Thankfully, critical reception from many reputable gaming outlets have already begun rolling in to help fans determine if Resident Evil 7 is up to snuff in terms of its overall quality. According to all of the reviews published so far, it seems as if the majority of critics are in agreement that the seventh installment in Capcom’s long-running survival-horror franchise is not only an excellent release in and of itself, but also just the shot in the arm the whole series needed to keep going.
After its announcement last year, Resident Evil 7’s developers made sure to mention how the game manages to walk the line in between being both totally familiar and unexpectedly fresh. As far as well-known franchise elements are concerned, Capcom has assured fans that there will be lots of instances of the release going back to the series’ gameplay roots with plenty of exploration and puzzle solving, as well as there being scarce ammunition and items in the title. When it comes to newly incorporated components, however, the developer has definitely made some major departures from previous entries, especially when one takes into account the camera’s placement being set in first-person perspective.
Of course, one of the determining factors in many gaming fans’ final decision to buy Resident Evil 7 on its first day of availability rests within the opinion of industry critics. So, without further ado, read on below to find out what reviewers thought about Resident Evil 7.
Polygon (Philip Kollar)
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.
Score: 9/10
GameSpot (Scott Butterworth)
By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that’s okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I’d survived a truly harrowing journey. 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.
Score: 8/10
IGN (Chloi Rad)
Score: 7.7/10
VideoGamer (Alice Bell)
Score: 7/10
Destructoid (Zack Furniss)
Score: 10/10
EGM (Ray Carsillo)
Score: 9.5/10
GamesRadar (Leon Hurley)
Score: 9/10
Game Informer (Andrew Reiner)
Score: 8.5/10
If the critics are to be believed, then Resident Evil 7 looks to be one of 2017’s first major releases with the potential to absolutely wow fans across the board. With this being the case, there’s a high chance that Capcom will be able to cinch its projection of the game surpassing 4 million units in day one sales.
Taking all of this into consideration, even though there have been reports that Resident Evil 7 can be beat in 10 hours, there are sufficient reasons to dive back into the game again after it has been completed. Not to mention, with Capcom having promised the release of free DLC this spring, Resident Evil 7 fans will surely be kept busy with an excellent assortment of post-launch content for the remainder of the year.
Resident Evil 7 is set to release on January 24, 2017 f0r PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, and Xbox One.
