PS Plus members can try out the demo for Capcom’s upcoming Resident Evil 7, but apparently, it’s an experience entirely separate from the main game. According to director Koushi Nakanishi, the demo was designed to give fans an idea of the overall tone of the game and to emphasize their commitment to horror, but certain content features that will be present in the finished product were not included.
The finished game will launch with an entirely different setting and main character, so don’t grow accustomed to the derelict house or your fellow ghost hunters. Nakanishi has also stated that key components of the Resident Evil experience, i.e., puzzle solving and combat, are “coming down the line.”
That’s a great sign. While the demo’s first person perspective, the biggest change to Resident Evil‘s formula in years, proved to be engaging, those missing features were difficult to overlook. The game felt markedly different from what we’ve come to expect from the series, and the lack of puzzles and combat were glaring omissions. But overall, the demo’s tone was right on point. Resident Evil has been drifting further away from horror with every sequel, and this demo has shown that, issues aside, they’re on the right track.
Fans of the series can step back into the world survival horror when Resident Evil 7 launches January 24th.