Resident Evil. is silly name. Even some of the employees thought the result of their internal naming competition was terrible. But it’s been around for so long now that no one questions it.
It sort of made sense for the first game, especially with it’s similarities to the film Sweet Home. You’re in a house and have to deal with its evil residents. But from the second game on the setting was generally much larger, so it didn’t mean anything. The Japanese title – Biohazard – makes much more sense.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard uses both titles in what feels like a strong message from Capcom; that they’ve figured out what this franchise should be and have the confidence and know-how to pull it off. Is it course correction? Is it a soft reboot? It doesn’t matter. This is a massive step away from the action and bombast of the previous trilogy of games whilst also creating a bright future.
I wasn’t enamoured with my first taste of RE7. I found the Beginning Hour demo derivitive and frankly “not very Resi”. Thankfully it was nothing like RE6, and it was undoubtedly scary. It just didn’t feel right.
I’m glad to say I was wrong. Now I’ve escaped the Baker’s Louisiana plantation I can tell you that the demo was not fully representative. Essentially, RE7 creates all the same feelings I had twenty years ago in a modern package. It’s heartening to see Capcom can create something like this. If 7 is the success it should be then hopefully they’ll feel confident to further pursue this style and not return to explosions and slow motion.
The first person view limits your awareness, much like the static camera of old. A handful of shotgun shells made me feel safe yet disappeared quickly, especially if I panicked. There’s the loving embrace and respite that only a save room can provide. In true RE1 style I even considered turning the game off in the first hour I was freaking out so much! Thirteen year old Chris would be very proud of for persevering.
So there are many classic aspects of Resident Evil all present and correct. But it also contains something the series is less known for; a strong antagonist. Or should I say, family of antagonists. The Baker family are the single most memorable part of RE7, especially with protagonist Ethan more a first person blank canvas. Learning more about them makes the second half the game feel a lot different to the first.
It’s not perfect. Though the pacing is good, there’s very little enemy variation. One puzzle took me a few minutes to figure out but really there’s nothing challenging. The final act ultimately defaults to “shoot big thing repeatedly”, lacking the earlier tension. But overall RE7 is a well designed game that evokes all the best bits of the franchise for me. I didn’t want to look around the next corner, yet I was compelled to. For the first time in years I felt as though I’d survived a horror.
It’s not P.T., or Alien: Isolation, or Outlast.
This is Resident Evil. And it’s damn good.
I’ve played nineteen Resident Evil games now. If you’d like to see where 7 ranks among then, head over to my ranked article.
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