Game Review - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard unleashes the horror you were waiting for

Resident Evil 7 returns to its roots and is one of the best horror games we have come by in a very long time

Resident Evil’s recent crop has not been intriguing enough to be called a real horror game. The third person perspective and the focus on run-and-gun made it avoidable. Thankfully, the latest version moves away from the third person perspective and returns to its horror roots, making this one of the best Resident Evil games in a very long time. 

A small bit of trivia: the game in Japan is called Biohazard 7: Resident Evil, this is because the RE franchise in that part of the world has always been sold as Biohazard.

The number 7 in the name has nothing to do with content, it is a standalone separate from its earlier versions. So, you don’t have to play anything before this to appreciate this game, which, in our opinion is a great move by the developer. There are two things that are of importance in RE7. The first is its emphasis on the environment. The abandoned house you play in is claustrophobic and dark. That coupled with random sounds creates a perfect environment for the second important thing,
the story.

You play Ethan a man whose wife goes missing. Following some clues about her whereabouts, you land up in the secluded house where the rest of the story unfolds. There are enough jump scares, creepiness and nausea-inducing surroundings that will bring the horror to you. We recommend playing this in a dark room with headphones for an immersive experience.

The game is linear and doesn’t let you stray too far away from the main storyline. While the environment is brilliant, the story falls flat in places and the ending is kind of laughable. The puzzles, if you can call it that, will not have you scratching your head.

While the game looks great since almost everything is in the dark and you are looking at things with a flashlight, you can’t help but feel that the graphics are not the most sophisticated, at least on the PS4 Pro. The environmental sounds on the other hand are A+, and a lot of the game relies on the little creaks and thumps to sell the creepy house to you.

Boss fights are a mixed bag. While some are good, others are plain annoying. Another painful part of the game is scavenging, there is always a lack of resources in the game and you really have to look around and save everything to survive. Fortunately, RE7 is very generous when it comes to dying you are always reborn with full health and all your ammo intact, which gives you a
fighting chance.

The game feels very long and tedious, even though it’s just 12 hours of gameplay, out of which two-three hours might just be the cut scenes. The tedious feeling is not a bad thing, it refers to the fact that the game taxes your brain while playing it. It takes a lot to pay attention to details when all you have is a flashlight. Additionally, there are quests in the form of videotapes, which let you unravel secrets and explore the RE7 universe further. The videotapes are also a great break from the main campaign which, as mentioned, follows a linear path.

Considering the creep factor and the effective use of audio, this game has already landed itself in our top 10 games for this year. It is a must have for anyone with the stomach for this genre.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Rating: 4.5/5
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PC, PS4, XBO
Price: PC: Rs 2,499;
Consoles: R3,999

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