates particularly interesting camera perspectives that are only possible in first-person view and subconsciously heighten the sense of dread—the fear of not knowing what's coming next or what might be happening around the corner.
This time, crafting elements also return, as resources are generally scarce, and you should carefully consider whether you'd rather craft a healing item or ammunition for the next few meters. What can you leave behind in the saferoom chests, and what will be most effective against your next opponent? That you'll die from time to time is practically a given. It's more the ever-present fear of it that unconsciously tightens your throat. That's precisely how horror works best, and not just through the often-used succession of jump scares.
Beyond that, the estate offers so many opportunities for exploration; there are countless secret doors and rooms, you can move within the walls, crawl under the floor, and climb through the attic. It's truly astonishing how intricately the estate and its houses are interconnected, requiring constant movement back and forth. It's a real haven for horror fans.
From horror to action
But fans of the later, more action-oriented installments won't be disappointed either, as the setting shifts in the final third of the game. You explore a massive ship, acquire more powerful weapons like a machine gun, must contend with mutated and larger enemies, and ultimately engage in the final battle that reveals the true story behind the Baker family. The game saves surprises for fans right up until the very end, which we won't spoil here. The final part of "Resident Evil 7" offers a stark contrast, which, personally, doesn't quite appeal to me. It feels a bit like they were trying to shoehorn in the Resident Evil timeline somehow. If they had stuck with the Baker family's focus and concentrated solely on the magnificent and subtle horror delivered up to that point, the game would have left a more memorable impression.
Atmospheric and dense sound
Capcom has chosen the new Resident Evil engine as its power source, and thanks to the capabilities of current hardware, it's also pursuing photorealism. Horror games, in particular, will increasingly benefit from this, virtually guaranteeing an incredibly immersive atmosphere. Aside from the fact that "Resident Evil 7" comes remarkably close to achieving this, the game impresses above all with its skillful use of light and shadow, its wealth of detail, and its lovingly crafted environments. You immediately feel uneasy upon entering the house, and pure disgust runs down your spine as you crawl through narrow walls, encounter beetles and centipedes right before your eyes, swim through stagnant water, or enter the basement, which resembles a slaughterhouse. Capcom has spared no expense on the often classic elements of the genre, something PlayStation VR players, in particular, will experience firsthand.
The VR experience, in particular, requires nerves of steel to make it through the full 12 hours. The sheer immersive nature of the experience is what makes it so compelling. Every jump scare becomes a true ordeal; even when you think you know what's coming next, you'll often get the shock of your life. The only slight drawback is the PlayStation VR's display quality, especially in brighter areas. However, there aren't many such areas in the game.
The final touch is provided by "Resident Evil 7" with its fantastic soundscape, and it's more important than ever to play it with a decent surround sound system or suitable headphones, and preferably at a higher volume. It's not just about rounding out the overall atmosphere; it also transforms the gameplay into a true 3D experience. The Bakers can be located from every direction, their footsteps can be heard precisely even behind walls, every creak behind you almost triggers panic, and jump scares will literally knock you off your feet. Unfortunately, with the flat sound from TV speakers, you lose a tremendous amount of this otherwise fantastic experience.
Developer: Capcom // Publisher: Capcom // Release: January 24, 2017 // Official website: www.residentevil7.com
