Incredibly, it’s been five years since Resident Evil 7: Biohazard released on the PlayStation 4. Despite being a numbered sequel, this game took Capcom’s classic survival horror series in a brand new direction, adopting a first-person viewpoint and a chilling storyline focused on a maniacal family known as the Bakers.
The game mixed FPS-style gunplay with traditional Resident Evil exploration, making for a unique blend as you worked your way through the Baker family home, discovering its many secrets along the way. While the campaign did admittedly run out of gas towards its conclusion, the opening moments when you’re pursued by patriarch Jack are particularly memorable.
The release was also noteworthy for supporting PSVR throughout, and this wasn’t relegated to a stuffy side-mode or minigame – it was the entire campaign, playable entirely in virtual reality. In fact, Capcom teased this support prior to the headset’s release with its Kitchen demo, which was one of the main pieces of content that Sony showed to press and consumers when promoting the peripheral.
While we didn’t think it was perfect, we really liked Resident Evil 7: Biohazard overall in our review: “At its very best, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a barnstorming survival horror with some truly brilliant boss fights. Granted, the game isn't always able to maintain its own high standards, but it eclipses its abysmal predecessor with ease.”
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was followed last year with a direct sequel, Resident Evil Village, which won our Game of the Year. Do you have fond memories of this title, or were you one of those disappointed by its stark change in direction? Don’t go in the outhouse in the comments section below.
Comments 31
Yes it's my second favourite RE game after Village this game was the perfect way to relaunch the series and get it back on track it's one of the best RE experiences you can get
One of the best horror experiences of all time and certainly way way better than Resident Evil 8
I made a bit more progress on Village the weekend before last - in my opinion so far 7 is the better of the two.
Definitely a better horror game than village (which i also loved). It felt more coherent and logical in how it was put together, whereas village effectively feels like 4 or 5 different ideas stuck together with sticky tape and glue.
The Bakers - for the most part - are all more memorable than 8's villains and there were some genuinely terrifying moments that will live with me for a long time
Marguerite was just hideous wasnt she!
The first time I played through the opening hours is one of my favorite gaming memories. One of my best friends was watching me play and we couldn't stop laughing. I don't think the rest of the game hits the same level of quality (especially during the finale), but I give RE7 a lot of credit for revitalizing my interest in Resident Evil after a brutal PS3 gen of disappointments.
ngl, I passed on this one because I wasn't that fond of the first-person perspective and the idea of playing as a new generic guy instead of the already established characters.
I finally played RE7 after RE Village (crazy that I played it first, I know) and loved it. The FPS didn't bother me as much and actually having new MC makes more sense and definitely makes the game scarier. I still prefer the 3rd person view of RE4 and RE2 remake but I don't mind the first person view of both RE7 and RE8 anymore.
If the game starred either Chris or Leon (in their prime) I think it will lose any fear factor. Heck, playing the Not a Hero DLC feels more like a typical shooter. Overall a great game and I'm glad that I got to play it.
RE 7 is hands down my favorite of the series. I know a lot of people were put off by the first-person perspective but I think it really helped the game shine as a claustrophobic, in-your-face survival horror game. You felt underpowered and vulnerable the whole time and the Louisiana swamp setting really made the experience all that much better.
I really liked RE Village, but 7 will always be remembered as the return to horror the series so desperately needed.
And im still too scared to play it...
VR took this game to a whole new level. Absolutely amazing. I’m really hoping Capcom give us some more Resident Evil for PSVR2.
I played this just this month and really enjoyed it, and that's from not having played a ResEvil game since probably Umbrella Chronicles on the Wii. I thought it created a great atmosphere, the characters were insane and it delivered some genuine scares. I can only imagine what it must be like to play in VR.
I've got Village to play at some point so might try and get onto that next.
@SoulChimera village is surely getting a vr patch isnt it? Excuse the pun, but it would take the Lady D fandom to new heights 😅
Wouldnt be surprised to see Resi Evil 4 VR as a launch title either
Overall it felt less like Resident Evil to me, but that initial playthrough will always stick with me. Primarily because I invited a friend over the day of release and we played straight from start to finish in one sitting.
Did PS review RE7 VR because the VR aspect makes it the scariest game ever in existence. Absolutely transforms the game in every way into the realms of completely believable immersion. So much so I couldn't play it because it was terrifying! Horror in VR is no joke!
