Reviews of Capcom’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard bare a few recurring opinions. Almost every critic claims that it’s an ideal place for franchise newcomers to start, and that it’s also the best RE in years. In fact, it was refreshing to see one critic gleefully report that it’s the best survival horror since Alien: Isolation, as most compare it to RE4 – the franchise benchmark.
Critics are almost entirely in agreement that it’s a decent mixture of ideas old and new, and despite the new perspective it still has the soul of a Resident Evil game. That’s something we’re sure fans will be pleased to hear.
Scores so far include top marks from Destructoid, The Guardian, The Daily Dot and God is a Geek, plus a long list of 8/10s. Time was the only outlet far from smitten, reporting that it’s hard to know who it’s aimed at. With such contrasting opinions, it’s a review that’s worth a read. Keep scrolling down and you’ll eventually find it:
10/10 – God is a Geek: “The pacing is perfect, always keeping it moving at a steady rate, and it changes things up constantly, so it never gets old. No mean feat for a game that lasts 8-10 hours”
10/10 – Destructoid: “Resident Evil 7 went beyond my expectations, and I feel we have an instant classic here. I want to jump back in right now, and I have a feeling I’ll be doing so for years to come”
5/5 – The Daily Dot: “Resident Evil 7 is a delightfully layered experience, managing to carve its own identity even if its influences are easy to spot. It not only borrows from other first-person survival horror games but from the Resident Evil series itself”
5/5 – The Guardian: “Reinventing older game series’ to fit ever expanding technological boundaries while maintaining their quiddity is one of the great challenges in game design. Indeed, it’s one that Resident Evil’s creators have failed to meet on numerous occasions. Resident Evil 7, by contrast, is a masterclass: breezily new, yet quintessentially in character with its illustrious forbearers”
9.5 – EGM: “This is easily the best Resident Evil game in years. It masterfully blends Eastern and Western horror sensibilities into a truly terrifying package that also harkens back to the series’ roots”
4.5/5 – IB Times UK: “Despite some small niggles – such as stealth being so rudimentary it feels redundant, and the aforementioned uninspired late-game location – this is the best horror game since Creative Assembly’s wonderful Alien Isolation”
4.5/5 – GamesRadar: “Compared to the bloated action of the last few installments this is literally a Resi revelation, executing modern horror ideas, interesting characters, locations, and a fantastic atmosphere to create something that can stand proudly among its sources. It’s about as an essential a horror experience as you can get”
9.0 – Polygon: “It’s hard to know if Resident Evil 7 will stand the test of time as much as classics like the original, or RE4. Taken on its own, however, it’s an excellent game that pushes the series in worthy new directions”
8.5 – GameInformer: “Capcom has successfully reinvented Resident Evil in the past, the most notable deviation being the brilliant Resident Evil 4. This new vision doesn’t reach the same heights of spectacle and gameplay innovation as that breakthrough release, but is a welcome addition to the series (both in terms of gameplay and lore), and a nice entry point for newcomers”
8/10 – GameSpot: “The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special”
8/10 – The Metro: “Even if it’s not an all-time classic Resident Evil 7 does more than enough to rejuvenate the reputation of the franchise, and is a great game in its own right”
4/5 – Giant Bomb: “Resident Evil 7 features just the right amount of modern twists mixed into the traditional formula. It may not reach the same heights as an industry-changer like Resident Evil 4, but it certainly ranks among the best entries in the series”
4/5 – US Gamer: “It’s a bit on the short side and the latter chunk of the game is rather linear, but Resident Evil 7 absolutely recaptures the feeling of survival horror established in the first game”
4/5 – The Telepgraph: “There are glimpses of true brilliance, but they are too fleeting, too wrapped up in small flaws and familiarity to raise this beyond very good horror. But, my word, this is very, very good horror”
7.7 – IGN: “RE7 is a fresh take on the Resident Evil series that fondly recalls the classics even as it takes a bold new direction”
7/10 – VideoGamer: “There are some fantastic environments and old school style puzzles in Resi 7. The final section stops being survival horror and becomes a bit of a clunky linear shooter, but the first few hours are scary enough to put you off Louisiana for life”
2.5/5 – Time: “[But] survival horror is a crowded space in 2017, and too much of what Resident Evil 7 is up to we’ve seen elsewhere — and done better”
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is out tomorrow on PS4, Xbox One and PC.