In the wake of Resident Evil 7's E3 reveal, Capcom dropped a teaser demo that’s... different. “Resident Evil? More like Resident P.T.-vil,” said somebody somewhere, probably. But according to Capcom, the final game will be more like classic Residents Evil (the correct plural; fight me) than people are expecting.




As with anything that’s different, the Resident Evil 7 teaser has been divisive. Some people love the return to horror over action, but others wonder why Capcom even slapped the Resident Evil name on a slow-paced, first-person exploration game that seemed wholly removed from their precious realm of zombie viruses and raccoons. Because video games are involved, fiery debates ensued. Capcom, however, has stepped in to settle them. Maybe.

“Puzzle solving, resource management, and combat” are all “coming down the line,” director Koushi Nakanishi told IGN. “They’re all in there, but we’re focusing on horror has come home as a kind of theme for the teaser demo. So if you thought the games were going away from horror in previous years, this is just a statement of intent, purpose, to say it’s back.”


Players have already uncovered clues to one weapon, an axe, in the teaser. There are traditional elements like an inventory as well. It’s worth noting, however, that the teaser is not part of the main game. Capcom said as much during a recent stream.

Resident Evil 7 will also be set in the same universe as other games, set after RE5 and RE6. That said, the full game will still be far more intimate in scale than recent series entries, so don’t expect another Hollywood blockbuster-type scenario. “If anyone out there has a bloodlust for holding a gun, check out Umbrella Corps,” Nakanishi said to Eurogamer. “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.”

Capcom’s trying to create a claustrophobic experience that mixes exploration, puzzle-solving, and a bit of combat to get your heart pumping and every part of your body (even your butt) sweating. In other words:

“The game is survival horror,” Nakanishi said to EG.

But if that’s not enough to convince you, here’s the most important news of all:

“I can confirm herbs,” he said.