Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

[DisturbedSwan]

Can you spoiler tag your latest post above please @Nag? Only glimpsed the first line, but saw things I didn't want to.

 

Anyhoo...played the first 100 minutes or so earlier.

 

I'm very impressed with it, I really wish I hadn't of played the Beginning Hour demo though as that pretty much ruined the surprise of the first hour of the game for me after you reach the house (guess the clue was in the name but I stupidly listened to some Journo's say it's not related at all to the game...), few different bits and pieces though and I liked the continuation of certain elements like finding the bolt cutters and fuse I wasn't able to find in the demo made things feel a bit different.

 

Absolutely adore the atmosphere already, it's just dripping with dread, what I wasn't expecting though is just how Resi it would feel, you walk along a corridor, see the flashing of lightning streaming in and rain pouring down the windows and you can't help but think of the Spencer Mansion from the original, even the animations when you pick up and examine an object remind me of that so much, I like the little touches like the wrist watch and the items too, all very Resi.

 

The bit where you reach the foyer in the main house, two stair cases going up either side, I was like this IS a new Spencer Mansion, this IS Resi, it's back! Felt great to just be in there.

 

The gameplay itself is cool, I'm getting a definite Outlast/Alien:Isolation kind of vibe with it, but it still manages to feel distinct enough and Resi enough for me personally to differentiate from those titles, it definitely isn't scary though, I just don't feel threatened at all by the Bakers really, you get a brief 'Ahh, gotta run' when they get in close but if they catch me I just jankily leg it away from them, no idea if I'm meant to be shooting or running most of the time either. The graphics and lighting effects are incredible too (although the character models are a tad ropey at times), it can be a gorgeous game when you're walking through a dimly lit corridor or something, evokes the Train from RE0 a bit and of course the Spencer Mansion in the original (I know I've mentioned this a lot).

 

 

The bit with Jack(?) Baker with the car was a bit weird really, I quite liked it actually but it definitely felt slightly out of place and a bit ropey when you were handling the car, I think there's probably more of those moments to come as I go through the game as well

 

Someone from the development team definitely saw the first season of True Detective as well, there's even a shot in the beginning cutscene which is pretty much ripped straight from that, love the whole deep South swamp vibe to it.

 

So yeah, I'm impressed, probably more impressed than I thought I'd be and can't wait to play more, hopefully put some more time in at the weekend.

 

A few pics:

 

[Hendo]

If anyone's seen the GB Quick Look, I've got as far as that video started.

 

I'd agree with Blakey that the demo (or one of them?) is in this so I knew what to expect. I'm not sensitive to spoilers but I was under the impression that it was a PT style taste of what to expect but not actually what you would be doing.

 

Due to playing at night with others in bed, I'm playing with headphones on which really helps ramp up the tension but also helps for being able to tell roughly where an enemy is.

 

As Nag said in the first post, there's a fair bit that will hopefully get explained!

"Aw no, Pa! Not again!" and all that.

[DisturbedSwan]

7 minutes ago, Nag said:

 

Which?... the Jack bit?... That's hardly a spoiler, what did you think would happen? You'd sit down and work things out over a cuppa?

 

For all I knew he was the final boss you fight once you've killed all the other Bakers or some shit, now I know that's probably not the case. 'Escaping the house' set my spoiler-sense off too.

 

Sorry, I don't mean to be a pain in the arse, I know I'm more sensitive to spoilers than others.

[DisturbedSwan]

Cheers @Nag  

 

And no, not really, I've played a few but not got more than 2 hours into most, only ones I've finished have been 5 and 6 

[Hendo]

@Nag, if an enemy is after me and I'm in the safe room, if I stay here will they eventually just fuck off? Or will I still have to leave and get past them?

 

I've had a second playable VHS tape which has had the biggest jump scare yet.

 

So far, definitely more questions than answers of what's going on.

[Hendo]

Had my first boss fight and ready to (at least initially) leave the house.

[Hendo]

Made a bit more progress earlier.

 

Looks like I'm going back to the house now I have a second animal key. I think there's been 3 types so far? So given that the game is meant to be about 10 hours long and I've done about 4, that adds up that I've done roughly half so far. Still another location at least to visit as yet.

 

Not really a spoiler this, given the Resi history, but if you don't dig insects and creepy crawlies in general, you might not want to give this a go. @radiofloyd, especially.

