Resident Evil 5 and 6 were full of guns. Resident Evil 7, not so much.

The last two entries in Capcom's once survival horror series elevated their protagonists to near-superhero levels. Elite mercenary Chris Redfield ended up a zombie-fighting James Bond. Both game's stories featured globe-trotting plots to fight bioterrorism.

Resident Evil 7 changes all of that. In fact, developer Capcom has said, if you're looking for another action-packed Resident Evil, you should look elsewhere - to spin-offs such as Umbrella Corps.

"The game is survival horror," Resident Evil 7 director Koushi Nakanishi told Eurogamer at E3 today.

Resident Evil 7 will be a far smaller scale, claustrophobic experience, with a heavy focus on setting and atmosphere. It will also take place entirely in one place - somewhere out in the wilderness of Louisiana.

"If anyone out there has a bloodlust for holding a gun, check out Umbrella Corps," Nakanishi continued. "We are separating these aspects out into different titles where that gameplay can come to the fore, and makes the most sense for that title. [Resident Evil 7] is not going to be a gun fest."

This content is hosted on an external platform, which will only display it if you accept targeting cookies. Please enable cookies to view. Manage cookie settings

Coupled with that will be a focus on a new, "normal" protagonist far removed from the superhero status of the STARS mercenary programme.

"It's a normal person protagonist. We're getting back to basics - in Resident Evil 1 Chris was not a comic book hero, he was a special forces agent but he wasn't as advanced a fighter as later in the series."

That's not to say combat will be entirely absent. Indeed, players who have been examining the game's playable trial have already discovered clues to an axe weapon.

Resident Evil fans will be able to heal themselves via a familiar item, however.

"I can confirm herbs," producer Masachika Kawata revealed.

As the name suggests, Resident Evil 7 is the continuation of the franchise. It's set after the events of Resi 5 and 6, and still takes place within the same overall world.

This content is hosted on an external platform, which will only display it if you accept targeting cookies. Please enable cookies to view. Manage cookie settings

"It's not a reboot, it's a rebuilding from the ground up," Nakanishi concluded. "It's still set in the Resident Evil universe, and while the action in the demo takes place around this plantation house, it is happening in the same world as the other Resident Evil characters inhabit. The title is Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, which as well as being the title of the series in Japan is also a clue to what's going on in this game."

Resident Evil 7 was announced earlier this week during Sony's press conference alongside a playable trial which was released immediately onto the PlayStation Store.

Earlier today, Capcom confirmed to Eurogamer that the Resident Evil 7 trial was made especially, and is not part of the main game. The final experience will be thematically similar but star a different protagonist, and tell a different story.

If you want to read about the teaser's many secrets, check out our Resident Evil 7 demo endings guide.