The “Resident Evil” franchise has, for a long time, been one of the defining names in the world of horror, and for a good reason. Its producers have always known how to tickle that certain nerve in their audience, getting out those genuine reactions of terror that every fan of horror craves. And while there have been some unsuccessful experiments in the franchise once or twice, for the most part the overall quality of the action has been on an upwards trend.
According to recent reports, this will continue even more strongly with “Resident Evil 7”, as the new game is going to push the boundaries of how some people perceive horror, and will include surprises that some fans might find downright disturbing.
What exactly could this mean? With a franchise like “Resident Evil”, it’s hard to tell, as the series has gone through a lot over the years, and its developers have made various experiments with the game’s story and gameplay, some of which were already considered to be pushing some boundaries significantly. Not all of those were received warmly by the game’s fans, however, as in some cases people felt that the developers were trying too hard to rely on the shock factor, without putting too much thought into their work.
The game certainly has the potential to introduce a lot into the franchise, as it’s being based on the first three games in the series, which some fans still consider to be the strongest entries in the “Resident Evil” line completely, while at the same time, it’s coming out on next-generation consoles, meaning that its developers have a lot of freedom for experimenting with new technology.
Horror is definitely one of the genres that can benefit from extra use of technology too, as better graphics, sounds and physics can all easily contribute to a darker, more dramatic horror experience, exactly the kind that fans of the series have been craving for a long time now. The alleged leaked screenshot that was circulating the Internet recently seems to confirm that the new game is going to look spectacular, and significantly better than previous installments.
Shinji Mikami has also built up quite a lot of experience with the horror genre leading up to the development of “Resident Evil 7”, and many of his fans have been confident that this will reflect in the new production in a more than obvious way. While he has made a few mistakes and miscalculated fans’ responses to some changes in the franchise, overall the way he’s been handling the series has been remarkably good, and he can currently make the next “Resident Evil” a truly iconic entry in the world of horror.