Is Resident evil 7 best RE game ever? if so why?

[PapaGreg096]

Well, its not really a resident evil game. Its Outlast YouTuber bait. I mean its actually a little gross how obviously its ripping off more modern survival horror games. I half expect Resident Evil 8 to take place in a Pizzeria, with evil animitronic bears attacking you, and everyone like totes amazed at this clever and new take on horror, and also it has slenderman and 'self-aware' anime girls changing the script.

As far as best, nah. It's better than most, but most RE games are utter dog shit. 1 was okay, better in the remake, 0 was okay, 2 was okay, 4 was the best and Outbreak was neat.
The 20 something others? Not so much.

There is a huge ass difference between inspired by and a rip off, its not like Resident Evil 7's gameplay can be bogged down to stealth or running away.

Yes, they added combat and other Resident Evil trappings. In the same way you can add a new paint job and change the plates, and boom, you have a new car.

They are not the exact game, of course. But the similarities are so extreme and blatant, it's hard to imagine the pitch meeting was anything but Suits watching Pewdiepies Let's play of Outlast and saying "make that, but different enough we can't get sued."

Resident Evil 7 has at most 3 things in common with Outlast those are hardly "extreme and blatant" similarities, was Resi 7 inspired by Outlast maybe but to say its a rip off is going too far.

 

[kenu12345]

It definitely is my favorite I played in a while and served as a great first vr game. I love how well designed things felt, how unique the baker estate feels, just like the spencer mansion, and I love how it rewards you with in game rewards for finishing the game and other such stuff. Honestly i think its a good step for the series and I been loving the dlc so I can't wait to see where this path leads

 

[thepyrethatburns]

Nah, I'm going to go with Resident Evil Dead Aim.

 

[B-Cell_v1legacy]

Nah, I still prefer classic ones with fixed camera angles.

(I also think alot of people hypocritically praise RE4, but bash 5 and 6, when 5 and 6 just expanded on what 4 was)

This. RE4 is the same as 5 and 6 but with shittier controls.

Agreed! 4, 5 and 6 were mainly for people who enjoy action-shooters. If you are a fan who doesn't like that style, those games completely isolate you.

im a fan of action shooters but i hate resi 5 and 6. they are bad action games.

in resident evil 6 entire game has cutscene after 10 min, QTE, follow this that. its call of duty.

resident evil 7 is pure horror game and very much step forward.

 

[Major_Tom]

Agreed! 4, 5 and 6 were mainly for people who enjoy action-shooters. If you are a fan who doesn't like that style, those games completely isolate you.

But, like B-Cell said, they're bad even as action games. I enjoy other OTS 3rd person action-horror games like Alan Wake, Dead Space and more recently Evil Within, and they are all much better than RE4-5-6 (except for DS3).

 

[B-Cell_v1legacy]

Agreed! 4, 5 and 6 were mainly for people who enjoy action-shooters. If you are a fan who doesn't like that style, those games completely isolate you.

But, like B-Cell said, they're bad even as action games. I enjoy other OTS 3rd person action-horror games like Alan Wake, Dead Space and more recently Evil Within, and they are all much better than RE4-5-6 (except for DS3).

Alan wake is such a great game. incredibly underrated and one of the best third person horror game.

remedy really rocks.

 

[stroopwafel]

I think what separates RE4 from 5 or 6 is that it still has the same atmosphere as the previous games but now with the focus on action. It felt like a genuine evolution from a formula that(back then) was getting pretty stale while RE5 and 6 were just Gears of War clones. Though, I actually quite liked the Leon chapter of RE6 which would have actually been pretty good without the mandatory AI partner.

I enjoyed Outlast(only played the first one) but RE7 handles that game's concept far more superiorly. In the opening of the game when you get introduced to the Bakers it's actually quite similar to Outlast but the pattern in which Jack chases you isn't scripted so in that sense it's more akin to Alien Isolation. Before that has a chance to get boring you have to figure out classic RE puzzles while gradually being introduced to some action so the game never gets as passive as those stealth horror games. Speaking of puzzles the 'birthday room' is probably the best puzzle of any game ever. Finally the game becomes more of a first person action game so you can unload all the accumulated stress of being chased by the Bakers and exact some revenge.