[radiofloyd]

13 hours ago, Hendo said:

Made a bit more progress earlier.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Looks like I'm going back to the house now I have a second animal key. I think there's been 3 types so far? So given that the game is meant to be about 10 hours long and I've done about 4, that adds up that I've done roughly half so far. Still another location at least to visit as yet.

 

 

Not really a spoiler this, given the Resi history, but if you don't dig insects and creepy crawlies in general, you might not want to give this a go. @radiofloyd, especially.

 

Good to know. This is the kind of information I wish was in every review! But this game has been getting excellent reviews so I probably will try it. Been meaning to pick up the remakes of Zero and Resi 1 on PC as well...I take it those have spiders too so.

[Hendo]

I seem to remember all of them having spiders. Zero certainly has leeches and a big scorpion.

[Sambob]

Played a bit of this on a mate's PSVR....Fuck that, fuck it.

[Hendo]

Keycard place? I've just unlocked that area with the key cards but did the "happy birthday" tape first. Quite a neat puzzle.

 

Are you bothering with the DLC? I remember the stuff in Resi 5 being really good but I think I'm gonna wait and see how it all pans out before buying the season pass. Or wait for the inevitable sale.

[Hendo]

Question about weapon switching.

 

I've now got 5 weapons. The first 4 have automatically plopped themselves in the quick select d-pad thing. I can't figure out how to swap them around. At the moment I've got a potentially powerful weapon that I haven't been able to use.

 

Am I missing something or is it a case of putting one back in the safe room box?

[Hendo]

Aha, yup that's it!

 

Also, toy weapons spoiler...

 

I read elsewhere that the toy axe and toy shotgun were important. And indeed now I have a better shotgun as the broken one is now fixed, and the toy axe got me another reload speed injection.

[Hendo]

Made my choice.

 

Chose Zoe as she was helping me and Mia lied to me a lot. I injected Jack, I guess that isn't something you have a choice in?

 

I'm intrigued to see how this pans out because I suspect Ethan is also infected, hence how his hand was re-attached so easily.

 

I think i'll be doing another run through soon enough.

[Hendo]

There's also the broken handgun you get near the start. Though I've only found one repair kit so far, and that was pretty well

hidden.

[Hendo]

Just finished. 

If you're where I think you are, Nag, you have a couple more sections to go.

 

Story spoilers:

 

It was an alright story, though I think I was expecting more of a substantial twist.

They more or less hinted that Ethan was infected seeing as his hand attached itself easily and he hallucinated seeing Eveline but never really went the full way with it.

 

And I know it's Resident Evil and they always have to go crazy by the end, but I could've done without the giant, mutated boss at the end.

 

Speaking of which, I'm not sure if old woman is meant to be the same person as Evie or one took over the other.

 

On the whole, I did enjoy it and a return to form for the series. I loved 5 in co-op but it was getting further away from the Resi formula and I skipped 6 entirely after playing the demo and hearing the bad reviews and general impressions.

This is pretty much like the first game but in first person.

[Hendo]

The game finishes in an hour or two for you, you'll find out soon enough.

 

If you must know.....

 

Wesker comes back from the dead again but this time gets eaten by a crocodile.

[DisturbedSwan]

Played another 3 hours or so yesterday, really starting to dig this game.

 

 

Carried on where I left off in the main house, made my way around working out the puzzle with the 3 headed dog. Looked upstairs avoiding one of the Bakers to find a tape, put it in the VHS player and was transported to another area with a few puzzles and a women with a lantern.

 

Finished all this and got transported back, opened up the Hologram puzzle in the foyer of the main house and made my way through to another save point, was then introduced shortly after to the Venom-like enemies, quite cool and remind me very much of the enemies seen in Revelations. Made my way down into the basement fending off some venoms, took me a few tries to realise what I was doing and whether or not it was worth spending the ammo on killing these fools, but eventually decided it was. Killed all of them that were in my way with the handgun (as I hadn't found the shotgun yet), unlocked a shortcut too.

Once I got the Scorpion Key from the Boiler Room I made my way back upstairs and unlocked Grandma's stash which included a broken shotty amongst other things, took this down to the shotty in the hall and picked it up, remember the note saying about a Grandfather Clock in the Living Room to so made my way back there and inserted the clock pendulum for another of the dog head pieces. Saved again and then made my way back under the Basement, picking up Shotgun Shells as and where I could, I knew a boss battle of some kind was coming up.

