Think about Resident Evil for a second. Let’s consider what we might find essential in a game belonging to this series. I think zombies would come up first on the list. The Umbrella Corporation is another essential. We often follow the underdog who knows the truth as he or she attempts to expose or halt an evil company’s malicious plans. There’s a survival element, since we’re trying to stay alive despite the monstrous people and animals. Finally, it’s always been more of an active thriller, where we shoot down enemies frantically while accomplishing our goals. From what’s been shown of Resident Evil VII so far, it doesn’t seem to have any of those things. Everything we’ve seen so far doesn’t feel like Resident Evil .
Consider what we’ve seen of Resident Evil VII so far. The E3 2016 trailers were far more atmospheric than anything. We explore a house, encounter phenomena that seem supernatural, and never lift a finger to attack anyone or anything. It’s more about learning about the environment and experiencing unsettling things, rather than being an active participant. The demo that has been released is similar. It’s a first-person opportunity to solve puzzles and feel like you’re in a horrific situation, but there are extraneous items that do nothing and we don’t get much out of it. It’s the opposite of Resident Evil . If anything, it feels more like Silent Hill or the now defunct Allison Road .
People have had complaints about Resident Evil for a while. Recent installments haven’t gone with traditional zombies. Some campaigns in Resident Evil VI felt less thought out than others. They’d gone from survival horror and thrillers to more generic action games. Instead of Resident Evil VII ‘s demo and trailers addressing that and showing Capcom is committed to returning to the series’ roots, it feels as though it’s an attempt to replicate some other games’ souls, all because people liked the look of P.T. and Allison Road .
If it were copying these games and still retaining Resident Evil elements, it would be fine. But, it doesn’t appear to be. At this point, we’ve had to take Capcom’s word that Resident Evil VII will have weapons for attacking unknown monsters, herbs for healing, and zombies as threats. Nothing we’ve seen so far supports that. All it does promote is a game where things never feel right, jump scares and atmospheric events will be relied upon, and it’ll play mind tricks for the sake of playing mind tricks, rather than geniunely leaving us unsettled.
It’s like Capcom is forgetting the whole point of Resident Evil . It isn’t to make us feel like we’re there, personally exploring something spooky. The games tell a story. We’re guiding other people through it, which a third person perspective enforces. We’re detached. We’re also armed, competent people who gradually come to terms with and have a handle on a situation. While there is a sense of danger and unease, the games aren’t actually terrifying. They fall into the horror genre, yes, but they’re a realistic type of horror in spite of the zombies.
Perhaps that’s the most important takeaway of all. As improbable as Resident Evil ‘s zombies are, there’s an element of truth there. We see companies like Umbrella Corporation in our everyday lives. Our heroes and heroines are cops, soldiers, and first responders who would be the ones to stumble across such situations. The horror comes from knowing these things aren’t totally outlandish. Everything we’ve seen from Resident Evil VII doesn’t call back to that. It tries to be more like the supernatural and otherworldly Silent Hill , P.T. , and Allison Road . While there is a place for these games, it might not be the Resident Evil series.