Other than RE7 being incredibly atmospheric it's also structured in a way that makes it more fun than Outlast or Alien Isolation. It never becomes monotonous or frustrating. I do agree that there aren't many monsters but I think that would also detract from the primary focus of the game which is the Baker family and Eveline. With the item management, puzzles, backtracking and soothing save room music I did still feel like I was playing a genuine classic RE game instead of just Condemned 3: Resident Evil. This is probably also one of the few genuinely awesome VR experiences though I haven't tried that yet.

 

[dscross]

I think what separates RE4 from 5 or 6 is that it still has the same atmosphere as the previous games but now with the focus on action. It felt like a genuine evolution from a formula that(back then) was getting pretty stale while RE5 and 6 were just Gears of War clones. Though, I actually quite liked the Leon chapter of RE6 which would have actually been pretty good without the mandatory AI partner.

RE4 never felt like an evolution of the series to me. It felt like a complete change - and it's also the reason why 5 and 6 exist. I think if Capcom felt they HAD to change the style for sales (I'm still not entirely convinced of that), it would have made more sense to make something more akin to the current RE7 style of gameplay - that would have sat much better with me at the time and would have been much more true to the series.

The Resident Evil games were never supposed to be about action - they were focussed on exploration, puzzles, scarcity and suspense (as in you always feel scared to proceed to the next unexplored area on first play through). Those are the features they needed to keep and most of the original fans would have accepted it like that. Heavy action set pieces with lots of things to fight was never part of that set up.

I know a lot of people love RE4, and some people called it 'Resident Evil for a new generation' and more power to those people and to the action-shooter fans it brought on board, but it was not a welcome change for a lot of fans of the originals at the time. I'm just not into action-heavy games - it's not why I play Resident Evil.

By contrast, while I still prefer the original style, RE7 is a massive leap towards where they were before, to me, and I much prefer it for that reason.

 

[stroopwafel]

RE4 never felt like an evolution of the series to me. It felt like a complete change - and it's also the reason why 5 and 6 exist. I think if Capcom felt they HAD to change the style for sales (I'm still not entirely convinced of that), it would have made more sense to make something more akin to the current RE7 style of gameplay - that would have sat much better with me at the time and would have been much more true to the series.

I think it's good when developers mix things up instead of providing the same experience over and over. Before RE4 you had RE 1-3, Code Veronica, RE0, RE Remake, Silent Hill, Clock Tower, Dino Crisis..the list goes on and on. The template made popular by the original Resident Evil was getting pretty stale by the time RE4 was released and I think it's a bold move by Mikami to make something completely new(coincidentially providing a similar template for third person shooters). It's a phenomenal game which magic couldn't be recaptured by it's weak sequels. I disagree RE4 wasn't true to the series as it still maintained the same atmosphere as the previous games(something RE5 and 6 definitely lost) but shifted it's priorities to action. Which was also implemented in a way that didn't detract from the oppressive dread again staying true to the game's horror roots. It was a fine balancing act that Mikami pulled off remarkably well and one which gameplay remains the most fun in the entire series. To this day it's tight and responsive with an entire zoo of monsters to fight. Game is 13 years old but still better than 99% of third person shooters.

 

[dscross]

I think it's good when developers mix things up instead of providing the same experience over and over. Before RE4 you had RE 1-3, Code Veronica, RE0, RE Remake, Silent Hill, Clock Tower, Dino Crisis..the list goes on and on. The template made popular by the original Resident Evil was getting pretty stale by the time RE4 was released and I think it's a bold move by Mikami to make something completely new(coincidentially providing a similar template for third person shooters). It's a phenomenal game which magic couldn't be recaptured by it's weak sequels. I disagree RE4 wasn't true to the series as it still maintained the same atmosphere as the previous games(something RE5 and 6 definitely lost) but shifted it's priorities to action. Which was also implemented in a way that didn't detract from the oppressive dread again staying true to the game's horror roots. It was a fine balancing act that Mikami pulled off remarkably well and one which gameplay remains the most fun in the entire series. To this day it's tight and responsive with an entire zoo of monsters to fight. Game is 13 years old but still better than 99% of third person shooters.

