Resident Evil 7 Review

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: January 24, 2017
MSRP: $59,99
ESRB: Mature / PEGI 18
Players: 1 (Single Player only)
Available Platforms: PS4 [Reviewed], Xbox One, PC
Genre: Survival Horror
Time to beat the Story: 10-12 hours
Chapter Select: No.

Resident Evil 7 sets new standards for the horror genre. There are very few games like this – it’s more of a “horror experience” than just a game. With its insane gore and carefully thought out story it will stay in your memory for some time to come.
A normal campaign playthrough clocks in at ~10 hours and that’s just the right length to keep the suspense going at all times.

A very different experience than previous Resident Evil games – because it focuses more on storytelling in a first person view and less on shooting enemies. You still get to play with guns and melee weapons and there are lots of epic boss fights, but it is more comparable to Outlast than classic Resident Evil. As the story progresses you will depend on weapons more and more. Some known game mechanics such as combining items via your inventory (e.g. herbs to craft medkits) give it that Resident Evil feeling.

The game starts with a cutscene in which you get to know the two main protagonists. Mia, a girl that has been missing for 3 years and Ethan, her husband that has been searching for her ever since. A story that begins with the search for a lost wife quickly turns into many unexpected things. During a night of horrors you are trapped in family Baker’s estate. Jack Baker, his wife Marguerite and son Lucas will try everything to make your life a living hell. Let’s just say you are in for a ride.

One thing that stands out is how gory this game is. The kills are very unique and range from shocking to hard-to-watch. There’s some really heavy stuff in there that will stay with you for a while.
There are also lots of puzzles that are cleverly made. The SAW inspired “Happy Birthday” puzzle in particular was one of a kind and a very memorable moment.
It’s a lot of fun to explore different areas, trying to figure out what to do next. Sometimes the game puts little objective markers on the map. Other times you have to find clues on your own or explore the area carefully. It feels very rewarding to reach a new section and locate some better gear. There are many smaller secrets hidden around Baker’s estate, too. Exploring  pays off bigly in this game. For example Antique Coin collectibles can be used as in-game currency to acquire new and otherwise inaccessible weapons. Picking up treasure photos and looking in corners where you normally wouldn’t go leads to optional puzzles with their own rewards.

Beating the game under certain conditions earns you even more unlocks. For example finding all collectibles or speedrunning the game gets you a special reward during the end screen. A very nice touch because Trophies & Achievements lead to in-game awards. These unlocks can fundamentally change the way you play the game, thus increasing replay value. One example: if you are really into speedrunning there’s infinite ammo for beating the game on madhouse difficulty.

Oh that leads to the next point, MADHOUSE difficulty. This difficulty truly does change the game in meaningful ways. Resident Evil 7 is not meant for just one playthrough. While other games change nothing but damage and health with increasing difficulties, Resident Evil 7 takes it a step further. Enemies are more aggressive and spawn in places they never did before. Sometimes you encounter more enemies or different ones than you’re used to. Locations of optional keys (for opening doors) have been changed. You must pick up cassette tapes to save the game, thereby stripping away most checkpoints and limiting you to only a few saves. Item locations are different and resources are scarce. You have to make every bullet and medkit count on madhouse. It really does make for a fresh experience and is worth a replay. Furthermore, there are multiple endings so it’s definitely worth doing more than one playthrough and to try madhouse difficulty in the process.

On the side of enemies and weapons there isn’t too much interesting to report. Your main enemies are the “Molded”, strange monsters like the “Ooze” in Resident Evil: Revelations. There are no zombies in this game. The Molded do come in several forms and shapes though. And there are tons of epic boss fights. The amount of available guns is rather limited. There are multiple shotguns and pistols and some are not so obvious to get. There’s also a powerful Magnum and grenade launcher. Ammo is quite limited, especially for higher-end weapons. This isn’t a problem though. The game is trying to create a believable horror survival atmosphere and having too many overpowered weapons would only hurt that.

Graphics and lighting help to set a spooky mood. In the first 5 minutes when it’s still daytime outside graphics look very blurry. This quickly changes when you go indoors. The textures in buildings are of very high quality. Understandable because most the game takes place in close quarters and so it only needs to render nearby walls and objects. There are no loading times between areas. Character models feel almost lifelike, move and talk very naturally. There is a lot of attention to detail in every aspect of the game. Not just with graphics but also with storytelling, relationships between characters and the way puzzles and areas are interconnected. Things that don’t make sense at first will make perfect sense later on, Even backtracking feels rewarding and can lead to new and previously inaccessible areas.

The game also features a perfect trophy list. It has everything my trophy hunting heart desires – collectibles, speedruns, beating it on highest difficulty and a good selection of miscellaneous trophies. I found the platinum trophy very enjoyable (I would rate it 4/10 in difficulty and it took about 30 hours to earn platinum).
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has been an outstanding experience for me and I hope to see more games like it in the future. Even though nothing is ever perfect, this is as close to perfect as it gets in the horror genre.

Pros:

+ A gruesome night of horrors with a deep story that keeps the suspense going till the end.

+ Epic boss fights.

+ Clever and unique puzzles.

Cons:

– The “Molded” enemies get a bit boring and predictable over time.

 

To buy or not to buy?
It’s definitely worth buying. When going for the platinum trophy you can get 20-30 good hours out of this game. Your first playthrough may take ~10 hours which is quite long for the horror genre. More importantly: those are 10 really amazing hours that you won’t forget anytime soon! Specialized item unlocks increase replay value and let you approach the game in different ways.

 

VERDICT:

Resident Evil 7 sets new standards for the horror genre. It is one of the most brutal, most terrifying games ever and has a carefully thought out story with epic boss fights. If you want an unforgettable gaming experience this is it!

FINAL SCORE:

10/10

 

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Reviewed on PS4 Pro (non-VR) using a PEGI Retail copy. Unlocked the platinum trophy, found all collectibles, survived madhouse difficulty and completed the game 100%.