I played Resident Evil 1, 2, 3 back on ps1 along with Alone In The Dark 4 and Silent Hill. Horror games of late haven't been brilliant, Re5 and 6 for instance having steroid Chris breaking boulders with his hand and other arcade action nonsense which left fans disappointed and dis swayed from Capcom. Capcom knew if they didn't sort themselves out they'd lose a large fan base. Re7? I was unsure upon seeing the initial trailers, but the game is incredible, a classic horror with puzzles, investigating and heaps of atmosphere, not to mention some horrid creatures and scary moments.
Story: 8/10
It is an interesting story slightly removed from Umbrella and the T-virus or zombies. It revolves around the Baker family, a once modest backwater family in remote Louisiana, but turned into psychopathic serial killers by something sinister that has infected them. You play as Ethan, trying to find his presumed dead wife who was missing for 3 years, when Ethan received an odd email and video of his wife with a location, and so he goes to investigate.
Visuals: 10/10
It's not often you get to rate a games visuals with top marks, but Re7's are simply fantastic, the lighting effects as you walk down a dark stairwell with a bright lamp above the door showing the damp and moist on the bricks, or the old ripples in the ancient wallpaper, everything is perfect, even Ethan's hands/arms and their representation of damage taken (be it stings, a bite, an axe..) Capcom pays attention to everything, a farcry from Resident evil 6, and riddling Ada's car in MG bullets as Chris in the arcadey chase sequence but not seeing any bullet holes.
And then these lovely creatures that will send your pooper twitching; the moulded, they look wonderfully disgusting and unsettling up close.
Sound FX: 10/10
Again not all games pay quite as much attention to the sound around you or BGM that plays, but Capcom pull all the stops here to create a densely atmospheric and tangible horror experience. The sound of barricaded windows rattling in the howling wind, or patter of rain against them, the footsteps of any surface or puddle you walk on, the creek of doors when unlocked then pushed open slowly as you wonder what awaits (a nice modernization to old Re games) everything is on the ball. No more noticeable when you have to go down into a large basement who's walls/floors are caked with a black slime that sounds alive, and you start hearing pipes groan and vents bang, every sound will alert you.
Gameplay: 10/10
I can't fault the gameplay, it is a horror in every sense, it will make you feel unrivaled trepidation, it has files, items and clues to find, lots of little puzzles to be solved, strange symbolic keys to find, all the right ingredients that fans loved in Re1.
It still has a inventory system where you must ration items and your inventory space/slots by making use of the item box. You can also examine or combine items, including chemical bags that can make ammo, health kits etc.
Your health is viewed via an EMG type watch that like old Re's goes from green to red, along with a bloody vignetting effect round the screen when injured.
You can hold L1 to block enemy attacks which if using a larger weapon opposed to a knife can protect you a bit. Combat being first person isn't like Call Of Duty, you're not a soldier or cop, but a civilian, and to add to the feeling of survival it isn't made easy. Aiming down sights is more a slight zoom and a small crosshair, than that of most FPS shooters, but this works great and makes every shot you take coupled with ammo rationing all the more precious. There are some melee weapons too, knife, axe, even a chainsaw. The family from hell you'll spend the game shooting or running from are voice acted brilliantly and are in a strange way enjoyable to encounter, there are a number of boss battles (namely with Jack Baker, the father of the family) which are all unique and often involve more than just shooting repeatedly.
Verdict:
One of the most atmospheric, scary and enjoyable horrors I've played in years, and a great return to form by Capcom. If this game made me run in the opposite direction at times saying "s*** s***", considering I've played horror games since young, then it's sure to give anyone a fright. I highly recommend this game, preferably in the dark with headphones. (VR I've been swayed from due to the graphical downgrades, and this is a pretty game as is) but I'm sure it'd be a cool experience in VR.