I get what you are saying, but if you don't like that style of gameplay, it means nothing. It just feels like butchering one of your favourite series. I love nearly all of those old-school survival horror games you mentioned (apart from Dino Crisis - I didn't like that one). They are arguably one of my favourite types of game. I'd argue that they only felt stale to the people who didn't like them as much. They don't make games like that at all now. As I said in the paragraph below the one you snipped, the Resident Evil games were never supposed to be about action - they were focussed on exploration, puzzles, scarcity and suspense - heavy action set pieces with lots of things to fight was never part of that set up.

In my mind, I'm pretending 4-6 never existed because they weren't Resident Evil for me. If you like RE4, good for you, but it's just not my type of game and as a long time fan of the old-school style, I simply can't concede that it felt like a 'natural evolution' of the series. Yey for RE7 and a (partial) return to form.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I think if Capcom felt they HAD to change the style for sales (I'm still not entirely convinced of that), it would have made more sense to make something more akin to the current RE7 style of gameplay - that would have sat much better with me at the time and would have been much more true to the series.

Developers at Capcom at the time were asking to get transferred to other projects, because they were so sick of making the same Resident Evil game over and over and over again. That's how much the stagnation had set in with the current formula.

 

[dscross]

I think if Capcom felt they HAD to change the style for sales (I'm still not entirely convinced of that), it would have made more sense to make something more akin to the current RE7 style of gameplay - that would have sat much better with me at the time and would have been much more true to the series.

Developers at Capcom at the time were asking to get transferred to other projects, because they were so sick of making the same Resident Evil game over and over and over again. That's how much the stagnation had set in with the current formula.

Dude there are loads of franchises that keep the basic formula but just change it up a little bit and are successful. Look at Nintendo franchises. There are other ways to change it up other than completely changing a series into an action shooter franchise. I don't like action shooters. RE7 style works better for me.

Anyway, I realise you love RE4 and I'm not taking that away from anyone, but some fans simply don't like that kind of game.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

(I also think alot of people hypocritically praise RE4, but bash 5 and 6, when 5 and 6 just expanded on what 4 was)

I never got that either, I see RE4 as the game that made the series spiral downwards (Even though I enjoyed RE5).

I agree. resident evil 4 was one of the most overrated game ever. then they released resi 5 and 6 where 6 is worst by far.

Resi 7 is huge stepforward.

I actually enjoyed RE5 quite a bit more than RE4, mostly because of how great of an antagonist Wesker was and how great of protagonists Chris and Sheva was. RE6 was just horrible though, it took me 4 years to finally finish that slog.

Loved RE7 even if it didn't really have any recognizable characters

Spoiler

(I don't like the redesign and voice change for Chris)

or zombies.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

The first one is still the best...it must be because it spawned a shed load of crappy sequels and terrible films. That the franchise dropped so low that the new game seems good speaks volumes to the low bar modern gamers set on 'good' games.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

yes. Because I'm done with the old bumbling style and am not going back. No nostalgia seemed to take root then, or perhaps it did until I tried playing them again, can't say for sure, never quite got the love for it, but maybe am soulless husk devouring all remnants of childish glee, a stumbling thirst lost amongst their past's debris, couldn't say for sure but the allure just kinda kept eluding me

 

[Casual Shinji]

Dude there are loads of franchises that keep the basic formula but just change it up a little bit and are successful. Look at Nintendo franchises. There are other ways to change it up other than completely changing a series into an action shooter franchise. I don't like action shooters. RE7 style works better for me.

Anyway, I realise you love RE4 and I'm not taking that away from anyone, but some fans simply don't like that kind of game.

Nintendo had/has a variety of different types of genres though. At the time, with Resident Evil, Onimusha, and Dino Crisis, Capcom was pretty knee deep in the RE formula. It's just to show that even people at Capcom were kinda sick of making this type of game. Not to mention that most of these games were following eachother in rapid succession.

