Table of Contents

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – A Return to Survival Horror

Introduction

“Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” (2017) marked a significant turning point in the iconic survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. After years of experimenting with action-packed, blockbuster-style gameplay in entries like Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, the seventh installment returned to the series’ roots: slow-burn survival horror. With a fresh first-person perspective, terrifying atmosphere, and a small-scale narrative, Resident Evil 7 redefined the franchise for a new generation while paying homage to its origins.

In this article, we take a look at what makes Resident Evil 7 such an exciting-but-flawed entry. We touch on everything from its genuinely unnerving atmosphere to its innovative gameplay and mention some of the criticisms that have come up since the release.

The Atmosphere and Setting

One thing Resident Evil 7 does exceptionally well is its atmosphere. Set for the most part in the decaying and grimy Baker family estate in rural Louisiana, from the very moment you enter the house, it’s just dripping with a sense of dread. The oppressive darkness, claustrophobic corridors, and unsettling sounds will make you anxious to explore any part of it.

A Return to True Survival Horror

For anyone holding on to even a shred of nostalgia for old-school survival horror, Resident Evil 7 is going to be a breath of fresh air. Gone are the nonstop action and over-the-top explosions; tension, resource management, and psychological horror are the name of the game in this new experience. Ammunition and health items are very rare, and this really makes players weigh each option of battling enemies or avoiding conflict altogether.

It borrows a lot from the atmosphere of Resident Evil 1, where the player is thrown into an isolated mansion with puzzles to solve and limited resources. This return to form has been broadly praised for restoring the fear and tension of the original games.

Lack of Enemy Variety

But while atmosphere is one of the great strengths of Resident Evil 7, the enemy variety could be a little better. There is an undeniable grotesqueness to the main enemies, called the Molded, but they’re somewhat repetitive. They don’t offer the same diversity as in earlier games where anything from zombies to giant spiders to Lickers would greet the player. In Resident Evil 7, the Molded tend to come in a few basic varieties, and while dangerous, can grow somewhat predictable after some time.

Sometimes, this comes at the cost of generalized tension. Once a player has seen the same basic enemy type many times, eventually the shock value wears off, and they turn into more of a nuisance than anything to actually be afraid of.

Innovation of Gameplay – First-Person Perspective

Most radically, perhaps, Resident Evil 7 assumes the first-person perspective, where most of its series forebears had been third-person games. This radically created a very different feel in terms of gameplay for this entry in the series.

Immersion and Fear

Adding that first-person aspect gives it a whole new level of terror. Instead of the events unfolding from some bird’s eye view, you are now pulled deep into the terror that befalls Ethan Winters. This brings with it a nearness and vulnerability not fully explored in prior games. Every corner turned, everything with dim lighting in a hall, has become personal and immediate.

The usage of VR in the game, such as with PlayStation VR, is further enlivened with the first-person perspective. To some players, even Resident Evil 7 is almost unbearable in VR, though many report that the level of immersion makes the horror even more intense. It is a bold step which makes the game scarier and more engaging.

This can render it far more difficult for the player to emotionally connect with Ethan since he lacks personality or depth. With the role he plays within the story, his character becomes set to be more of a vessel for the player to experience the horrors firsthand rather than a fleshed-out character with a rich backstory.

Story and Narrative

Resident Evil 7 houses a much more grounded story than its predecessors. The game doesn’t have to do with global conspiracies, bio-terrorist weapons, or outbreaks of an epidemic proportion. It concerns the twisted Baker family and their home of nightmares. The simplicity of the plot helps in developing an intimate and terrifying experience.

The Baker Family

But most certainly, the standout aspect of the story is the Baker family. Each member of the family is grotesque in their own way, each providing a series of different and terrifying encounters. From Jack Baker’s relentless and seemingly unkillable presence to the disgusting bug-infested boss fight that awaits Marguerite, the Bakers will have gamers on edge throughout.

The game does a great job of building up to this, revealing the Bakers’ backstory little by little until the player may almost feel a strange kind of sympathy for them by the end. This rich characterization helps layer a storyline that could otherwise have been as basic as ‘villains versus victims’.

The Third Act

While most of Resident Evil 7 is a taut, tightly-wound intimate experience with horror, many have critiqued the third act of the game. Once the player leaves the Baker estate, the game shifts gears and introduces more traditional Resident Evil elements, such as a secret lab, and with it, a somewhat ludicrously convoluted explanation for the events that came before.

This section of the game feels to many players like a betrayal of the grounded nature of the earlier sections. The horror is no longer truly about survival but rather action, which can sometimes feel jarring in terms of tonal shifts. The pacing slows down, and the mystery that was built through most of the game gets resolved in a manner that does feel somewhat predictable.

Conclusion

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a tremendous return to form for the series. Its terrifying atmosphere, immersive first-person perspective, and an actually accurate approach to survival horror mark this as one of the best in the series. Of course, perfection is hard to come by. The lacking enemy variety, the underdeveloped protagonist, and the uneven third act hold it back from true greatness.

Nevertheless, Resident Evil 7 is a bold reimagining of the series, and it does restore the fear and tension felt in the original games. It is well worth playing for anyone who loves survival horror and counts as a very important milestone in Resident Evil‘s evolution.