Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

Capcom has been creating Resident Evil games since 1996. From the very beginning the series took on the zombie apocalypse in style and became well known for inventory management, their narratives, and their at times cheesy dialogue. I myself never played a Resident Evil game until stepping into the boots of Leon in RE4. Unfortunately I couldn’t get into the game and had to settle for experiencing it vicariously through my brother who I watched play through it all. My second time playing a Resident Evil game came with RE5, as Chris Redfield. I did beat number 5, but wasn’t terribly impressed with the direction the series was going. As much fun as I had playing the game, I wasn’t exactly invested in it. Resident Evil 6 came out and my brother bought and played through it immediately. I only saw bits and pieces of it and it looked for the most part like it took cues from multiple entries in the series. Again, I found myself not invested.

Enter into scene Resident Evil VII: Biohazard. I immediately became interested in this game because of its switch of camera perspective. Resident Evil games have all been third person, until now. I have played and enjoyed games such as P.T. and Outlast, so seeing RE take on a similar formula was interesting to me. After seeing some footage of the game and being able to play the Opening Hour beta for myself it became clear to me that this game was something I could invest in. And sure enough I have, so here we are.

GAME PLAY

Resident Evil VII plays a lot like its predecessors in the fact that inventory management is vital to survival. If you have the wrong gear at the wrong time you will find yourself in an impossible situation which will more often than not lead to your agonizing death, be it neck snapping, face eating, or bugs, the death is always agonizing.

Combat is challenging in the beginning simply because your resources are scarce. Initially I savored every bullet, I used only the knife I was given to cut apart whatever enemy I encountered, which proved to be relatively useless as time went on. Slowly but surely I built up ammunition and a formidable arsenal of killing tools which I happily deployed on my foes. I found as the game went on that it got progressively easier, and substantially less scary. I found this unfortunate because I enjoyed the challenge and the terror of facing off against, well, anything. Every time I encountered Jack in the house I was terrified because I knew that he could dispatch me with ease. I had no fighting change, my only option was to run. Bullets only slow him down and the knife is useless. As the game went on and I acquired more and more ammo and weapons I became fearless. I ended up running around corners not giving a damn if I made noise, relishing the satisfying sound and sight of “crowning” an enemy in the noggin.

NARRATIVE

Resident Evil VII’s narrative isn’t inventive in any particular way. The plot twists were predictable, and the ending came and went without me really noticing. I didn’t feel this overwhelming wave of relief as the final boss collapsed, instead it was just a “Well, shoot. Now it’s over I guess.”

That being said, the I did enjoy experiencing the narrative, as predictable as it was. I did see every twist and turn coming miles away. But I enjoyed it nevertheless. It was fun experiencing the story and I wanted more of it. I liked the world and the characters, I wanted to know more about them and to experience surviving in that terrible place just a little longer. There is something to be said about the ability to take something that is predictable and to turn it into a fun and interesting experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Resident Evil VII: Biohazard reintroduced me into the series with a vengeance. I enjoyed every second of it that I played and I want to play it again. The allure of finding the collectibles and the fun I had diving into that world and being immersed in its atmosphere is enough to make me come back for seconds, possibly thirds. The enjoyable game play covers up the bland narrative and makes for a fun and well paced experience.

FINAL SCORE

8/10