Resident Evil 7 biohazard will mark the major change that Capcom’s beloved survival horror series needed. The title represents a lot of firsts for the franchise, as it’s the first game in the series to support virtual reality, and switches from a third-person perspective to a first-person view. This decision has seen both a lot of support from fans and backlash, but it’s clear Capcom felt a change was needed.
We now know more about the decision to make such a drastic change as Resident Evil 7‘s producer Masachika Kawata spoke to Game Informer about it. “When we decided on the direction of focusing on horror, we thought that having a first-person perspective would be the most effective way to fully immerse the player in the experience,” revealed Kawata. “By making the player the main character, we believe they’ll be able to have a more personal connection to what’s going on and experience survival horror like never before.”
Kawata was also asked if Resident Evil 7 could use ideas that past first-person Resident Evil spin-offs (such as Umbrella Chronicles) implemented. Here’s what he told Game Informer:
“They are similar in terms of both having a first-person camera perspective, but they’re fundamentally two different types of games: one is on-rail shooting where the focus is shooting action that’s presented to you in a way where you experience it as it comes to you. RE 7 on the other hand is a more immersive campaign where you, the player, becomes the protagonist and must experience everything for yourself with more control over your interaction with the surroundings. So, although they both use first-person camera views, they’re intended to achieve different purposes.”
The full interview has a lot of other great quotes and insight from Resident Evil 7 producer Kawata, so be sure to check it out. Resident Evil 7 biohazard is set to release January 24, 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
(Source: Game Informer)
