π’ THIS FAMILY IS CRAZY! π’
The grandma seems to be nice though. π
Strap in ladies and gentlemen, because we're going on a horror kick here. Last time we did Dead Space so I figured let's just go through all the great horror games I've played. And what better way to continue this tradition than by talking about the game that literally saved a franchise?
What? You're confused? I'd have you know that at one point in time, RE was in a pretty bad spot. Several bad releases in a row had made the franchise a laughing stock, That is until this gem came out and brought it back from the brink.
So let's discuss howβοΈ In this edition of Through the Lens π, we'll be taking a look at Capcom'sfirst person horror masterpiece from 2017: Resident Evil 7, βοΈ
(also knows as Resident Evil: Biohazard in some parts)
Roll it! π½
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π· UP TOP πΆ
The sound design in this game is incredible. That goes for the soundtrack as well. While it is your typical horror affair, i.e. not really listenable outside of the game. RE7's score stands out from the rest with its polish alone. It is most assuredly a very well-crafted piece of music. π―
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exdVWe9J6Mw
I had no intention of playing this game on release. Resident Evil was a franchise past its prime, and I was more interested in the survival, stealth style of horror than the bombastic action horror Resident Evil had turned into. Little did I know, Capcom would do a complete 180 and actually make the type of horror game I love most for their next mainline installment. π±
After a slew of good reviews I decided to give it a try, and boooooooyyyyy was I not disappointed. Keep in mind, the last good RE game was RE4, which was twenty years my senior, so I had no idea what I was getting into. But from the very first minutes, I felt like I was in my boat house. Capcom had clearly seen the success of indie-horror games (titles Like Amnesia which we'll cover for sure) and copied what made those games great.
I am really glad they did. Because they ended up making one of the best horror games of all time. π―
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π· INDIE INSPIRED πΆ
This is the first Resident Evil game in first person. And this perspective marks the biggest implementation from the indie-horror genre. All previous RE games were either static camera or third-person/behind-the-shoulder. The perspective shift in itself marks a fresh turn in the franchise.
So, the camera is different, what else? Well, for one thing, this is a much more personal, quiet story. It's much more relatable while still being unmistakenly in the Resident Evil universe. Yes. Resident Evil always had a campy story. But the levels of cringe went up by a million from RE5 and RE6. I mean... Chris Redfield literally punched a boulder, like some sort of super saiyan.
So, the perspective is quieter, and the story is more intimate, all that's left now is the gameplay- oh, the gameplay is slower as well... well then, you have my attention, young one. The gameplay in 7 is without a doubt the most slow-paced out of any Resident Evil game. And it's better for it. The first few hours of this game are literally an indie-horror-hame clone - through and through. A survival game with the design of an indie game but with a AAA game budget. It's enough to make a grown man cry. π
Once the acting gets going it's still your classic Resident Evil fare. Where you have to manage your resources and be careful with your shots. It's still tense and exciting while being in a brand-new engine and perspective. All in all, if you were a horror fan in 2017, this game was everything you had ever wanted from a AAA horror game and more.
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π· RETURN TO FORM πΆ
Resident Evil 6 was as low of a point for a franchise as you could get. For many people, it was done. The fact that this game was good enough to resurge the love for the franchise is something rarely seen in this industry.
We will talk about all the remakes in upcoming columns, and how they also managed to reinvigorate Resident Evil's image. But it all starts with 7.
The fact that Capcom had enough of a pulse on the industry to develop precisely the game every horror and Resident Evil fan wanted is rare for AAA corporations that rarely have a grasp on what the consumer wants. All the DLCs and additional content the game received is also well-made and executed. This entire project was a slam dunk.
Lastly, the protagonist actually gets cool π by the end of the game. He goes from pretty unlikable to kinda cool, which is a transformation I'll take any day of the week. π In a landscape where characters are all cookie-cutter and more stereotypes than actual characters, it's refreshing when someone actually goes through proper development.
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π· LEGACY πΆ
It's still early to tell but I think history will remember this game very fondly. π― It's super well made, polished to the T in every aspect. Even the VR version of the game is solid. Not good, mind you. π But solid.
In addition, as I've said a hundred times in this review, it's one of the franchise's best and the reason Resident Evil performed such a comeback, and is back in the public eye nowadays better than ever. How many twenty-plus-year franchises can boast that? Very few.
This game gets a strong recommendation from me if you are in any way a horror fan. If you have any sort of fondness for the genre, you should play this game. It might be the best first-person horror game ever made, although that's a conversation for another day.
Shout-out to the πPIZZAπ gang, π€ gang. π€
So yeah. We are starting a sort of horror game month here I guess. I have a lot of horror games that I want to talk about. Not sure why I started with RE7, but since we're already here we're gonna do the remakes next I think. Each one has plenty to talk about so that should make this the Resident Evil Week.
As for the other titles, Amnesia is for sure getting a column, Outlast, Layers of Fear. There are so many good horror games worth talking about. i hope you all join me!
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I hope you are having an amazing week! π
Return from Resident Evil 7 π½ Through the Lens to ΠΠΎΡΠΊΠΎ's Web3 Blog
