In “Resident Evil 7” you assume the role of Ethan, a man searching for his wife Mia, after receiving a video email from her years after she went missing.
Mia informs Ethan that she’s being held captive at the Baker Farm, before telling Ethan to “stay away.” Ethan doesn’t follow that advice, however, and goes on a journey to free Mia before getting trapped himself by the strange and deadly Baker family.
“Resident Evil 7” is the first in the main series to utilize a first-person perspective, a decision that makes the horror elements more immersive and terrifying than the series has ever achieved. While the perspective may have changed, there are definitely still some touchstones to the series that veterans will be familiar with.
There’s still inventory management, secrets to find, weapons to blast enemies with and there’s still very basic puzzles to solve in order to progress. There isn’t anything revolutionary in terms of gameplay; that’s not where this game excels.
Where this game does excel is in the fear category. This game is the scariest experience I have ever encountered in terms of media. No book, videogame or movie has filled me with as much dread as this cheesy first-person-shooter managed to.
The story, music and atmosphere all blend together in a way that filled me with anxiety whenever there was a new door to open, dark staircase to descend or mysterious sound to investigate. This game is terrifying. Depending on your tolerance for horror, there’s a real possibility that a lack of courage could prevent you from continuing.
There is more to “Resident Evil 7” than just jump-scares and misery, though other aspects aren’t nearly as polished. While it’s technically a shooter, there isn’t much depth to the combat. The action of the game is generally bland, aside from a couple notable boss fights that are more about puzzle-solving than a mastery of the mechanics.
The standard enemies that you’ll face are slow bullet-sponges that you can either fill with bullets or totally avoid to keep moving.
When you’re not shooting baddies or figuring out where to go next, you’ll be trying to avoid getting caught and killed by the Baker family, a group of supernatural creeps that are very upset with your trespassing on their farm.
Throughout the game, you’ll find clues that reveal details about their past transgressions and current hobbies, which unfold into a mildly interesting story, but nothing groundbreaking. If you’re looking for a masterpiece of cinematic drama, you’ll be disappointed.
The story of “Resident Evil 7” is just good enough to keep you curious about the Baker family to the end credits, but the narrative won’t blow you away.
The setting of the game is generally spooky and interesting, but there are times when bad textures and visual glitches interrupt the immersion. Most of the world looks beautiful, dark and lived-in, but there are a few graphic inconsistencies I noticed that reminded me that I wasn’t actually running for my life in this world, but playing a video game with some cohesion issues.
If you have the opportunity to play the game in PlayStation Virtual Reality (PSVR), you should. The head-tracking, 3D and immersive nature of VR adds to the sense of danger you’ll feel in a way that’s difficult to describe. The game is terrifying either way, but transporting yourself into that world with VR makes certain moments feel a bit more visceral.
“Resident Evil” has always been scary, but no game in the series and few in the entire horror genre come close to the level of fear that “Resident Evil 7” offers. While the combat is average and some areas feel graphically mediocre, the exceptionally spooky atmosphere and anxiety-producing exploration make this a nightmare worth investigating.
