There are three different difficulty settings for you to choose from in Resident Evil 7, but which one should you pick? Unlike in most games, the options do more than tweak health settings, so we figured that we'd break down all of the differences for you so that you can choose which one is for you. We should stress straight away that Madhouse will only be unlocked from the off if you pre-ordered, otherwise you'll need to beat the campaign on Easy or Normal once to gain access to it.

With that out of the way, here's what you need to know about the new Biohazard's three difficulty tiers.

Easy

  • Checkpoints are frequent.
  • Saves can be made at Cassette Decks without restriction.
  • Enemies do the least amount of damage.
  • Enemies move slowest.
  • Enemy intelligence is basic, meaning that you'll be able to evade and escape foes more easily.
  • A high amount of health will regenerate quickly.

Normal

  • Checkpoints are moderate.
  • Saves can be made at Cassette Decks without restriction.
  • Enemies do a standard amount of damage.
  • Enemies move at a standard speed, approximately twice that of Easy difficulty.
  • Enemy intelligence is fair, meaning that you'll be spotted more easily than on Easy difficulty.
  • A modest amount of health will regenerate at a slower rate than Easy difficulty.

Madhouse

  • Checkpoints are few and far between.
  • Saves can only be made at Cassette Decks when you have a Cassette Tape in your inventory. You'll need to scavenge for these.
  • Enemies inflict a high amount of damage and are much more resilient to attacks.
  • Enemies move at a fast speed and have different attack patterns.
  • Enemy intelligence is extremely aggressive.
  • There are 33 Antique Coins as opposed to the 18 Antique Coins in Easy and Normal difficulty. Moreover, there are more bird cages for you to open for weapons and stat boosting items. Not all of these bird cages are located in safe rooms, adding additional risk.
  • Item and enemy locations are different to Easy and Normal difficulties.

Which difficulty will you be playing Resident Evil 7 on first? Are you going to give Madhouse a go? Survive for as long as possible in the comments section below.