Resident Evil 7 was at NYCC with the Lantern demo. This demo offered the ability to play Resident Evil with the PSVR headset, really immersing you in the game. You may regret playing it though, because this game is really creepy.
The demo opened up as you are trying to run away from this horrifying woman. All you can do is run and hide. If you get seen, you’re toast.
As far as VR games go, Resident Evil 7 has one of the best control schemes I’ve used. Players move around like a normal first-person game, and walking is oriented to whatever direction you’re looking at. If you look to your left at a door while still walking forward, you’ll start to go left.
Additionally, the right stick (normally used to control the camera) now has these tank-like controls. You can rotate yourself in set angles using the right stick, allowing you to specify which direction you want to go/look at without having to contort yourself in your chair. The set angles of rotation also help keep nausea down, as the camera will not send you swirling away with the press of the stick.
While the demo is short, it still had just about everything you want in a Resident Evil game. There was minor puzzle solving, hiding from a scary monster woman, sneaking through a creepy, old house and more. Those who might be concerned by a switch to first-person shouldn’t be – all the elements that made past games fun are still here.
While you aren’t required to have a VR headset to fully enjoy Resident Evil 7, it does certainly help. Using the PlayStation Camera, the headset allows you to lean and peek around corners, or poke your head up from whatever you’re hiding behind. This level of immersion adds to the tension, as you crane your neck to see if the horrible woman is still around or if she’s left you safe for now.
The biggest take-away I had from the Resident Evil demo is there is so much more focus on actual horror gameplay this time around. Capcom seems to be aware that the previous action-oriented Resident Evil games aren’t what made the franchise so popular in the first place, it’s the scares and thrills the originals offered. This goal of slow pacing and proper horror certainly has shown itself, even in this small taste of the game.
Resident Evil 7 comes to PS4, Xbox One and PC on Jan. 24, 2017. So far, only PSVR support has been revealed for VR gamers.
So what do you think? Are you excited to try out the new approach to Resident Evil? Will you be playing in VR? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