And if you remember, these games did go through a change before RE4; Both the first Dino Crisis and Code Veronica tried fully rendered backgrounds with questionable results, Onimusha and Dino Crisis 2 went for faster, action focused gameplay. But they always remained stuck in this rigid formula. If you count the RE franchise along with Onimusha and Dino Crisis, that's at least 11 games back to back with nearly the exact same formula - They needed to take a broom to this thing. Just like the needed to by the end of RE6. I mean, I don't care for RE7, but it's better they did something like that then continue on with the franchise as they were, no matter how much I dislike the FPS indie horror genre.

 

[Hawki]

Agreed! 4, 5 and 6 were mainly for people who enjoy action-shooters. If you are a fan who doesn't like that style, those games completely isolate you.

4 is very debatable there. It's hardly an "action shooter." If you play it like an action shooter, you're going to end up very dead, very quickly (or in my case, insanely low on ammo when I played it the first time.) RE4 is, IMO, the perfect middle ground between old and new Resident Evil. It's got far better controls for one thing. It's got enough action moments to keep you tense, and enough ammo to stay alive, but not so much that you can just blast through everything without consideration (I soon learned that I really needed to use the knife more and be far more selective in where I shot the enemies). RE5 does veer too much into action for my liking (even if I still like the game) - perhaps the most telling is when you have on rails shooting sections, and have cover sections against ganados with miniguns.

Nah, I'm going to go with Resident Evil Dead Aim.

Heh, ya "don gua."

I think what separates RE4 from 5 or 6 is that it still has the same atmosphere as the previous games but now with the focus on action. It felt like a genuine evolution from a formula that(back then)

Agree with this...

while RE5 and 6 were just Gears of War clones.

Though not this, at least for RE5 (can't comment on 6). They both have over the shoulder shooting with AI partners, but they're different. Gears is based around cover, engaging an enemy that can fire back and use cover in the same way. Sure, the Locust can swarm you (e.g. Wretches) or deploy 'heavies' (e.g. Boomers), but a lot of the time, they engage you in the same way you engage them, and ammo is rarely an issue. In contrast, in RE5, the ganados mostly attack you by swarming, and ammo management is still an issue, not to mention that bar the very end of the game, cover is rarely a thing.

 

[dscross]

Nintendo had/has a variety of different types of genres though. At the time, with Resident Evil, Onimusha, and Dino Crisis, Capcom was pretty knee deep in the RE formula. It's just to show that even people at Capcom were kinda sick of making this type of game. Not to mention that most of these games were following eachother in rapid succession.

And if you remember, these games did go through a change before RE4; Both the first Dino Crisis and Code Veronica tried fully rendered backgrounds with questionable results, Onimusha and Dino Crisis 2 went for faster, action focused gameplay. But they always remained stuck in this rigid formula. If you count the RE franchise along with Onimusha and Dino Crisis, that's at least 11 games back to back with nearly the exact same formula - They needed to take a broom to this thing. Just like the needed to by the end of RE6. I mean, I don't care for RE7, but it's better they did something like that then continue on with the franchise as they were, no matter how much I dislike the FPS indie horror genre.

I don't really know why you are arguing with me about this, because the crux of my point is only the fact that many dedicated fans of the originals didn't enjoy the new style of gameplay they went for because it's a completely different style to what they like. That's it.

1. These are only your opinions. Code Veronica and the like were very popular at the time and it's one of my favourite games whatever you think about it. I haven't played the others you mentioned so no comment on those. I may play Onimusha so I have an opinion on it. Resident Evil was the only franchise that anyone wanted in that style anyway because it defined the genre. They could have just made an RE4-style without the brand recognition, like they did with Devil May Cry, and old fans wouldn't have been bothered then.
2. I'd said to you already that there are other ways to change a franchise other than to completely alter the style and I listed RE7 as an example of this. Whether you like RE7 or not, it's much closer to the originals, but enough of a change for it to be completely different.

