Some of the reviews of Resident Evil 6 were brutal. Many fans even went as far as talking about the "death" of the franchise, an expression probably exaggerated, but that clearly reflects the disappointment of players with certain creative decisions made by Capcom. Even so, very soon the seventh installment of Resident Evil will arrive, which also adopts the title known to the saga in Japan, Biohazard. The "survival horror" label is still there, but with a first-person perspective, how much of the original essence remains?
"The way I always think about this is that if Resident Evil represents a child, then the fans and we the creators are its parents. The resulting games are like children born from both. And just like parents in real life, you won't always agree on what's best for raising that child. We listen to the fans, but we can't be 'tied' to them at every turn, or I think we won't manage to make progress in the development of the series."
Selected passages and a humble translation from an interview that the executive producer of Resident Evil 6, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, gave to the official PlayStation blog in October 2012 (the original text is here). Despite having sold more than six million copies, the specialized press declared that Resident Evil 6 completely abandoned "survival horror", falling into an excess of QTEs, and if we follow Kobayashi's vision... fans want a divorce. Will there be reconciliation? That basically depends on Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which at Gamescom 2016 presented a new trailer.
While you enjoy the video, let's remember that Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is indeed a direct sequel to Resident Evil 6, and although the player can find several references to previous titles, none of the classic characters will return. The most important difference, and by far the one that has divided fans the most, is the change of perspective. Resident Evil 7 eliminates QTEs, but is played in first person, and the situation of the main character is very delicate, in which he must resort to stealth movements, puzzle solving, and careful management of limited resources. The "gameplay" in this trailer follows the line of the famous "found footage" format (something that will be repeated in the game as VHS tapes that the player can play "and" play as flashbacks), and everything seems to indicate that the lady with the lamp is relentless in her pursuit.
Conclusions? None, since the game debuts next January 24, but if we have to compare... titles like Amnesia, Outlast, or Alone in the Dark come to mind if it were converted to an FPS (which personally should never happen). Capcom knows it walks on glass with Resident Evil, and this seventh installment is no exception. The title is already in preorder at a value of $60, with versions for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
