The granddaddy of video game horror returns, in a sequel that reinvents the franchise and offers a definitive PlayStation VR experience.
Resident Evil celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, but with the release of the rightly vilified Resident Evil 6 in 2012 it felt as if the franchise had long ago jumped the shark and would never truly recover. After all, it had already survived one creative downturn by reinventing itself via the classic Resident Evil 4. So surely it would be too much to hope that the same thing could happen again? Well, Resident Evil 7 isn’t quite that level of masterpiece but it does do more than enough to bring the series back from the dead, again.
There are many surprising things about Resident Evil 7, and they begin with its name – or rather the number at the end of it. This really doesn’t feel like a sequel, and it would’ve been perfectly understandable if publisher Capcom had gone for a reboot instead. That’s certainly what it feels like, as there are almost no references to the wider Resident Evil universe until right near the end, and even then they’re things that more casual players will easily miss.
We were reminded throughout of the approach The Force Awakens took to renewing its own franchise: a soft reboot that repeats many of the original ideas and situations but with new characters and a more modern style of presentation.
Resident Evil 7 is a first person game, which has the potential to upset a lot of fans. But despite the change in perspective Resident Evil 7 is extremely similar to the 1996 original in terms of both gameplay and structure. We suspect it probably started life as a straight remake, but thankfully it’s evolved into something much more interesting than that…
In terms of story you play as new character Ethan Winters, who gets a mysterious email from his missing wife Mia, that leads him to a creepy-looking mansion in the bayous of Louisiana. Rescuing Mia proves surprisingly easy, or at least it seems that way until you get the first inkling of what has happened to the family who owns the mansion. Like all Resident Evil games the story starts off implausible and ends up as downright ridiculous, but there is more attempt than usual to portray the leads as real characters. There’s still plenty of shlock and gore, but there’s much less sci-fi silliness than usual and more emphasis on slow-burning tension.
Creeping around deserted corridors, worrying at every ominous-sounding background noise, is purposefully reminiscent of the original Resident Evil; except that the first person view means that hiding round corners and trying to avoid family members becomes almost like a straight stealth game. You do get a pistol and other weapons reasonably early on, but ammunition is purposefully limited and enemies often have to be avoided rather than defeated. Waiting in a save room (complete with soothing music and a magic inventory box) while planning your next excursion, you realise just how similar the design is to the original game.
This is by no means a negative though, not least because it means Resident Evil is genuinely scary again; even if it’s still nowhere near something like Amnesia. With one exception towards the end, the boss battles are more interesting than just shooting flashing weak spots, and make good use of the environment and the peculiar abilities of your enemies. And, unexpectedly, the puzzles are more challenging than the older games, with one memorable flashback requiring a surprising amount of brain power.
To continue The Force Awakens comparison though, Resident Evil 7 also incorporates elements from the other games, and while in the first half the primary influence (to put it mildly) is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre by the end the game’s started channelling Aliens instead. This is fine in theory, but not only are the later locations less interesting but the family from the first half of the game are pushed into the background and the focus moves to other more generic enemies.
These are perfectly scary, but the problem is there’s just one standard type and a few minor variations. Which might not have been an issue if their artificial intelligence wasn’t as limited as their sight and hearing. They’re extremely easy to outwit and once you know where to aim they don’t even take that much to kill.
The other problem is that about a third into the game you begin to understand how its logic works, and you realise that you’re not actually in as much danger as you first assumed. The sound design is great for making you scared of every little creak or groan of the floorboards, but eventually you realise that in most cases you’re not really being stalked at all – and in far less danger of being unexpectedly assaulted than originally implied.
To a series veteran in particular Resident Evil 7 is actually quite easy, and we strongly advise not bothering with the Easy mode. It’s just a shame that you have to unlock the higher difficulty level by beating the game. But then unlike other Resident Evil games there’s no Mercenaries mode or other major rewards for completing the game, although there are a lot of hidden secrets you won’t find the first time round.
We should emphasise that these are relatively minor quibbles with the balancing and pacing, and we still thoroughly enjoyed all 12 hours of the campaign. And in any case, there is one way to compensate for almost all the faults: by playing the game with PlayStation VR. So much so that we’d suggest adding an extra point to the score if that’s the way you intend to experience it.
For the first time with a major release the entire game can be played in VR mode, and you can switch back and forth whenever you want from the main menu. Since it’s still exactly the same game, with the same controls, the dangers of nausea are quite high, although the slow (or rather realistic) walking speed and suite of visual aids helps a great deal.
Playing in VR mode the tension is ratcheted up to almost unbearable levels, to the point where we were finishing a session drenched in fear-induced sweat. The sense of immersion is magnified to such a degree that the faint-hearted may not be able to cope. We admit that more than once we ended up being essentially immobilised by fear, dreading what horrors lurked before us and slowly building up the courage to confront them. Although a little inconsistent normally, especially in brighter areas, the graphics suddenly seem worryingly realistic with a VR headset on. And while normally the gunplay is rather flat and unexciting, moving your headset allows you to aim with a life-saving degree of accuracy.
Unfortunately though, VR does further highlight the inadequacies of the enemies’ senses, as you pick them off from a distance. Although that’s balanced out by the blind fear of suddenly being confronted by a giant creature, and forgetting all thoughts of motion-controlled aiming as you run for your virtual life.
Even if it’s not an all-time classic Resident Evil 7 does more than enough to rejuvenate the reputation of the franchise, and is a great game in its own right. Not to mention a perfect jumping on point for new players. If Capcom can ensure the next game is more Resident Evil 2 than 5 then this is a great platform to build on, while also proving just what a game-changer well-implanted VR can be. So welcome back Resident Evil, it’s great to be scared by you again.
Resident Evil 7 biohazard
In Short: An inspired mix of old school Resi game design and modern presentation, and the best VR options so far in a major release.
Pros: Genuinely scary, and yet with just the right mix of gunplay, surprisingly involved puzzles, and that classic Resident Evil shlock appeal. VR mode works superbly well.
Cons: Pacing issues and a lack of variety in enemies can spoil the illusion of danger, especially given the weak artificial intelligence.
Score: 8/10
Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One, and PC
Price: £49.99
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 24th January 2017
Age Rating: 18
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