Resi goes back to its roots
At face value it’s rather easy to dismiss Resident Evil 7 as a cash in on the popularity of games like Amnesia and PT. However, if you go beneath the surface it becomes clear the biggest inspiration for RE7 is the original game. The house and surrounding property were crafted to feel like the mansion in the first game yet they feel new and fresh. There’s even a set of three keys reminiscent of the set in the original. The farm is crawling with enemies and every encounter feels tense. The game also takes inspirations from horror films such as Saw and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Baker constantly torments you more than any of the tar monsters.
If there’s one thing this game is bursting at the seams with, it’s atmosphere (and ooze, lots and lots of ooze). Paranoia plagued me for just about every second I played this game. The only times I felt safe were in the save rooms but as soon as I left it was back to checking every nook and cranny for monsters whom might want to kill me. I absolutely love the setting. Just about everything visible is painted with grime and muck. It really helps solidify the experience.
I do have a fair share of gripes with this game. First of which are the controls. They are by no means bad but they are a bit clunky. On more than a few occasions I found myself fumbling with my controller because I wanted to go into the inventory to use an item or run away from a monster but I ended up running into a wall or selecting the wrong thing. Also you move really slow in this game. I understand the developers probably designed it this way to increase tension (which it does) but most of time it just feels uncomfortable. The story could’ve been fleshed out a bit more as well. Possible Spoiler Ahead. One of the characters can literally be replaced by an in game list telling you how to make the cure. It wouldn’t be such a huge deal except the game throws a choice at you where you have to choose to save her or another character who I was somewhat connected to already. For me the choice was obvious. End of Spoilers. My enthusiasm for this game started dying off towards the mid point but the end did manage to bring it back.
At the end of the day RE7 is a worthy successor to the Resident Evil heritage but it isn’t without its fair share of blemishes. The game is completely thrilling and an exciting return to Resi’s roots. Every fan of horror should play it. As long as you don’t expect it to be as revolutionary as the first game or RE4.
8/10