Title: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Type of Game: Survival Horror, First-Person Shooter
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: January 24, 2017
Platforms Available: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (Cloud Version), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, iOS
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Maturity: Mature 17+
Reading Time: 11 minutes
The Rebirth of Fear
All gamers are very familiar with Resident Evil, so there’s no need to bring up the fact that the seventh installment is the first in the main series to use a first-person camera view. Some fans may not buy it, but I think most will come to their senses once they get a taste of the game. We’ve complained for years that Resident Evil 5 and 6, as well as both installments of Revelations, are no horror. Now we have one right out of the textbook
Despite the change in perspective, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a true return to the series’ roots. Rotten roots that have been hit by an infection in the ground and turned into something terrifying.
The name of the game was not chosen by accident. Resident Evil refers to evil taking up residence in a remote mansion, as it did in the first installment. Biohazard, as the series is called in Japan, refers to mutations linked to the leakage of a dangerous substance. Both of these are encountered in abundance in the seventh installment.
Welcome to the Baker Family
The story is set in the American South in Louisiana. The protagonist, Ethan Winters, arrives in the fictional town of Dulvey, where he hopes to find his wife, Mia. She disappeared three years ago and has been declared dead. But now Ethan has heard from her. So the desperate husband sets out on a journey to find answers about what happened to his wife and whether she is really still alive.
In the opening scene, the player finds themselves on their way to a remote mansion that, while it doesn’t look or feel like the one from the first Resident Evil, houses the same level of fear. Except that the dilapidated house, from whose surroundings strange disappearances have been reported, is not uninhabited. It’s inhabited by the oddball Baker family, who are no match for the cannibalistic Sawyer family from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The game clearly takes inspiration from the latter. Know that the Bakers are true perverts who will give you the creeps. Jack is the head of the family, in charge of everything. He doesn’t like it when someone makes a circus out of his home, and he can take care of the order in his house. He’s not worried about losing his head. His wife Marguerite doesn’t have all five together either. Plus, she’s been infected with insects, so she harbors a nest full of annoying little friends. Their son Lucas is the family’s black sheep, which is saying something by her standards. He uses his wits to kill. He likes to play, so he sets his victims up with traps, pitfalls and puzzles that, if solved incorrectly, can end in death.
Monsters and Mayhem
As enemies go, the Bakers are great. Plus, they’re shrouded in mystery. It’s clear they’ve been infected with a virus, but why and how, you don’t know. And you want to find out at any cost. Know that you’ll have a lot of fun with the Bakers, who, for reasons as yet unknown, care so much about strong family values. I mean, horror… But it wouldn’t be Resident Evil if it didn’t have rank monsters grinding their teeth, claws or tentacles at you. Here, the Bakers act as adversaries that you must first avoid in sneaky passages before confronting them as bosses. Dale’s monsters, which will charge at you for execution, are called Molded here. In the Resident Evil series, we first had zombies, then ungodly creatures called Ganado controlled by Plague parasites, and other variations on bio-threats. Now we’ve got an infected family of madmen that aren’t so much to be scared of, but you’ll definitely still have your fun with them. You’ll face a basic version that will want to tear you apart and eat you at the same time. You’ll also have Molded at your throat with a giant spike on his hand, kind of like a baby Tyrant.
The slimy monsters moving on all fours are nimble, fast, dangerous, but they’ll quickly go back to hell after two bullets to the head. The heaviest of the heavies are the fatties, who are very slow, but again, damn tough and attack by vomiting. Not to mention the basement, where such atrocities will be lurking around every corner…
Survival Horror Reborn
The main character doesn’t have much room to express himself compared to the other characters. But he’s a civilian like everyone else. He is not a member of a special combat team or a police officer, as in the earlier episodes. He’s a scared guy in the middle of a nightmare. But he’s not defenseless.
He’s given an axe, a chainsaw, a pistol, a shotgun, a machine gun and a homemade flamethrower. But this is not doom. The Seventh Resident seriously returns to horror, and while it offers combat, the battles play more of a secondary role. The game is survival-based, a true survival horror with all the trimmings. You’ll collect old familiar green herbs and mix them with chemicals to get the cures. You’ll take pills that will grant you enhanced vision, allowing you to see hidden objects for a limited amount of time. There are traditional crates where you store unneeded items, only to find that you just need them and have to return. Storage is also stylish. Now you don’t need a typewriter, now you just need an old MC player. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard does an excellent job of showing off what we know from the earliest installments.
