Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

First thing's first. The name of the this game is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. However, the original title to the series was never Resident Evil, that only happened when the series was brought over to America. In fact the original Japanese title was... Biohazard. (I think when the game was first adapted for American audiences there was already a game called "Biohazard," hence the need for the title change.) So my question is this: Is the Japanese game called Biohazard 7: Biohazard?! Eh, just a confusing thought I had. Onto the post!

I've played a handful of scary games in my time. Silent Hill II, Amenesia: The Dark Descent, Eternal Darkness... these are all games that gave me the heebie-jeebies. (One of those games listed I still haven't beaten because it was all too panic inducing. This game, however... the seventh installment of the Resident Evil  franchise was a complete fucking terror. 

As I go through this game, I'm going to go through the elements I disliked the most and work up to what I love the best. 

Ok, so par to the Resident Evil franchise, easily the worst part of the game is the dialogue -- and to a larger extent the voice acting. Most of the lines spoken continue to sound wooden and stiff as if I were playing one of the first games from the series. On top of the that, some of the southern accents in this game (it takes place in a Louisiana bayou after all) are terrible. Listen to Zoe Baker's accent. I swear she keeps drifting into some weird-sounding British dialect. The content of those lines are also either heavy on exposition or another tired excuse on why no one can talk about said exposition -- it's quite literally one or the other. I mean, this franchise known for its convoluted plots (maybe it's not as bad as say, Metal Gear, but it's not great) and is typically forced into explaining some weird scientific-horror mumbo-jumbo in a way that people can comprehend so they don't lose touch with any emotional ties audiences have with the characters. The answer to pulling this off usually comes down having the characters explain it to one another in a very bland, inorganic  fashion --  it's ain't pretty, but it gets the job done. I will say, to keep you in the dark on what's happening, as your main character (a guy named Ethan) keeps trying to figure out what's going on, he gets the old "There's no time, I can't tell you!" right before you spend 10 minutes walking along with the person in silence who clearly can't be bothered to give some fundamental facts on what the fuck is actually going on. Ugh... the dialogue is a point of a frustration for me.

TL;DR: The dialogue is not the best. Nothing new to a Resident Evil  game, but this installment doesn't do much to raise that bar. 

What about the story?

The story... it's not half bad. Without giving too much away, the narrative structure was decent. There was an exciting build, some interesting reveals, and somewhat complex characters with fun arcs. Like I mentioned, I really don't want to give anything away as the game has only been around for a week with few having the opportunity to grab it. More to the point, this is a game I expect everyone to play, because...

The ambiance. The best part of the this game -- the element that invokes the most fear and allows you to completely immerse yourself in the game's world -- is the ambience. Prior to this game, I would have given Silent Hill 2 my nod for best horror ambiance. But, now... fuck no. Resident Evil 7 completely transports you to place of pure terror, vulnerability, apprehension, and goddamn excitement. 

Example, I let Zoë try her hands at the opening of this game. (Roughly the 30min of gameplay.) She got about 5 minutes in before she threw down the controller. Then I continued to play for her, having her watch form the back of the room. It wasn't long before I turned around and saw her doubled-over with tears streaming down her face just because the game was too intense. And I can't fault her. It's terrifying.  

Part of the success in the ambiance is due to the environment. This isn't some giant overwhelming map with hordes and hordes of villains in it. No, it's actually quite a contained map -- intimate even -- that forces you to revisit old areas again and again with the potential of unlocking secrets that were at one point, unaccessible. Like most Resident Evil games, the ammo is sparse and your inventory is extremely limited. That said, there's a lot of back and forth between save points forcing the player to serious consider what guns or items are necessary, and what you can do without. This means you're never as prepared as you would want to be adding into that layer of vulnerability that keeps the ambiance as terrifying as it does.

Without a doubt, there's a great deal more I can say about this game. What does it mean to the franchise? How does this fit in with the classic tropes of Resident Evil, meaning Umbrella Corporation and the T-virus? Where does this game lie in the Resident Evil timeline? All questions I would love to mull over with your folks, but first thing's first...

Play this fucking masterpiece. (Preferably with a change of underpants nearby.)