4 is very debatable there. It's hardly an "action shooter." If you play it like an action shooter, you're going to end up very dead, very quickly (or in my case, insanely low on ammo when I played it the first time.) RE4 is, IMO, the perfect middle ground between old and new Resident Evil. It's got far better controls for one thing. It's got enough action moments to keep you tense, and enough ammo to stay alive, but not so much that you can just blast through everything without consideration (I soon learned that I really needed to use the knife more and be far more selective in where I shot the enemies). RE5 does veer too much into action for my liking (even if I still like the game) - perhaps the most telling is when you have on rails shooting sections, and have cover sections against ganados with miniguns.

This feels like splitting hairs. There's still a LOT of shooting and a LOT of action - as well as action set pieces. A lot more than the previous entries. You can't leave or run away from an area until you have downed all the enemies (most of the time), it's linear rather than explorational, and all the points I made in a few posts up make it completely different from previous main line entries. I'll just be repeating myself if I list the differences. This is not the style of Resident Evil I like. If it makes you feel better, I'll call it an action horror game with far too much shooting for me. My point remains that the style of gameplay they went for did not suit a lot of people who don't play resident evil games for that and are not into action-heavy type of games.

 

[stroopwafel]

the crux of my point is only the fact that many dedicated fans of the originals didn't enjoy the new style of gameplay they went for because it's a completely different style to what they like. That's it.

Actually RE4 went into more of an action direction b/c of poor sales of RE Remake(which could probably also be contributed to it being a Gamecube exclusive but still, this wasn't a problem for RE4). Ironically, RE Remake was one of the biggest sellers on PSN so that might have contributed to RE7's 'oldschool' horror focus.

Point is that by the time RE4 came out Capcom had done every possible combination with pre-rendered backgrounds, obtuse puzzles and tank controls you can think of. Even introducing dinosaurs and ridiculous shit like that. RE4 changed the series focus and was better for it. It provided a new experience with much more timeless gameplay than any other game in the series(I loved RE7 but that is also a game I see age quickly). Let alone replay value. The other games have little replay value but I can't even count the amount of times I replayed RE4. RE4 also had this intangible atmosphere that made it still feel very much like a RE game to me unlike RE5 with roided beefcake Chris or RE6 with it's weird Call of Doodle influences and shite partner system.

What RE4 did was simply toss out all the boring stuff that really wasn't fun anymore after so many of the same game while introducing new gameplay that remains remarkable timeless and cements RE4 as one of the best games of all time for me. Some people never want to change anything, like, they would probably prefer to still travel by horse or something, but sometimes change is good.

 

[dscross]

the crux of my point is only the fact that many dedicated fans of the originals didn't enjoy the new style of gameplay they went for because it's a completely different style to what they like. That's it.

Actually RE4 went into more of an action direction b/c of poor sales of RE Remake(which could probably also be contributed to it being a Gamecube exclusive but still, this wasn't a problem for RE4). Ironically, RE Remake was one of the biggest sellers on PSN so that might have contributed to RE7's 'oldschool' horror focus.

Point is that by the time RE4 came out Capcom had done every possible combination with pre-rendered backgrounds, obtuse puzzles and tank controls you can think of. Even introducing dinosaurs and ridiculous shit like that. RE4 changed the series focus and was better for it. It provided a new experience with much more timeless gameplay than any other game in the series(I loved RE7 but that is also a game I see age quickly). Let alone replay value. The other games have little replay value but I can't even count the amount of times I replayed RE4. RE4 also had this intangible atmosphere that made it still feel very much like a RE game to me unlike RE5 with roided beefcake Chris or RE6 with it's weird Call of Doodle influences and shite partner system.

What RE4 did was simply toss out all the boring stuff that really wasn't fun anymore after so many of the same game while introducing new gameplay that remains remarkable timeless and cements RE4 as one of the best games of all time for me. Some people never want to change anything, like, they would probably prefer to still travel by horse or something, but sometimes change is good.

I know 'the reason' they did it, I just didn't like it and a lot of people didn't and still don't. Turning it into an action game wasn't the only direction they could have gone. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I didn't like the style. It's great that you did and you think it's 'remarkable and timeless' but it didn't suit my taste AT ALL. That's all I'm saying. I'm very happy RE7 is more how I expect a Resident Evil game to be.