REVIEW

Resident Evil VII: Biohazard Review

by Marc Smith, February 7th, 2017

Going into Resident Evil VII was like meeting up with an ex-partner after a few years. Sure, we’ve squabbled in the past and I’ve found certain aspects of their personal growth to be questionable, but I’ve always loved Resident Evil. As much as it pains me to admit such a thing when my friends tell me how it betrayed me over the years. I’ll admit that I had my reservations. The demo was good and promised a lot of horror but I wasn’t sure Capcom were going to deliver on their pledge. I’m happy to report that Resident Evil VII delivers on most of its promises by being a terrifying, tense as hell and deeply disturbing, if not flawed, experience that has kept me coming back for more.

Not content with merely resting on their laurels, Capcom have gone above and beyond with this latest installment in the series. Learning from their experiences with the genre-shifting Resident Evil 4, this new entry is a complete overhaul that still retains the classic Resi magic that made it such a phenomenon in the first place. Capcom have opted for progression by taking several steps in the opposite direction. Primarily focusing on the formula that worked in the original game and translating it to modern consoles. This means stripping away the fatty cover-based-shooter tissue that clung to Resi 5 and 6 and replacing it with some generous smatterings of pure horror. The biggest change of course being the first-person perspective. At first I was skeptical but for the type of horror that Resident Evil VII tries to convey, it’s the ideal choice. This is a much more visceral and intimate experience than previous games, one that isn’t afraid to literally shove their face to the floor and stomp you whilst you’re down.

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Breaking away from the frankly ludicrous story arc of the previous two games, Resident Evil VII relocates us to Dulvey, Louisiana for a more confined mystery tale. A far-cry from the cityscapes and sterile labs we’ve become accustomed to. Taking on the role of Ethan Winters, an everyman who is drawn to a derelict plantation after receiving a cryptic message from his wife Mia, who’s been missing for the last three years. He arrives at the plantation and after a very bloody and horrifying reunion, is set upon by the Baker family. The owners of the Dulvey Plantation and central big meanies of the game. All suffering from serious bouts of psychosis and displaying symptoms of Umbrella-style virus infections. Ethan must escape his captors and unravel the mystery of what happened to Mia and the Bakers. As a series, Resident Evil has never been known for highly cerebral storytelling and this game is no different. It’s a story that works on intrigue and shock moments, keeping exposition confined to files and subtle clues littered around the plantation. The tight central mystery remains intriguing throughout, but the process of the unravelling the mystery is sadly more satisfying than the resolution. Avoiding spoilers of course, it merely sets up a lot of interesting questions before providing answers that feel . It’s fit for purpose if a little lacking overall.

Not only taking cues from the original game with its story, combat is also back to basics. Simple gunplay and risky melee combat are all that you’re given to defend yourself with. Both of which take full advantage of the new perspective, making combat much more intense. There’s also a new guarding mechanic, which I find is never as useful as one would hope. Particularly when you compare it to my tried and tested method of turning around and running away from the scary things…and scary they certainly are. Capcom have stuck to their word and delved even further into the rabbit hole of horror for this game. It doesn’t simply take cues from previous games in the series but seeks influence in more contemporary rivals and horror cinema in general. From the opening moments, it’s easy to see the influence of films like Deliverance, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, before later moving into the territory of The Evil Dead or the Saw franchise.

This mix-match of styles means that you can never be sure what’s coming next. Every area of the plantation is a different experience with unique scares and enemy encounters that never feel forced or contrived. It’s this ever shifting approach to horror that keeps Resident Evil 7 so engaging throughout. You know something scary is coming, but you’re never quite sure what it will be. As a general rule, the series has always been reliant on catching the player off-guard and forcing them to adapt to new situations and enemies; an ethos that Resident Evil VII takes very seriously. The plantation itself is a wonderfully creepy location with many repulsive delights to be seen. It’s easy to see where the developers have taken inspirations from the likes of Alien: Isolation and Outlast too, but never in a way that feels like they’re directly copying them, more paying tribute to games that were in turn influenced by Resident Evil series in the first place. The emphasis is on claustrophobia and vulnerability, thrusting the player into tight corners before they discover that the corner is the most dangerous place to be.

Despite the overhaul and change of style, it’s still the same old Resident Evil we know and love. The plantation house is absurd in both design and functionality. With many doors having the most asinine locks known to man. Enemy encounters are both frightening and methodical, with just as much thought going into your ammo consumption as you’d give to landing a perfect headshot. Sadly there’s not a huge roster of enemies to fight against, bar the cartoonish (yet still frightening) Baker family and a couple of variants on the Moulded creatures. This game’s version of the substandard zombie, whilst the Moulded are repulsive and threatening at first, they do become less scary as the game goes on. Still capable of producing a jump scare or two, but never as intimidating as your first encounter with them.

The action moves along at a swift pace, flinging you (literally in some cases) from place to place and bombarding you with new items, puzzles and weaponry at every turn. Much like the original game, as you solve puzzles and defeat the game’s colourful cast of vile villains, you’ll unlock more of the plantation itself. Each new area improving your arsenal from a basic pistol to the series staple grenade launcher, which after all these is still so satisfying to use. Backtracking is kept to a minimum throughout the narrative sections, but it’s highly recommended you do so once an area has been cleared as there’s many little secrets that will often yield better weaponry and supplies. What puzzles there are are satisfactory enough, with one or two being genuine head scratchers, but there aren’t enough of them to satisfy diehard fans of the original series. Many of the puzzles are also on the easy side, making them not nearly as rewarding as they should be. Special mention has to go to the brilliant “Happy Birthday” puzzle that is something completely unique for the series, but I’d love to see return in later games.

Sadly for the purposes of this review I have been unable to play the game in VR, but I’ve spent enough time with it to know that it’s terrifying enough when played on a television. Many of the game’s set-pieces have clearly been designed with VR in mind, but it never feels like you miss out on any of the thrills. These range from a subtle group of insects appearing out of the walls to enemies throwing you down sets of the stairs, both of which I imagine to be more effective with the addition of a headset. In spite of this, I feel I haven’t missed out on anything too substantial by playing it without a VR headset. The game’s many horror moments are so well crafted that they would be scary regardless of how you play it. I’m given to understand that playing in VR decreases the quality of the graphics, which would be a shame as this is such a visually stunning game that it should be experienced in the highest possible quality.
Already a strong contender for best horror game of the year, it’s going to be difficult for many contenders to top this one. It’s a truly nerve shredding experience that will permanently scar itself onto your psyche. Believe me when I say that Resident Evil is back and it’s taking no prisoners. Not a game for the faint hearted but one I would recommend nonetheless, for its outstanding design and atmosphere. It’s a truly fantastic game and an unparalleled return to form. It may stumble at the final hurdle, but the experience as a whole is so wonderfully horrific that it can be forgiven. Seek this game out, that’s if you can actually stomach it.