PS4 Top 10 -- #5 Resident Evil 7

#5 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

     The Resident Evil series practically ushered in the age of survival horror for home consoles and has been scaring gamers since the days of the PS1. It was the first video game to ever make me feel the need to always play with the lights on and was also the first video game to ever give me a real-life panic attack and I loved it. Its creepy atmosphere and visuals were truly among the best at the time. Somewhere along the way though, Resident Evil lost what had made fans love it in the first place; the horror element. The series grew more into an action series with each subsequent release. I personally love every mainline RE game, but I'll admit that RE5, and more so 6, didn't scare me at all. They felt like action games with horror elements. With Resident Evil 7, developer Capcom brought back what made Resident Evil relevant; its scares and clever puzzles. Summoned by a cryptic e-mail from his missing wife, protagonist Ethan must traverse the Baker Estate to find out just where the mysterious message came from.

      Capcom took a huge risk with Resident Evil 7 by changing the perspective to first person instead of sticking with the usual third-person view and, in my opinion, it paid off big time. I enjoyed exploring what may be the creepiest setting in any video game with the camera pulled back behind my eyes. It made me really feel like I was there. If you have PS VR you can experience the full game that way, but I lack the equipment, therefore, I only got to experience it on the TV. The attention to detail that the artists put into the game is stunning. Every environment looked drop dead gorgeous and the estate felt very lived in. This made me want to search every nook and cranny of the map. The switch to first person created a strong atmosphere that was closer to the Silent Hill series than Resident Evil has ever been. It still definitely felt like Resident Evil though, at least in this gamer's eyes. I don't think the puzzles were nearly as head-scratching as the older titles, but they definitely helped the game capture that Resident Evil feeling that was lacking in the latest entries. Resident Evil 7 is a title that grounds itself in elements that made the originals great while taking plenty of risks along the way. Also, it brought panic attacks back, at least for me.

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