Resident Evil 7: Biohazard marks a big turning point for Capcom that has effectively saved a franchise that was losing all the relevancy. Capcom was going through a really hard time internally as well as creatively after its sixth game was poorly received. So the drastic changes they made really managed to save the franchise and appeal to a number of new players that may have not cared about the franchise altogether.
Internal disputes and a shift to first-person perspective revitalized the series
The biggest thing about Resident Evil 7 was the fact that they ditched the classic third person view and went full out with an immersive first person experience. Letting the player become Ethan Winters, a new protagonist of the game. The first person perspective was critical for the horror experience of the game and the way the story played out. Not to mention the development over at Capcom was plagued with arguments between the Japanese and western teams on the creative vision and whether or not the returning characters would make it.
One of the most important aspects in this change was the technical aspect. How Resident Evil 7 was implemented using Capcoms proprietary RE Engine. The use of photogrammetry in terms of the character models allowed for really realistic aesthetics which lead to mixed feelings amongst the player base. Ultimately this helped with the radical shift away from the previous games.
Although the development was hectic and the arguments over returning characters, the end result ended up being a massive critical success. The new character along with the first person perspective and the power of the engine brought about a new kind of experience for old fans and new fans. Critical success that could lay the foundation for a fresh slate for the future games in the series.
Source: IXBT
Discussion
0 comments