Resident Evil will have marked the history of the video game. In the course of the episodes, the horrific series became cult, and after the bitter taste left by the flaps 5 and 6, it finally returns with this 7th episode which has everything to please ... but which both sows the doubt in the Spirit of the fans. Virtual reality ... a first for the series, as well as the arrival of a new hero that has absolutely nothing to do with the STARS At the same time, the game also seems to offer us a real return to the horror. In short, the question is on everyone's lips and it is simple: Is Resident Evil 7 a "real Resident"? Clear and clear answer from the House of Absolute Evil ...
WHAT IS THE PS4 PRO?
Resident Evil 7 is compatible with the PS4 Pro. Find below the specificities of the game when it turns on this support.
I have a 4K screen :
I have a 1080p screen:
Our opinion: Resident Evil 7 is already very beautiful on PS4 classic, but on PS4 Pro the rendering still gains in precision. We have a nice resolution boost, between 1080p and the 4k upscaled according to your screen, the textures are finer and the HDR sublime the whole. No significant drop in frame rate. On the other hand, if you do not have a 4K display, the improvements remain minute.
|
Capcom knows that the fans of the series are waiting for this seventh opus with impatience. But this feverish eagerness is accompanied by doubts. Will Resident Evil 7 not be too far away from the DNA of Shinji Mikami's cult license? Without Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine or even Leon Scott Kennedy, would Resident Evil not be the shadow of himself? And is this subjective view that invites us into the series, generating a legitimate comparison with the demo PT or Outlast ? All these questions are understandable of course, and I will try to answer them as objectively as possible in this test. Believe me, I really like Resident Evil , but if the pen of this criticism is full of affection for the series, I will put aside the nostalgia I feel for it. Resident Evil can no longer be exactly the series that it was, it had to be renewed while offering a return to its kind: the horror. And on this point, the game makes the job handily.
The heat of the fireplace
If Resident Evil 7 does not put us in the shoes of a member of an elite unit, the incarnated character has the merit of having a great courage. Ethan Winters, a man like the others, sees his life tipping when his wife Mia suddenly disappears. One fine day, however, he received an e-mail from the latter. Three years after evaporating, she asks her to come and fetch her from Dulvey, Louisiana ... It is here that her horrifying adventure begins. For better and for worse. And the worst part is the Baker residence.
If we ask the players which place of the saga has most marked them, it is obviously the manor Spencer which is the most frequently quoted. Capcom has taken this into account, since Ethan will find himself stuck in the "Manoir Baker", an appellation that evokes his resemblance to the famous manor hidden in the Arklay mountains ... When I speak of resemblance, I Speaks more of the atmosphere than of the decoration, even if the strange family seems to have had taste in time. Indeed, if one guesses an old dwelling under the dust and grime that cover the walls and objects of the Baker house today, it does not have the elegance of the manor designed by George Trevor. Despite everything, it has all the mechanics: secret passages, locked doors by different mechanisms, secret rooms ... If the atmosphere of the first Resident Evil was cruelly lacking in the last episodes, it resides well within the walls of the old Baker shack .
And then, it must be said that this family is far from being a perfect model. Between a violent father, Jack, who has everything from the Nemesis, and his wife Marguerite, as frightening as the old witch of the west, one would happily pass the son, a bit fragadeue ... If the zombies and other monsters of the Series are scary, this funny team has nothing to envy them in terms of efficiency. Believe me, you will hate them, and the one with the least room in your heart will certainly be the amorphous grandmother in her wheelchair, whose unlikely appearances throughout the house will give you an additional reason to want to flee This cursed place ... I underlined it during my impressions, Jack as for him will not let go of a soles, from the first moments of the game, and is without a doubt the most cumbersome character of the adventure. Not to mention that all this small world, he in particular, resists very well bullets. The idea is to move forward in slippers, not to be noticed, which gives even more salt to the experience, infusing its gameplay a little infiltration. Each of Jack's footsteps approaching you, every sound of the house, every shadow will stick you a violent fear to the stomach. A heavy atmosphere? A tad yes!
For Resident Evil is above all a series of atmosphere, and it must be admitted that this seventh component exudes fidelity, if only because of its perfect sound environment. Often, silence prevails, but the latter is deliciously punctuated by a palette of nocturnal sounds of the most agonizing: powerful wind blowing, cracking of the floor, slamming a door, stridulations of insects when one Passes in front of a window with broken windows, the noise of an old pendulum clock, notes of piano ... Constantly, you will feel in danger, observed, followed ... From time to time, a deliciously agonizing music accompanies the situations More stressful, accentuating the pressure, as if the breath of Ethan, prone to panic, was not already enough stressful in the ear ...
The scenery of the old barracks also recalls the first hours of the series, notably the famous Manoir Spencer. We walk through lugubrious corridors with flickering light and strange paintings of yesteryear and we notice the macabre details that swarm in this unhealthy theater: stuffed animals with glassy eyes, old broken toys, dripping candles, dishes filled with human remains ... Finally, there are also many documents relating the morbid life of the inhabitants of the place. An unhealthy reading that is worth the detour and that densifies the script, helping to understand what happened in this house of horrors. Video tapes that can be viewed from old TV sets will also provide a lot of information if you decide to "play" them. An interesting addition that remains optional, but I strongly advise in order to delve deeper into the story.
