Resident Evil 7: biohazard marks an emphatic leap for the venerable survival horror franchise, with Capcom’s latest effort switching to a first-person viewpoint and seriously leveraging its roots. While spin-offs such as Gun Survivor and Umbrella Chronicles have flirted with this perspective before (even CODE: Veronica had a first-person viewpoint for Battle Mode), this is the first major installment that has utilised it, and naturally, that caused quite a stir upon its initial announcement. Capcom, however, has remained defiant that the switch was necessary to meet its atmospheric ambitions, cultivating an old-school stomach-knotting tension that hasn’t been seen since the days of Resi 4.

Sure, the demo released last summer presented a lot of questions among fans. Why did Resi suddenly have ghosts? Where’s the guns? Are we going to spend the whole time legging it from the Bakers, ala Outlast and other indie darlings? Fortunately, Capcom was able to quell these fears soon enough, with Resi 7 very much sticking to many of the series’ classic tropes; item management, scarce ammo, lots of meaty weapons, obtuse puzzles, and those iconic green healing herbs. Still, it’s clear that Capcom has plucked influence from some notable pop culture juggernauts, such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Blair Witch Project, and even a dribble of The Ring to boot.

With Resi 7 on the eve of its release, how does it shape up as an overall package? The critics have spoken, so be sure to tuck into our Resident Evil 7 review roundup below. Before that however, make sure you have a gander at our definitive verdict on the survival horror sequel here.

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The Guardian – 5/5

God is a Geek – 10/10

Destructoid – 10/10

Gamereactor UK – 9/10

Polygon – 9/10

ShackNews – 9/10

PlayStationTrophies/Xbox Achievements – 89/100

GamesRadar – 4.5/5

Game Informer – 8.5

Giant Bomb – ⅘

Push Square – 8/10

GameSpot – 8/10

IGN – 7.7/10

Famitsu – 36/40