Resident Evil 7: A Wild Roller Coaster Ride

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I heard a strange knocking sound coming from the door to the basement. I cautiously stepped closer, my heart racing as I pondered what could be back done there. I turned the handle and slowly began to push the door open. It creaked as I powered into the dark depths of the basement, the thick cloud of blackness prevented me from analyzing my surroundings. I began to carefully creep down the steps as I began to hear someone breathing heavily. Suddenly, the lights flashed on. My eyes widened in horror as I gazed down at a contorted woman crawling up the stairs. As soon as I noticed this I was once again shrouded in darkness. I panicked, unsure of what to do I stood there in terror. With a flash the lights were on once again. Staring me directly in the face was a distorted and twisted face of a woman. She screamed as she picked me up with one hand and effortlessly sent me flying through the door I had come through, directly into the wall behind it. These sorts of encounters are numerous in Resident Evil 7. I found that as soon as I hopped on the tracks of the roller coaster ride it takes you on, there is no way in hell you can get off.

(Oww please don't do that,)

I began the game in a cut scene where two videos of a woman talking to her husband through a video camera occur. Both videos are radically different, the second of which soon hinted why my character, Ethan, would be going on a terrifying journey. The reason being that the woman in the two videos was his wife, Mia, who I soon discovered had been missing for 3 years.

(Video 1)

(Video 2)

I arrived at the location that the video Mia had sent to Ethan had been addressed from. It was a large old house somewhere in rural Louisiana. The dilapidated estate looked as though it had been abandoned for years. It stood vacantly staring back at me as I evaluated my surroundings. I soon discovered that the main gate was locked, predictable. I quickly found a way in through a broken fence. Nearby was a van that looked like it had been there awhile. Both the van and the fence had strange writing on them. At first glance it looked as though the notes had been written in blood, but I must’ve been imagining that obviously.

(I think I'd rather not)

Soon enough I had made my way to the back of the house, on the way there I caught a glimpse of someone walking towards the house. Unfortunately I was unable to locate them and ask them about my character’s missing wife and her whereabouts. Thankfully for me as I walked closer to the house I discovered that the back door was open. Obviously the right thing to do in this situation was go into the creepy house, not turn back and be safe. So, sure enough I stepped into the dark room. As I made my way in the door quickly shut behind me. I turned in fright as it slammed, I reached for the handle to open the door and of course, I was locked in.

(The Ghost Hunters exploring the abode)

I decided to make the best of this opportunity and explore the house. Ethan was probably fairly hungry, so as I entered their kitchen I figured why not check if there’s anything good to eat in the crockpot. Upon further inspection several cockroaches skittered out of the pot and onto Ethan causing him to freak out. If there was no food then he might as well check what’s on TV. After searching for clues I found a VCR tape, shortly after that I found a VCR player and a TV. So convenient! I grabbed the tape from my inventory, put it in, and pressed play.

(What's up producer guy? Where have you been? Ooohhhhhh...)

Instead of watching the video from the perspective of Ethan, the tape actually gave me the ability to play as the guy with the camera in the film. I was completely surprised by this perspective, honestly I thought it was a pretty incredible way to connect the player even more with the story. I took on the role of a cameraman for what appeared to be a rip off of the show, Ghost Hunters. My new character, the producer and the star of the show all made their way into the house. Not too long afterwards the producer suddenly vanished in the kitchen Ethan had just been in. In a state of panic they frantically searched for the missing man and ended up going into the room with the same TV I was watching their film on. The ghost hunters soon discovered a secret passage in the room, a nice hint for Ethan to use to continue his journey in search for his wife. As I crawled through the secret passage as the cameraman I felt a chill run down my spine, something terrible must’ve happened to the producer. Once I had crossed through the door I found a ladder leading into what could only be the basement. After making my way down I found the producer standing in the corner like the end of The Blair Witch Project. After tapping his shoulder he limply fell onto me as he had been loosely hung up[ by his mouth on a meat hook. A panic ensued as some creepy guy attacked the two men as the camera faded to black.

(That's what happens when you don't eat your veggies)

After the movie ended I wasn’t exactly ecstatic about heading through the secret passage into the place where 3 men were likely murdered. Nonetheless, I mustered the courage to venture forth, hopefully in the direction of Ethan’s wife. After some making my way though some roadblocks, with emphasis on practically running into the dead body of the producer I managed to find a small cell deep within the basement. As I peered inside I could see that a woman was sleeping on the bed, I thought that it had to be Mia. After discovering a locked door for the third time I looked around and discovered the conveniently well placed bolt cutters nearby. I grabbed the cutters and made short work of the chain lock on the door to the small room. I burst into the room and made my way to the bed expecting the woman to be dead or a zombie both outcomes seemed equally as likely to me at the time.

(Mima always shows up in the weirdest places and shortly disappears, she's cool though)

I found Mia! I woke her up quickly, sadly her memory was hazy she even questioned why Ethan was there. This led to one of the most awkward reunions I had ever witnessed as she explained she didn’t send the tape of her telling him to rescue her. She also didn’t appear to care too much about seeing her husband for the first time in years. I wasn’t sure if she was in shock or absolutely nuts because of the predicament she had been stuck in for three years. I would end up finding out the answer to this question very soon, the results of which Ethan would never forget. As we left the room she began muttering things to herself. Finally she spoke after ignoring many of Ethan’s questions, she began to repeat it over and over, “We have to go Daddy is going to come back”.

("Daddy" tried to teach me to drive, it didn't go according to plan)

After putting roughly five hours into Resident Evil 7, I am both surprised and thrilled about the game. It grabbed my attention as soon the game began and has caused me to yell and scream in fright many times. After waiting in anticipation for this game to come out for what felt like forever I have to say I was surprised by it. Resident Evil 7 is nothing like I thought it would be, but for one of the first times this surprise was extremely positive. It’s a much more cinematic and thrilling experience than I ever imagined it to be. I firmly believe that Capcom has made something incredible with it and hopefully can turn the Resident Evil franchise around because of it. If you like the franchise, horror games, lots of action and unique experiences you have to give this game a try. I know that I will personally be spending the free time I have in the next few days grinding through the rest of the game. Resident Evil 7 has me absolutely hooked.