Resident Evil 7 is a ruthless game. The antagonistic Bakers ain't messing about, and they will take you down. The good news is that you'll have the opportunity to fight back, you just need to know how. While we didn't want to put up a guide riddled with spoilers showing you exactly what to do in each scenario – where's the fun in that on launch day? – we did figure that we'd amass some more general tips that should help you to survive.

Defend, defend, defend

It's the simplest manoeuvre of all, but if you don't block in Resident Evil 7 then you're going to waste a lot of health. Simply push the L1 button to bring up your arms and you'll be able to bat away enemy attacks. While you will still take some damage when you get struck, you'll absorb a lot of the blow with your block, which is good news if you haven't got any herbs on hand. Enemies will usually wind up before they strike, so try to read their motions and defend just before they let rip to soak up the attack.

Close doors behind you

As my Mum often says: "What's wrong with you, were you brought up in a barn?" Closing doors is just as important in Resident Evil 7 as it is keeping your parents calm. If you're being chased, then simply push the X button to slam a door shut, and your pursuer won't be able to follow you through. This obviously depends upon the enemy type – the Bakers are a bit smarter than the Moulded – but it can be a great way of creating distance between you and your attackers.

Do the quick turn

Ah, the quick turn – the most effective way of looking the other way. Like most recent Resident Evil releases, there's a quick turn in the new Biohazard, you just need to push down and circle simultaneously. This is not only a great way of turning away from enemies if you need to escape, but it can also be used twice in quick succession if you want to have a cheeky glance over your shoulder. You'll need to use it a lot on Madhouse difficulty.

Scavenge everything

It may seem like a total no-brainer – that's because it is, dumbass – but you really should be searching everything in Resident Evil 7. Drawers, cupboards, shadowed corners, dressing tables – inspect them all because you never quite know what you're going to find. Boss areas are typically flush with resources, so even if you've offed your foe, make sure that you pillage them for any goods that you haven't picked up before you go on your not-so merry way.

Do you have any other top Resident Evil 7 survival tips to share with the Push Square community? Will you be using any of these suggestions during your playthrough? Stay alive as long as you can in the comments section below.