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What We Know About ‘Resident Evil 7’
Capcom made good on their promise to not do anything like Resident Evil 6 ever again when they pulled the blood-soaked sheet off the next installment in the main series, signaling what will almost certainly be the most drastic shake-up yet for the two decade-old franchise.
Resident Evil 7 is a first-person survival horror game set in modern day rural America after the events in Resident Evil 6. It represents quite a few firsts for the series, such as its being designed to support, but not require, virtual reality headsets like PlayStation VR. It’s powered by the new VR-friendly RE engine, and will introduce a “complete refresh of gameplay systems,” starting with the welcome removal of quick time events.
That’s right: Resident Evil 7 won’t have a single QTE.
As far as fresh starts go, this one is going to be comprehensive. Capcom’s Koshi Nakanishi told Polygon it’s lead character will be a fresh face who definitely won’t be another “macho superhero” type, nor will they be a series regular.
A team of about 120 developers are involved, compared to the more than 600 people who worked on Resident Evil 6. That’s a very good thing, and so is the return of healing herbs. Maybe they’ll bring back the yellow ones.
You might’ve heard about the demo, Resident Evil 7 Teaser: Beginning Hour. It ties directly into the KITCHEN VR demo that traumatized numerous unsuspecting attendees at E3 2015, and it features roughly 20 minutes of content, none of which we’ll see in the final release. Capcom decided to make the demo a standalone experience so they could introduce fans to the tone and atmosphere they’re going for without spoiling anything.
It’s available to download right now, for free, on the PlayStation Store. PS Plus subscribers have first dibs, but the demo will be coming to “other platforms at a later date.”
Resident Evil 7 releases on January 24, 2017 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
There’s still much we don’t know, but that’s obviously going to change in the coming months. In the meantime, I’m eager to know what you think, based on what we’ve seen and know so far.
What’s your first impression of this bold new direction?
All of us here at Bloody Disgusting are deeply sad to learn that The Blob director Chuck Russell has passed away at 74 years old.
Russell’s career began with his directorial debut, 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
The multihyphenate film director, screenwriter, and producer is best known for helming 1994 comedy The Mask starring Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner Eraser, and adventure spinoff The Scorpion King. The latter served as the first leading role for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The filmmaker left an indelible mark on horror with his ANOES sequel, 1988’s The Blob, and 2000’s Bless the Child.
Russell’s final film credit is 2024’s Witchboard remake starring Madison Iseman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), and Jamie Campbell Bower (“Stranger Things”).
It marked Russell’s return to horror after a lengthy hiatus, and he shared sequel hopes to Bloody Disgusting in an interview ahead of the remake’s release: “I got to design the board with real mystical symbols and things that I know represent good and evil, and where that board takes us if the audiences respond to the film, and I hope they will; I know it’s out there for you guys, but the sequel is a world we’ll get to go a little further. That’s sure the intention.”
He also recently expressed interest in returning to the franchise that began his career.
TMZ notes that Russell passed away at his San Diego-area home.
We send our deepest condolences to Chuck Russell’s family, friends, and fans.
Director, Co-Writer & Producer Chuck Russell behind the scenes of the horror film, WITCHBOARD. Photo courtesy of The Avenue and Atlas Distribution
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