The Resident Evil series is on a roller coaster ride of success and forgettable releases. The series has enjoyed huge success in its first game Resident Evil, a game most consider the first mainstream survival horror game. It culminated in Resident Evil 4, striking the perfect balance of survival horror and action and is among the greatest games of all time. But the succeeding games after Resident Evil 4 only tarnished the brand, shifting to a more action oriented franchise in hopes of gaining a new audience. But it failed miserably and alienated its core fans of the original series. Will Resident Evil 7, the latest of the series, be along the lines of the recent failures, or be among the great ones?
With the announcement of Resident Evil 7, the once king of survival horror has a chance to reclaim its throne. And with a new 4-hour gameplay demo, critics are convinced that Resident Evil 7 will be among the best of survival horror games.
Resident Evil 7 will be the first game of the series to be in first person perspective and in VR for the Playstation 4. It hopes to provide a more immersive experience to players adding to their fear. But with or without the VR component, Resident Evil 7 looks to be a scary game.
Even from the first previews, its clear that Resident Evil 7 is returning to its roots, specifically in Resident Evil 1. Resident Evil 7 mostly takes place in a dilapidated mansion. In typical Resident Evil fashion, the player only has access to a few rooms in which players will have to solve a puzzle and unlock a door. With each unlocked door, the mansion reveals more rooms and unlocked doors that are all connected, expanding the map organically.
After the solving the first few puzzles, the core loop of Resident Evil 7 is revealed: avoiding the Bakers and solving puzzles to open doors. The Bakers are the main antagonist of the game, chasing and pursuing the player throughout the whole game, similar to the Alien in Alien: Isolation.
Players are given a set of weapons to fend off the threats for Resident Evil 7. But weapons only serve as a delay tactic since ammo is in very
limited supply. And even if the player manages to "kill" a baker, it will only take a while for them to wake back up. Players will have to constantly decide to either fight or flight.
While offering something different, Resident Evil 7 also has elements that are unique to the series. These include save rooms, weapon crates and medical herbs.
Resident Evil 7 manages to bring something innovative to players while at the same time still manages to feel like a Resident Evil. This formula of innovating a classic formula is eerily similar to Resident Evil 4. If Resident Evil 7 manages to create that same magic, we might see another survival horror classic.
