Resident Evil 7: Biohazard[a] is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom. The game was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in January 2017, with the PlayStation 4 version featuring support for the PlayStation VR headset. It is the 24th entry in the Resident Evil franchise, and the first main series installment to be played from a first-person perspective. Resident Evil 7 was announced during Sony’s presentation at E3 2016 in June.
The story follows Ethan Winters as he searches for his wife Mia, which leads him to a derelict plantation inhabited by the Baker family. Ethan makes use of weapons and tools in the fight against the Baker family and creatures known as the “Molded”. Healing herbs are used in the event of injury and there are puzzles that may be solved to further the story. Instead of being action-oriented, the survival horror element present in earlier installments took priority. Thus, the game uses a first-person perspective. It is the first commercially released game developed in the RE Engine.
Resident Evil 7 received generally favorable reviews, which praised the gameplay, graphics, and design. PlayStation VR was hailed for increasing player involvement. However, it was also subject to complaint, with decreased resolution and physical discomfort cited as its chief offenses. Further criticism was directed at the game’s boss battles and the final chapter of the game. It had the third-best sales debut in the series and has shipped over 3 million copies.
The player controls the protagonist, Ethan Winters, from a first-person perspective.[1] Although Ethan is a civilian who offers few combat skills, he is able to arm himself with a variety of different weapons including handguns, shotguns, axes, flamethrowers, explosives and chainsaws against enemies including the Baker family, and a newly introduced type of creature known as the “Molded”.[2] Additionally, he is able to quickly turn 180 degrees to avoid enemies, as well as block incoming attacks to reduce damage. Various portions of the game are spent being pursued by members of the Baker family, who if engaged in combat, can only be temporarily incapacitated. However, these encounters are entirely avoidable by means of stealth, or simply running away.[3][4]
Unlike the more recent Resident Evil installments, the gameplay emphasizes horror and exploration over action.[5][6] The inventory uses a grid-based system with an initial capacity of 12 slots, but may be expanded several times over the course of the game. An item can occupy up to two spaces, and four items may be assigned to the D-pad. Item boxes may also be used to manage and store items for later use.[7] Items in the inventory can be used, examined, or combined with other items to increase their usefulness.[8] Many of the game’s puzzles require that items be examined under certain conditions in order to reveal secrets.[9] Although the game features an autosave system, tape recorders can be used to manually save the game’s progress, which depending on the given difficulty level, may require the use of a cassette tape.[10] Videotapes are scattered for Ethan to find, which place the player in the perspective of a different character, oftentimes revealing plot information or clues needed to solve a puzzle.
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