Hey folks. It’s been a long time since I’ve done a game review and it is mostly due to the fact that I haven’t played a “new” game since Dishonored 2 came out. That being said, last week, the newest installment in the long standing Resident Evil franchise came out and I have played it and beat it and thought I’d share my…well thoughts. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it scary? Is it dumb? Is it #2Spooky? Let’s find out.

Story: You play as Ethan, a normal guy from normal town, and have to travel to the Louisiana Bayou to save your girlfriend, who has been missing for three years, but when you get there, you discover things are off and cray cray and you have to fight a crazy family and other evil beings. The story is pretty simple yet is also fairly outrageous and cheesy which is understandable, given that it is Resident Evil and is a horror game. Overall, it is pretty tame and doesn’t take away from the game as a whole. The story takes a backseat and lets the environment and action run the game and fills in the gaps later through short dialogue or files found throughout the game.

Gameplay: Despite the fact that the demo was similar to games like Outlast or Amnesia, this is very much a Resident Evil game. There are parts of the game where you have to run around and hide from enemies and think carefully about what to do and where to go, however the vast majority of the game is going through different houses, searching for loot and ammo, and facing enemies and bosses. Everything from the map to collectibles to keys used to open specific doors is absolutely Resident Evil. My biggest fault is that the game goes very action heavy towards the end but it is easily overlooked given the rest of the game.

Design: This game nails the formula for survival horror. You start out alone with no weapons and only your feet to get you away from enemies. Eventually, you get a gun and a knife and the ability to start fighting back. You have to balance everything. Do I use this ammo to kill this enemy or do I try to run away. Do I use this healing item or try to hold out for a little longer. Do I bring four weapons with no extra space or just one weapon and some space to collect things. Again, this is not Outlast and is very much a classic RE game with the biggest difference being that it is first person.

Presentation: This game does not look good, especially in comparison to other recent first person games like Battlefield or Dishonored. The game does look better when in dark hallways and at night (which is the majority of the game) but when it breaks from that, it is jarring and breaks immersion badly. It is not the worst looking game in the world. It is just average…..average……..

Other: This is not a perfect game by any means. It will probably not win any game of the year awards in December and many people will forget about this game in a few months (perhaps in a few weeks). But this game is a solid game and most importantly a return to form for Resident Evil and should be applauded and rewarded for it. This is good news for everyone.

Wrapping this up, Resident Evil 7 is a good game that you should consider playing if you are a horror fan, a survival horror fan, or a first person video game fan. It is a return to form and I can only hope Capcom continues to improve for RE 8 and not go back to the hot mess that was RE 6.

Story: 7
Gameplay: 8 
Design: 7
Presentation: 5
Other: 9

Score: 7.2

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