Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Released Today

Let’s enter the survival horror together…

Horror fans rejoice! Today sees the release of yet another entry into the hugely popular and (sometimes) critically acclaimed survival-horror series, Resident Evil.

Announced fairly recently during last year’s E3 conference, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard promises a change in the formula for the series that began way back in 1996 with the original title on the Playstation. Since then, we’ve seen a change in graphics, characters, camera-angles, settings, enemies, and just about everything you can think of.

So what exactly can we expect from Resident Evil 7? The first major change is that the game doesn’t focus on classic characters from the series, but instead introduces us to Ethan Winters; a fairly average guy who’s wrapped-up in a murderous mystery when his deceased wife sends him a message from beyond the grave. Travelling to Louisiana, Ethan stumbles across a dilapidated mansion compound (sound familiar?) which houses the Baker family.

From then on, you’ll jump into Ethan’s shoes in the first-person perspective – something not everybody is overjoyed with – and try to survive in an unfamiliar location while being hunted by a group of Leatherface-esque hillbillies. The game’s confirmed to run at 60fps on consoles, which is a great sign of Capcom trying their hardest to make this the revitalisation that the series so desperately needed.

In terms of content, things are looking slightly lighter than previous games, but if what is there turns out to be as good as it looks then I’m sure that won’t be a huge issue. Unfortunately, the popular ‘Mercenaries’ mode that began in Resident Evil 4 won’t be seeing a return in this iteration – likely due to the shift in tone from high action to pure horror – so we’ve got the main game and the varying difficulty levels that come with that. Rumoured to clock in at around 15-hours, it’s not exactly going to be a one-sitting ordeal, and if you’re a big Resident Evil fan like me then I imagine you’ll be playing through several times to explore every nook and cranny of the Baker’s compound.

Once you finish the main game, you’ll unlock the teased ‘Madhouse Mode‘, which early-copyholders of the game have said feels mechanically similar to the original 1996 title; with limited save files and a complete absence of checkpoints. There are also said to be unlockable weapons and items for completing the game in a set manner, which can then be carried over into subsequent playthroughs. Little is known about this, but if this game is anything like its predecessors, then expect some kind of unlimited ammo cheat to blast your way through enemies.

Even after all is said and done with Resident Evil 7’s release, there’s then the planned season pass content. This promises to add some ‘Banned Footage’ to the game, which is likely similar to the VHS tape you could play through in the Beginning Hour demo released for the game. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of DLC or season passes, but if the price is right and the content justified then I may consider checking this one out.

That’s about all for now. I’m going to spend the rest of this week terrifying myself with Capcom’s latest release, and judging by the hype for this game, I doubt I’ll be the only one. Do you reckon you’ll be picking up Resident Evil 7: Biohazard? Or have the changes in the gameplay scared you away from a day one purchase? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.