Good horror game. Not good RE game.
I put off RE7 for years after its release because of RE6 and I was such a fool. Finally played through it in 2020 and I absolutely loved it. In retrospect now, I’d say it’s the third best game of 2017 (which is actually really high praise, given that 2017 is a contender for being the greatest year yet in gaming), and the best Resident Evil ever. From start to finish, the game is just so good. Honestly, if we were to take PT out of the equation, I’d say RE7 is the greatest horror game of all time. I loved Village too, but Biohazard was just a little bit tighter and so much scarier. Brilliant game.
@Rob_230 It would be great if they did patch 8 for PSVR2.
Not sure about 4, as I think that was funded by Oculus. But I could be wrong. Could just be a timed exclusive.
Feels longer honestly. I loved the game though and it felt like they were/are going back to their survival horror routes with this and Village.
But for me, nothing has beaten Silent Hill 2 as the best horror game ever made. (My opinion of course).
@lolwhatno I was still really on edge and it did make me jump a few times. We were more laughing at how insane and intentionally goofy it was. To this day, we still quote to each other when Jack Baker destroys the dinner table and belts out "aW DaMn, hOw aM I gONna FiX tHiS????" Good stuff.
I think resident evil 7 is the best resident evil game
I played it last October and it was a good game. Maybe my overall opinion would be more positive if I'd played it when it came out or at least before playing RE2 and RE3 remakes. Those games are better imo, just as scary in places and more fun.
Will definitely be playing Resi 8 at some point this year and am looking forward to it.
@Uncharted2007 That's exactly how I felt about it. And RE8 was a good middle-ground between 7 and previous titles.
I've still never finished RE7 but I respect it and know it's a beloved title. Looking at the bigger picture though it's also the title that really kicked off this Capcom resurgence in the industry. Until RE7 came around it was a scary time to be a Capcom fan. SFV, even though I personally love the game, was very divisive. And they mostly just relied on collections of older games at the start of the PS4 gen.
Thankfully RE7 came around and since then we got some updates to SFV that made it much more widely accepted, got some more great RE games and also one of my top 5 games of last generation, DMC5.
So thanks RE7 and congrats on the milestone!
Simply stunning and frightening in VR. Never experienced gaming like it.
RE7 is an amazing game, especially in VR.
It feels like a bit of an outlier though, like it should have been its own game but got shoehorned into the RE series for marketing purposes. Kinda like SH 4 the Room.
I knew going into Resident Evil 7 that it was going to be a great game, but I never expected to play it and get emotionally invested, as I did with the Baker Family, I never expected to care for the crazy family that's been out to get me the entire game, but that one scene where Ethan speaks to regular Jack Baker through the mold... truly powerful stuff right there, as Ethan said at the end of the game; the Bakers were just as much victims as he and Mia were, and I just love the whole exchange between Ethan & Jack, and despite everything Eveline did to his family, Jack still sympathized with her, and after the hell she put the Bakers through, I wanted to see it through to end, and fulfil Jack's final request.
Jack Baker: Listen, the girl just wants a family of her own. She's the key, alright? You find her and you stop her. Ethan free my family... please.
Only Resident Evil game that got me damn near close to crying
The official order of mainline Resident Evil greatness is:
Resident Evil 1
Resident Evil 3
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 6
I'll let you know about 8 once I've finished it, but so far it's between 4 and 5.
...and 0 isn't mainline! And Survivor would probably be ahead of 6, and we know how bad that was.
Hopefully this will get a psvr2 patch somehow, along with village.
It was horrifying enough without the fear of tripping over all the wires and cables and ripping the TV off its stand.
Very good horror game. I just had no connection to the character. Ethan just seemed boring, obviously we didn't need another Wesker or something. I understand they were going for something different, but for me, it really let down the experience. A missed opportunity character wise, I can't really fault the gameplay though.
That game genuinely scared the ever-loving crap out of me.
Fun game that really nails creepyness. The Baker family and home look straight out of a nightmare.
RE7 also had a memorable demo that released the day RE7 was revealed at E3 2016. Players attempted to find clues and ended up getting punched as they heard "welcome to the family".
The best game in the series, and one of the best horror games ever made. If it's not horrific, it's not horror.
For me, the new one felt like Harry Potter compared to this.
They actually said they toned down the horror for Village, which I find beyond stupid. That would be like making a comedy less funny on purpose..
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