Resident Evil 7 was announced at E3 2016 just a few days ago, and fans of the series are clamoring to know exactly what’s in store with the upcoming title, which is slated for release on the PS4 in early 2017. The game was also teased through a short, playable demo that takes place in first person. We’ve since learned that the demo will not be a part of the full game.
Speaking to GameSpot, the game’s producer Masachika Kawata said that the content of the demo is reflective of the full game’s atmosphere. However, the demo doesn’t provide other elements in the game.
“In the actual game, one thing that you’ll notice first and foremost is that the scale and scope of the game is much bigger than demonstrations,” he said.
“One of the main gameplay elements that is not in [the demo] is, as you stated, combat. In the final game, of course, there will be many types of game mechanics including combat, perhaps some gun-play,” he continued. “One of the things I would like to emphasize about this is that it’s not always about going in guns blazing. It might actually be to your advantage to try to run away from combat at certain times, or use items against your enemies in a different way. This is to say that trying to survive the horror, the survival horror, is a key element to Resident Evil 7.”
Like the demo, the full game will be played entirely in the first-person perspective. The developer says the concept of Resident Evil 7 is to return the series to its roots in horror, and that the perspective allows them to deliver the best possible horror experience to the player.
“When confronting the enemy, there’s no barrier between you and the enemy. This also applies to exploration and gimmicks and traps and things like that. They felt that it really gets you up close and personal with everything, which adds to that horror element,” he said.