The new perspective brings a fresh new approach , however ( along with VR support for PS4 ), and it places the focus on the finely detailed environments Capcom ’ s artists have conjured up . The Baker residence is a thrill to explore , every room and corridor telling its own story of decay , making even innocuous , everyday objects seem unsettling and unnerving . The incredible audio design really ramps up the tension , and there are some truly standout moments when you ’ re being hunted by one of the members of the family , trying to sneak past them and relying on the sounds of footsteps , creaks , and echoes to judge their location compared to your own . Gone is the breakneck action of 4 , 5 , and 6 – Resident Evil 7 takes a slow burn approach , opting instead for tension and suspense . There is some combat , and a couple of unnecessary boss battles do derail the experience slightly , but enemies are rare and dangerous when encountered , and ammunition scarce . There ’ s a slight ramp up in pace and enemy numbers towards the last sections of time game , but this feels earned and like a natural escalation . Those expecting any real puzzles may be in for a disappointment – whilst there are a few ‘ rotate the object ’ type puzzles and the usual keyfinding system , most of the game is spent exploring , not solving riddles .
It ’ s to the game ’ s credit that it rarely goes in for cheap jump scares – though there certainly are a few , and effective ones at that – and the game doesn ’ t outstay its welcome , preferring to offer value through the option of repeated playthroughs rather than artificially extending the length of the story . An initial run clocks in around 6-8 hours , but with two endings and the inclusion of an extreme ‘ Madhouse ’ mode , which shuffles the placements of important items and beefs up enemies to make an already challenging game even harder , there ’ s a fair bit of replay value . The plot itself isn ’ t the strongest , but is engaging enough and has some interesting ( and interestingly twisted ) characters . By the end there are enough ties to the storylines of previous games that series fans will appreciate , but new players can go in without any prior knowledge and still enjoy the story , which packs some surprising emotional punch at times .
Capcom has taken a bold , risky step with Resident Evil 7 , but it ’ s done so with admirable confidence , successfully reinvigorating an aging franchise . The result is a game that feels fresh and exciting , and as relevant to gaming now as the series has ever has been .
9 / 10
If you have a PSVR , you can play the whole game with it . Be prepared for screams . www . eliteonlinemag . com 209