Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Was Just What the Series Needed 5 Years Ago
It's hard to believe, but Resident Evil 7 turns five years old today. When it launched, RE7 performed something of a soft reset of the franchise by introducing a new protagonist, perspective, and threat. With the subsequent games in the series – be they remakes or entirely new entries – being more highly regarded than Resident Evil 5 and 6, it's easy to see that RE7's change of course is to thank for where the franchise is today, five years later.
Horror, in general, was in an interesting place before Resident Evil 7 back in 2017. It was a transitionary period for the genre, as longstanding franchises leaned into action elements, while new triple-a IP like The Evil Within and indie games like Outlast went back to the basics, emphasizing resource management and survival over fighting enemies. In Outlast's case, fighting enemies wasn't even an option.
RELATED: Resident Evil 7 Is Getting The Fan ‘Demake’ Treatment
At E3 2016, Resident Evil 7 was revealed during PlayStation's showcase, giving glimpses at the first-person perspective, dilapidated house, and enemies that players would face off against along the way. This time around, players would be looking through the eyes of protagonist Ethan instead of being locked in a third-person perspective. The Baker family was still mysterious, with Jack Baker taking center-stage as the primary antagonist in marketing material.
The response to the trailer was positive, as disenchanted fans mulled over the possibilities of what a return to the franchise's horror roots would look like on the PS4. There was a split over the shift to first-person, as fans debated whether it could still qualify as a proper Resident Evil game. In retrospect, the argument was a bit silly, as time has shown
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