"Welcome To The Family, Son!" - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Review
Developed by: Capcom
Published by: Capcom
Available on: PC, PS4, PS VR, Xbox One
Reviewed on: PC
Review by: Jake Beatrice
Resident Evil is a series with very high highs and very low lows. The Gamecube remake of the original game, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4 are some of the greatest horror games ever made. The more recent entries, however, have placed the franchise in a precarious position. The seventh installment has a lot to prove to fans. Despite its faults, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is every bit as good as the series’ other landmark titles.
In a stunning first for the series, RE 7 presents a somewhat interesting narrative. This is mostly due to the game largely separating itself from the main series canon, and going for a more focused, less masturbatory approach to story. This isn’t a sequel that’s celebrating a series pedigree, or patting itself on the back for having such a wide lineup of characters, monsters, and villains. Rather, RE 7 presents a straightforward plot featuring some guy named Ethan searching for his missing wife Mia. Any connection to series canon is done so sparingly and tastefully.
Resident Evil 7 features the same intense, survival horror, resource-management gameplay as the series’ earliest entries, but with a new first-person perspective. I was initially hesitant of the new camera, but after a few hours of exploration and combat, I felt right at home. This is the same Resident Evil we’ve been playing since 1996, but the new camera allows for more intimate horror encounters.
Unfortunately, this is where the game’s biggest weakness exposes itself. Much like 2012’s Resident Evil: Revelations, RE 7 sports less than a handful of monsters. Even more baffling, the standard monster is almost identical to the ooze creatures from the five-year-old 3DS game. In Revelations, it was at least somewhat refreshing to have enemies that bypassed the typical zombie archetypes, but I expected a lot more out of a big-budget, numbered entry in the series. On top of this, a few of the weapons, like the standard pistol, boast a total lack of recoil animation. While not game-breaking, it causes those guns to feel almost weightless and non-responsive. Combat can be fun, but it does have its faults.
While the standard enemy design is sorely disappointing, larger-scale encounters certainly aren’t. The baker family are the primary antagonists this time around, each with their own methods of tormenting the player. The culminating boss battles with each of them, and the many set-piece engagements with each character are all stand-out, terrifying moments. While Resident Evil 7 does have great moment-to-moment survival gameplay, it’s also a game with great scenarios. No player could ever possibly forget the infamous dinner table scene, or the happy birthday sequence, just to name a few.
Resident Evil 7 is perhaps the greatest horror game since Amnesia: The Dark Descent. With so many stand-out moments, a delightfully sickening horror motif, and phenomenal gameplay with an emphasis on survival and exploration, the game is a must-play for fans of the genre. A landmark entry in the series, RE 7 both breathes new life into the franchise and firmly roots the series back into its survival horror foundation. Welcome back, old friend.
What You Need To Know
- Returns Resident Evil to its survival horror roots
- Legitimately terrifying experience
- Memorable Set Pieces
Rating: Good
This game is a quality experience and is recommended.
Comment below with your thoughts on RE7. Do you think the new changes are for the best?Is Resident Evil better than ever, or are they still missing that special sauce from the originals?
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