A New Perspective on Terror
This year, by the way, it’s slowly but surely 30 years since the first installment of the Resident Evil horror saga came out on PlayStation. The world of video games has changed because of it, and the franchise itself has changed over the years. The most obvious change with this installment is, as previously mentioned, the first-person camera view, which has undoubtedly had its consequences. The game is even more terrifying from the point of view of your own eyes. One looks around and waits for something to jump out at them again. And when you least expect it, it happens, and that’s when the shocks happen. The game is incredibly scary in its own right. It has an atmosphere thicker than the smog over Asian cities, and the jumpscares are absolutely heart-pounding. Playing the game at night is about health. Unfortunately for you, the atmosphere will get even thicker as you progress through the game, the tension and fear will take on extra dimensions by the end of the game. That’s where the seventh Resident Evil is going a little overboard. While the action in the mansion and adjacent houses is terrifying, once the game moves to the wrecked ship the game turns into your living nightmare, but I won’t reveal more.
Puzzles and VHS Tapes
The game takes a lot from the original episodes, thankfully it’s also about puzzles. You’ll actually be puzzling over those the entire time you’re playing. They are absolutely typical of the series. You’ll be piecing together relics, collecting keys, looking at them from all sides. Puzzles are an integral part of the entire game and you’ll come across them at every turn. And while they’re not too challenging and we didn’t encounter any hitches, they’ll still give you a hard time. That’s something everyone should appreciate. The change of perspective is not the only new gameplay element, by the way. The seventh Resident Evil brings a very original element in the form of videotapes. You can play the found VHS in any cassette player to unravel the mystery of the past. In an instant, you’ll find yourself in the shoes of another character who has encountered the Bakers or another horror. You’ll discover how to solve puzzles. In fact, you will eventually be confronted with the pitfalls of other undead yourself. So you’ll know how to deal with them. At the same time, you will witness what triggers which mechanism, so you can avoid traps or outright death. The VHS playback is a very original and imaginative element that draws you into the plot. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, by the way, stays caught up in terms of storytelling, revealing everything gradually until the very end and the big surprise. The game’s lifespan is not very long, but at the same time it doesn’t offend. I finished it in 8 to 9 hours on my first attempt, which is a decent time for the series.
Visual and Audio Experience
Now a little bit shorter on the visuals of the game, which in my opinion are a bit contradictory. The fact that the game looks relatively bad on PS VR which the game also came out on I understand. But why the textures are exaggerated and many objects are extremely jagged when played on a classic TV in a dark environment, I really don’t understand. The character models are good, but the environments don’t have much going for them. The graphics don’t offend, but they’re not very good either. We have to admit that, although I really like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard as a game.
The sounds, on the other hand, are properly dark and immersive. It’s a real return to the horror and the roots of the saga. I really appreciate Capcom for not standing still within the main series and bringing new and fresh ideas. At the same time, they’re not afraid to take risks, even though they know that a lot of fans will complain about the change in gameplay style. 7 years ago, he succeeded again. Resident Evil changed its face again and is as scary as it has been in a long time for the franchise which later took Resident Evil one step further: Village which you can also look forward to a review from us soon.
The Mobile Gaming Dilemma
Regarding the mobile gaming landscape, Resident Evil 7 presents an interesting case. While the franchise has had success with mobile ports and spin-offs in the past, bringing a full-fledged mainline entry to smartphones is a challenging endeavor. The game’s intense graphics, immersive atmosphere, and complex controls don’t naturally lend themselves to mobile play. Despite this, Capcom attempted to bring Resident Evil 7 to iOS devices. However, recent reports on RE7 suggest that this venture has not been successful, with sales figures reportedly falling well below expectations – fewer than 2,000 units sold. This underwhelming performance raises questions about the viability of porting such graphically intensive and mechanically complex games to mobile platforms, even for established franchises like Resident Evil. While mobile gaming continues to grow, it seems that some experiences are still best suited for consoles and PCs, where they can be enjoyed as originally intended.
Last Words on RE7
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard may seem at first glance to have little in common with the original installments, but the opposite is true. It’s all about the conceptual approach to horror and gameplay in general. However, you’ll also come across moments created specifically for fans. For example, you’ll discover an image referencing a well-known location, nostalgic sounds will be heard when entering the code to a door, and you’ll even be faced with an identical puzzle to the one you solved in the first Resident Evil. And maybe even a familiar character will appear. This is, in short, a game for fans of the franchise as it should be, though not for all of them. After the sixth installment of the main series and a pair of games with the subtitle Revelations, the seventh installment is a clear shot in the dark.
Where to Buy Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Steam (PC): Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Xbox Store (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S): Available for $19.99 (now on discount for $7.99). Check it out on the Xbox Store.
PlayStation Store (PS4, PS5): Available for $19.99(now on discount for $7.99). You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Nintendo Shop (Switch Cloud Version): Available for $39.99.purchase it from the Nintendo Shop.
App Store (iOS, Mac): Available for free with in-app purchases. Download it from the App Store.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Resident Evil Subreddit.
