At Sony's E3 2016 conference gamer's got the first look at Capcom's "Resident Evil 7." "Resident Evil" has been one of Capcom's longest running and most successful franchises, with films, comics, novels and merchandise.
It is fair to say that at this point along with "Street Fighter," "Resident Evil" is Capcom's most important franchise. However the last main entry in the series, "Resident Evil 6," seemed to have missed the mark with many of its die hard fans as previously reported by Destructoid.
To be sure "Resident Evil 6" was huge and ambitious. The emphasis on action horror, however, disappointed many long time "Resident Evil" fans.
The "Resident Evil 7" trailer shown at E3 appears to redress fan concerns. "Resident Evil" set a dark, somber and creepy mood.
"Resident Evil 7" also feels as if Capcom wants to bring in fans, who were disappointed with the cancelation of Kojima's Silent Hills (P.T.). Nowhere is a zombie to be seen, or even one of the Las Plagas from "Resident Evil 4."
What is caught in the "Resident Evil" trailer is a newspaper headline of ghost sightings. Could "Resident Evil 7" be attempting to take the game in a new direction the way "Resident Evil 4" did?
Interesting to know then, that in an interview with GameSpot the producer of "Resident Evil 7" Masachika Kawata states that what is seen in the trailer was not in fact entirely from the game. Instead, it is from the playable E3 teaser.
In other words, the material seen in the trailer is independent of the final version of "Resident Evil 7." What he does indicate, however, is that "Resident Evil 7" will provide the atmosphere similar to what we saw in the E3 trailer, and will focus more on survival horror as opposed to action horror.
One interesting point that is noted in the interview is how much "Resident Evil 7" ties in with the established "Resident Evil" lore. Kawata did not give much away, only saying that herbs (the series' main healing resource) will be in the "Resident Evil" game - hardly an answer at all.
Whatever direction Capcom decides to take with "Resident Evil 7," it does appear they are listening to the fans. "Resident Evil 7" is scheduled for release on PS4 and Xbox One in January 2017.
