Resident Evil 7

Well, here we are. Finally, after a long time of experimentation with a series that lost its identity. We knew what horror was in the old resident evil games. Whether the horror was in technical limitations like tank controls or true horror like memorable and key moments in the series. Resident evil in my humble opinion has lost its identity after the 4th installment and only got its charm back with a bang now. I have religiously followed this series not just because I'm a loyal fan to killing zombies, but I am generally a loyal fan to horror and very few games did that accurately and perfectly in the past 20 years without any exaggerations.

Resident Evil 7 was announced shortly after the playable trailer or the demo for the cancelled Silent Hill. I'm pretty sure most of you know it by now since it not only changed most horror games nowadays, but it inspired newer takes on horror and that way, we have unpredictable surprises like this one. You have to understand I was not the least bit excited about this for all the obvious negative reasons people were prejudiced about initially. It's in first person, why should I play it? It's probably a copy cat of Silent Hills that is solely dependent on jump scares to drive the story forward. All these skeptical remarks I've kept in the back of my head without watching a single trailer, until I went into this world and oh what an engaging masterpiece it is.

Resident Evil 7 starts with a relentless bang. The protagonist's girlfriend disappears for 3 years and he has come to terms with her death. Shortly after he receives a video file from her telling him to stay away. Of course, the logical thing to do would be to NOT stay away and chase after her. You are immediately put into a haunted house scenario, caught by mad men and an old hag who seem to be cannibals and are somehow infected with a virus we are unaware of. What I love the most about RE7 is that it sets you up for something completely different than the previous game. Right, its an outbreak, there is a virus, but you're left with plot devices and you, as the protagonist is left in the dark for quite a while because in my opinion that is the best way to do storytelling in horror, as I have previously mentioned in other reviews. Once the answer is out, you have little to nothing to be scared of and in RE7, you are not only persistently asking questions and wondering, you are discovering bit by bit until the revelation is out and you realize it is quite creative and very different than the previous games without any spoiler of course.

Resident Evil 7's first main hall

There is a lot to do in RE7 in terms of exploration and if you are a longtime fan of RE, then it is exactly played like the classics. you are left to explore puzzles, items, limited ammo and secrets throughout every nook and cranny of every area. Level design is amazing, where you are able to traverse back and forth between every are you have been to since the starting point. Mind you, this game was made for VR and I played it on my TV, it is a completely different experience I am quite sure for several reasons including the game feel and the horror of playing it for the first time and last but certainly not the least reason... the item placements. I'm pretty sure if I had played this on VR, I would be able to see most items lying around hidden in every corner or under every table. There are so many secrets, that I dont think I've seen them all from beating it twice in a row. I assure you you will have fun with every puzzle and get that same exciting feeling when you get a new key that unlocks newer doors.

Like any survival horror game, you start off with a knife and feel helpless until you have a whole arsenal of weapons and feel like an unstoppable tank of weapons with unlimited ammo. Well, depending on the difficulty. Every weapon has its own enemies to deal with and situation but when you start off the game, every bullet counts and if you waste a clip, you're left with a knife to deal with your situations. That's how I had to deal with most enemies early in the game because most of the time, its easier for you to run away and defend than deal with every single enemy you come across. Even though stealth is a good approach, the game encourages the player in a tight spot with a fight or flight response. I initially hated that because I hate feeling powerless with enemies. Give me a weapon and I'll have fun dealing with them. Give me a knife and tell me to run away and I'll be mildly annoyed. But what is a proper horror game without making you feeling uncomfortable? There is a whole crafting system with recipes for first aid kits and ammo for your weapons. My biggest disappointment was that even though I beat the game twice in a row was me not having the opportunity to use the Magnum simply because I had a lot of other ammo available for other weapons.

It's amazing now when I think about it, RE7 has all aspects of previous games combined. It has terrifying enemies chasing you from one place to another. It has you crawling away with a knife to find 3 bullets for a shotgun only to waste them in the air while you're terrified to aim it properly and it has memorable and spectacular boss fights that were done differently in my two playthroughs. It really reminds you of how you were scared by nemesis in RE3 and now how some parts are unscripted and the player has some choices in the matter at hand. The game has a main theme but what I liked the most about its "soundtrack" was the lack of tracks. You were left in silence and most of it is just pure sound design. Floor boards creaking, the ceilings crackling, flames burning in the distance, birds chirping in the woods nearby, crickets at night. These are all part of the aesthetics, something that blends in so well with this beautiful game and you rarely notice it, because it fits so well. 

I think I've put out more than an impression for a groundbreaking game in my opinion. I haven't had that much fun with a Resident Evil since the 4th one. The ones before it felt kind of empty. Despite this one feeling a bit out of place in terms of story, it only makes it even more original, innovative and different compared to the series itself. It's great to see the series is alive and kicking and I can't wait to see more from their endeavors of remaking Resident Evil 2. You can find Resident Evil 7 on PS4 and Steam for PC. I've been Ahmed Jadaa, and see you on my next review