What you need to know about Resident Evil 7, including latest news, release date, trailers, story details, and much more!
Resident Evil 7 Latest News
Two new teasers have arrived for Resident Evil 7, confirming that there will be supernatural enemies in the game as well as actual combat. In the first teaser, you see the main character shooting at a monstrous enemy in what looks like a cave. Check it out below:
Here's a better look at that monster:
The second teaser introduces the Baker family's Aunt Rhody, who is seriously terrifying. Also confirmed is another demo, which will be out in Dec. 2016. Watch below:
Resident Evil 7 Trailers
Capcom has been releasing short teasers that highlight different aspects of Resident Evil 7's gameplay for the past few weeks. Their latest teasers emphasize exploration and puzzle-solving. They're not the most exciting teasers, but they do show how puzzle-solving will work in the new game, which should be pretty familiar to hardcore fans, especially when it comes to how obtuse the puzzles are.
Check out the teasers below:
Another teaser for Resident Evil 7, titled "Survival," gives fans their first look at how herbs will function in the new game. This video shows that, as in previous installments, herbs can be used on their own or in combination with other items to create powerful remedies. The process of that creation, however, appears to be deeper than ever.
Capcom's latest teaser for Resident Evil 7 may last less than 30 seconds, but that's just enough time for the video to confirm the reappearance of a few franchise staples.
Most noticeably, it appears that item boxes will stage a return in the still mysterious upcoming Resident Evil title. The teaser also reveals that shotguns will be making yet another series appearance. Joining them will be the need to manage your inventory via the classic Tetris-like reshuffling of inventory slots. You can check out the teaser yourself by partaking in the pressing of the play button on the video below:
A new Resident Evil 7 premiered at TGS 2016, and it's a horrifying new look into the family of villains that will try to kill you throughout the game. It's very Texas Chainsaw Massacre-y with a side of True Detective (especially that opening shot!). Check out the trailer below:
Capcom also announced at the show that an update is coming to the game's Beginning Hour demo that will allow players to explore more of the spooky mansion than ever before. This "Twilight" demo is available to all PS4 users.
The first two DLC packs were also detailed. The first DLC will include four short side stories, while the second will add another episode to the main story. No details on the actual plot of these stories.
We still don't know much about Resident Evil 7's story beyond the fact that it will go back to the series roots of survival horror. So far, what we've seen of the game (or the concept of it, anyway) shows a lot less action and a lot more helpless running. The game takes more than a little inspiration from Amnesia and Outlast, it seems. The latest trailer out of Gamescom 2016 shows just how Capcom plans to terrify you next January. Check it out below:
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We had a suspicion that Resident Evil might be making an appearance at E3 2016, but nothing could have prepared us for the game's fascinating and terrifying new horror style. It is unclear if we're dealing with zombies in this sequel, and there is at least one mention of ghosts at the beginning of the trailer, but there are definitely glimpses of monsters that go bump in the night.
Watch the trailer below:
This nightmarish house presented in the trailer suggests that Capcom spent time playing P.T., though these masters of horror have clearly decided to prove to the world that they are ready to take back the horror crown. The upcoming Resident Evil is most certainly a return to the pure terror of the Resident Evil series, and we could not be more excited about what has been shown so far.
If you don't have a PlayStation 4, you can always just check out IGN's video of the full demo below:
Resident Evil 7 Release Date
Resident Evil 7 is scheduled to release on the Xbox One and PS4 on January 24, 2017. Even better, the game's demo is available to all PlayStation 4 users now.
Resident Evil 7 Story
Speaking in a Capcom blog post, Resident Evil 7 director Kōshi Nakanishi revealed that the protagonist in the new game will be very different from what we've come to expect from the series. In short, don't expect a Chris Redfield or Leon S. Kennedy this time around.
"You can’t be looking through the perspective of a macho, hero character because that’s not you at home," Nakanishi said. "Or maybe you are macho, I don’t know [laughs]. It’s sort of a powerless, ordinary person you’re playing as. We’re not really talking in too much detail about who they are right now, but they’re an ordinary person stuck in an extraordinary situation. I think that really brings the horror right to the fore."
Nakanishi also teased that the new game is indeed a sequel to Resident Evil 6 and that Resident Evil 7 isn't a reboot. He cites the new game's emphasis on mystery as the big change in the franchise:
After I say that and you try the demo, you may say 'Really?', because it looks nothing like any of that, but trust me. We need to have a bit of mystery in survival horror, so we’re trying to make you wonder when you play it how could this possibly be connected? That’s part of the appeal.
I want to give a reassuring message. I’ve seen from initial reactions of what we’ve put out that people are getting the impression that we’ve taken Resident Evil and turned it into some sort of supernatural, occult, ghost story. I think you can look at the trailer or the demo and get that impression, but don’t worry, we haven’t just thrown out Resident Evil as it exists and turned it into a ghost story. It will all make sense in the end.
In other news, Nakanishi clarified The Beginning Hour's role in the final release by assuring fans that Resident Evil is not morphing into a ghost story game.
"I think you can look at the trailer or the demo and get that impression," Nakanishi said in a blog post on the subject of the demo's supernatural style. "But don't worry, we haven't just thrown out Resident Evil as it exists and turned it into a ghost story. It will all make sense in the end."
Nakanishi goes on to state that the key pillars of the game are "fear and horror, exploration of the environment, puzzle-solving elements, resource management, and combat against enemies. Those are all in this game, but we wanted to start off with the first two – horror and exploration – and get you experiencing those two pillars up front."
Nakanishi continued to address the concerns of some franchise fans by stating that the quick time events that had become a part of the series as of late will not be present in Resident Evil 7.
The director confirmed to IGN that The Beginning Hour demo released during E3 2016 will not be part of the finished game. Instead, the demo's purpose is more about introducing the tone of the new game.
"The teaser demo is a bespoke experience that isn’t just a slice of gameplay from the main game," adding that it's "kind of a tonal preview instead of a content preview." Nakanishi described the game's key pillars as "fear/horror and exploration of an environment," two things that are clearly showcased in the demo.
Nakanishi also revealed that there's more to Resident Evil 7 that we didn't see in the demo, namely "puzzle solving, resource management, and combat. They’re all in there, but we’re focusing on horror has come home as a kind of theme for the teaser demo. So if you thought the games were going away from horror in previous years, this is just a statement of intent, purpose, to say it’s back."
Resident Evil 7 Details
YouTube channel YugaTech recently sat down with Masachika Kawata (Resident Evil 7 producer) who shared some interesting new details regarding the game. Here are some of the highlights:
- Resident Evil 7 will not feature a Mercenaries mode or any multiplayer component.
- You will not face off against hordes of enemies at once.
- While this game will be in first-person, Capcom is not committing to that style for the franchise moving forward.
- The game's save system will scale with the difficulty. The easiest mode will feature an auto-save component.
- Resident Evil 7 will continue some franchise plot elements.
- There will be a third demo for the game, but its release date is unknown.
- The game is linear and will not be split into separate chapters.
- Item boxes appear to be making a return as this sequel will emphasize resource management.