How Resident Evil 7 Gameplay Revived Resident Evil

Capcom’s legendary Resident Evil franchise was a towering figure in the survival horror genre of video games. Somewhat synonymous with the entire horror gaming scenario, one can say, but all of this was ruined when Resident Evil 5 arrived on the scene but the developers were able to shrug it off as a minor setback. Then, Resident Evil 6 was released in 2012, which almost killed the entire franchise single-handedly. The damage done by Resident Evil 5 and 6 was so huge that it actually affected Capcom’s image and undermined the success of the entire franchise.

The surprise release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and especially the Resident Evil 7 gameplay revived the franchise and brought it back from the gaming underworld. Read more to find out.

Resident Evil 7 is a 2017 first-person, shooter game in single-mode released by Capcom in 2017. The Resident Evil 7 gameplay introduces us to a new protagonist called Ethan Winters whose wife, Mia has been missing for 3 years. Ethan, then out of the blue gets a message from her telling him to come to get her from Dulvey, Louisiana. Mia, until now was believed to be dead for 3 years. After arriving at the place, Ethan finds Mia imprisoned in the basement of a mansion. He wakes Mia up and tries to escape but fate had other plans for the couple as that’s when things go south pretty fast and the plot of the game unfolds.

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Resident Evil 7 Gameplay: A Gamechanger

Resident Evil 7 had a huge role in revitalizing the franchise and returning it back to its survival horror roots. All the aspects of the game contribute to this but the aspect of the game that contributes to it the most is its gameplay. Resident Evil 7 gameplay introduced many functional things and made changes to the franchise we knew so well.

The gameplay as compared to its predecessors is very different. It ditches its usual over-the-shoulder camera angle and adopts a new, much better but more challenging first-person perspective. You can only see what Ethan sees and you can only do what Ethan does. Even though some staunch fans of the franchise might discredit this aspect of the gameplay but its restricted view is actually anxiety-inducing and unnerving. By restricting the view of the protagonist, the player’s point of view also gets restricted which makes the arrival of certain enemies very unpredictable. You can get attacked from behind but there will be no way of knowing it beforehand. Now, this is real horror!

Resident Evil 7 gameplay’s emphasis is slightly more on the exploration aspect than on the combat and there is a very good reason behind it. Previously, the franchise has suffered because of its excessive emphasis on combat. Both Resident Evil 5 and 6 are guilty of this crime. As a result of this misdirected gameplay, the franchise was moving into the territory of action instead of horror which almost killed the franchise. However, RE 7’s gameplay changed everything for the better.

In the gameplay, RE 7 makes use of a grid-like inventory space which is confined to only 12 slots. With the help of exploration, the inventory size can be increased and more items can be stored. Moreover, there are ‘save stations’ where players can see an upgrade to the usual typewriters and save their progress on a digital tape recording device. This is a very innovative addition.

The puzzles and the general functioning of the game give the players food for thought as there are puzzles that get solved only when the players acquire certain components required for the puzzle. The Resident Evil 7 gameplay also features the option for examination and the game runs very smoothly while examining the items.

The gameplay also provides Ethan with many weapons despite the fact that he is a civilian. He gets a pocket knife in the beginning from a police officer and then shortly, he gets his handgun. Resident Evil gameplay also sees Ethan receiving shotguns, flamethrowers, explosives, and chainsaws

Conclusively, with all the new development and modern tactics applied in this game, it is no doubt that the Resident Evil 7 gameplay has proven itself to be a literal gamechanger!

Conclusively, Resident Evil 7’s role can only be defined as a revitalizer that injected the entire franchise with new life. The Resident Evil 7 gameplay especially had a huge role to play in it. It is safe to say, that Resident Evil 7 exceeded our expectations and left us hungry for more!

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How Resident Evil 7 Resurrected The Franchise

As far as the game as a whole is concerned, the game also ups the ante with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It introduces new characters along with new lore. Our protagonist Ethan Winters is a nobody. Unlike the franchise’s previous protagonists like Leon S Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Rebbeca Chambers, etc who were all trained professionals, Ethan is just a normal guy. He has no combat training whatsoever. In short, he is just a normal guy looking for his wife.

The game also introduces us to new antagonists in the form of the Baker family. The family consisting of 4 members is sure to go down as one of the most terrifying characters in horror gaming history. Each and every member of the family seems to remind us of a sub-genre of horror cinema, which includes slasher, body horror, and torture-based films.

Apart from the main antagonists, the game includes ‘Mold Monsters’ which replace Resident Evil’s staple villains, zombies.

The Resident Evil 7 gameplay is impeccable due to the usage of the RE Engine that Capcom decided to go with this time. The games following RE 7, like Resident Evil 2: Remake, and Resident Evil 3: Remake also make use of the RE Engine.

Umbrella Corp’s role is present but it is different as compared to its predecessors. It is directly responsible for the spread of the virus but it isn’t apparent at first glance, which is a very crafty way of shaking things up a little.