 

 

So yeah, a boss battle against

 

Jack Baker or whatever his name was, I enjoyed it but it was a bit odd and a bit janky, walking around with him trying to chainsaw you as you're attempting to chainsaw him is always going to be a bit odd, didn't quite know when I was or wasn't doing the right thing but after about 4 tries I managed to defeat him and move on. Unlocked the door outside and made my way to the cabin, unlocked some steroids here to increase my health and save my game and then made my way over to the new locale 'old house' which was now unlocked.

 

This new locale very much reminded me of Silent Hill, it was more deranged than anything I'd seen in RE and just exuded that kind of vibe for me. Explored it thoroughly and found lots of bugs (very much reminded me of the Bloatfly nests in Dishonored 2), eventually contructing a flamethrower type thing to deal with them. After a while I managed to find a save point and save my progress there after burning a load of nests and finding the handle (I think) I need to progress.

 

I really like it so far, the way the environs meld together is old school Resident Evil but also takes a bit of inspiration from Dark Souls I feel, the levels feel very well interconnected to one another and you'll come out of a safe room to think 'wait a minute I'm here?!' on multiple occasions.

 

So yeah, very much enjoying it, actually gone up in my estimations and with the venom creatures in the basement I've actually found it a bit scary for the first time.

[DisturbedSwan]

5 hours ago, Nag said:

Erm, do you not think writing how to solve actual puzzles is a rather large spoiler?... 

 

I wrote that last post when rather sozzled, didn't see the part you mentioned though, maybe the shotty puzzle? Anyway spoiler tagged all of it just to be sure.

[DisturbedSwan]

Another 3 hours played earlier.

 

Still really enjoying it, had to pull myself away from it earlier actually as I just wanted to carry on.

 

Carried on in the Old House,

 

Used the Crank to open up a bridge, grabbed the Crow Key then completed another of those shadow puzzles and made my way to a new part of the house, used the crank again to open a shortcut then made my way up the stairs to get the serum (or so I thought).

Then another boss battle of sorts occurred with Metarie (or whatever her name is) which was rather odd as you're pushed into a pit and have to shoot her in the head a good few times along with flaming the insects when she sets them on you. Thought she was defeated so went back up the stairs to discover the Serum mixture and a blocked door, went back to and heard a noise, went down the hole to find she'd transformed into a Laura-type enemy (from The Evil Within) so followed the hole and made my way up to find I was back in the courtyard, but now in a different locale.

Unlocked the shortcut back to the cabin (love how it's all interlocked), definitely starting to feel like 'home' that Cabin. Went back down and entered the Greenhouse area now, jumped out my skin when she emerges from the hole when you're going up the stairs and then another boss fight ensued.

Wasn't really prepared for this one, but managed with the shotty and burner, popped some stimulants too which showed me where some first aid meds were which helped a lot and she soon went down...in a rather strange manor, being petrified, intriguing. Unlocked a shortcut, made my way out and then made my way back to the cabin to discover things hadn't quite gone to plan with Zoe now being trapped along with Mia by Lucas.

So I made my way back into the house and into the depths with all the mutants to get the snake key, dodging the mutants now in the main house I unlocked the two snake doors, picked up the toy axe, shotty mould , 'happy birthday' tape and the two keycards (thought the time clock puzzle was an interesting touch).

The courtyard was no longer a safe place as I jumped out my skin when I saw mutants there, legged it to the cabin and saved. Popped the Happy Birthday tape in the player, absolutely loved it and managed to finish it (although got killed as the cake was rigged at the end), serious Saw vibes and knew it was a sign of things to come.

Came back out and had a little explore, luckily found the hidden projector puzzle so did that to get some stabiliser and then made my way into the fun house.

Crazy how different this area was aesthetically, with the fairy lights strewn everywhere and pounding dance music being blasted out of the speakers, as soon as I went in and it said 'let it begin' or something on the wall I knew I was right about my earlier Saw hunch from this new locale.

Proceeded to make my way through Lucas' traps and pitfalls, defeating a few monsters along the way (used the grenade launcher for the first time), had a gauntlet type vibe to it and a whole lot different from the other areas, I wonder whether Lucas hasn't got the powers his folks had? I know he can regenerate but I haven't seen he can manipulate the insects and black ooze like his folks did. Completed the birthday puzzle from the tape again (this time not picking up the winder hoping it would mean the bomb doesn't go off), I was right but Lucas cheats and throws in a bomb which I quickly managed to put threw a wall before it killed me.

Made my way to the safe room and left it there until next weekend, really wanted to play on but dinner was calling me. It's crazy how much the vibe of the game has changed in this last area, from classic Resi to something more akin to the Saw films, with the more youthful vibe of Lucas suiting the area perfectly.