That said, rest assured on one point: there is enough to defend in the Baker! Apart from the knife, you can use handguns, rifles, flamethrowers and other grenade launchers. The choice is varied, knowing moreover that, as in Resident Evil 3 , you will be able to make your own ammunition (and care kits) by combining different elements gathered as you progress, chemical fluid and powder Canon. The "Combinations" tab of your inventory will give you very clear information about the objects to associate. Whatever happens, your arsenal is a precious ally to manage well in Resident Evil 7 , especially since, even in "Easy" mode, the game does not make gifts, It is necessary to save its ammunition, as in the early hours of the saga.
Old habits
Resident Evil is a series that has its own rules. Apart from an oppressive atmosphere and a feeling of discomfort caused by the fact that one feels constantly in danger, one immediately thinks of oppressive framing, a demanding grip, limited ammunition ... And riddles, of course. In privacy, I like to call them the "clocks puzzles". Fans will understand me. And it was this aspect which was cruelly lacking at the last episodes. Well know that here you are going to have the pleasure of finding yourself faced with some sweet enigmas "Residentesques" thought brilliantly. And it's not just a variety of different objects, key-emblems or other artifacts to open doors, there will also be situations in which you will be truly pushed into your entrenchments.
These moments of reflection offer Resident Evil 7 a rhythm posed, conducive to investigation and perfectly adapted to a horrifying game. This dynamic is sometimes punctuated with more frenetic sequences, but without ever leaving in the real action, and it is a real pleasure to make this observation. Borrowing some ideas from horror movies (including Alien ) to associate them with a strong identity based on the codes of the series, the game is a pure Survival / Horror. One senses Capcom's desire to return to the sources.
Speaking of sources, the backup pieces make their big comeback here ! What a joy to find these relaxing pieces, one of the symbols of the first hours of the series, in which a reassuring light and soft music offer a moment of peaceful wholesomeness. Only noteworthy difference: typewriters have been replaced by a tape recorder, and you can save anytime (except in "Survival" mode, unlocked at the end of the game, which requires you to use audio cassettes, recalling the System of ink ribbons). In addition, good news: these good old boxes linked together are also back! In keeping with the position, they can store the objects and find them in each of these special pieces, thus helping to manage the inventory, another important aspect of the series.
Another detail that has its importance: by going into the inventory menu, the player will be able to monitor his life gauge via a codex, a watch on which the heart rate of Ethan appears. For the record, the heart rate, replaced by a simple gauge in the last episode of the series, was the health indicator of the first Resident Evil . This will vary from green to red, meaning that you are in danger, of course going through the yellow. These simple details may seem trivial for those who do not have a deep affect with the horrifying saga, but for fans, it's all different!
Finally, many winks are scattered throughout the game, some blatant (the Baker mansion is an example), others more subtle, whether they are hidden in the many documents to be read or drowned in the 'environment. One or two effective " jump scares " will be saluted, paying tribute to the cult scenes of the series. Once is not custom: we love it! On this subject, it is nice not to find yourself overwhelmed with "fan service". Indeed, to too much wanting to be "an old-fashioned Resident", the title could have taken a chance to assume fully, which it finally does brilliantly, flourishing in the universe of the series Without being a simple copy of the first opus which would refuse to modify its DNA a little.
A real fear
Visually, Resident Evil 7 is very beautiful, very close to the photorealism thanks to worked decors, clean textures and beautiful sets of shadows and light. Obviously, we lose some of this quality in virtual reality, where aliasing becomes ferocious in certain areas where the clarity still resists the darkness, but where the textures and details nevertheless remain neat and neat. The most disturbing thing from my point of view is to see the arms of Ethan detached from his body and floating in front of us ... If you have the attention to detail, this one can get out a bit of the game, indeed! On the other hand, we will undoubtedly gain by immersion, and fear is so present that we forget very quickly technical defects.
In virtual reality, Resident Evil 7 is a sweet madness, an experience flirting with mental calvary so much your fear of returning will paralyze your body! Yes, it's very scary. Going into the darkness looking around, knowing that the danger is everywhere and can arise from any direction, is an experience that can be really traumatic ... and turn out to be very "physical" ... Besides , It must be known that the game is much more difficult in RV, especially during the phases of combat. The feeling of fear being more pronounced there, you will go all the more groping. In short, this version VR significantly increases the lifetime of the title. Note in passing that you will have the possibility to go from the VR version to the classic version (and vice versa) at your convenience, at any time of the game (it will still have to return to the menu).
To conclude this test with an obvious but fun statement: Resident Evil 7 is a real Survival / Horror and a real Resident Evil . Whether we like the game or not, whether we regret or not certain scenario choices, we must note that it is a successful tribute to the series of Shinji Mikami and that it refers us to the glory hours of it . By reclaiming the codes of the saga, the title of Capcom offers the long awaited renaissance of a cult license that had taken an overly radical "action" orientation, thus moving away from its true DNA. But that was before. In this I am categorical: Resident Evil is back!
