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Hello, friends, it’s the Dark Princess again, and I am thrilled beyond belief right now. If you watched Sony’s E3 conference, or live anywhere on planet Earth, then you are already aware that Resident Evil VII is a thing. The gameplay that was revealed took my breath away, and I had chills running down my spine as I gleefully desired to know what horror game they were showing off. When the name flashed across the screen, me and my friends that were watching live while on skype, gasped. Resident Evil?? How was that first-person, dark, creepy, disturbing, isolated environment a Resident Evil game? Well, it appears that they are going back to their roots as many fans have been hoping for years, and opting for a true horror experience.

My perspective on the series as a whole is somewhat unique. I love horror, as you all know, but I’ve never been a big fan of the Resident Evil games. Of course, I didn’t start the series until I played the fourth installment on my PS2. I am not proud of this fact, but I had a period of not really gaming much before then. The time period between owning the Sega Genesis and the PS2, I had no idea what I was missing. God knows what I did with my life during those empty years. Anywho, I started with RE 4, and frankly, while it was enjoyable enough, I also found it to be highly frustrating, and not at all scary. My biggest issue with the game (which continued into 5 and then 6) was the combination of third person POV, mixed with awkward aiming mechanics. It felt so unnatural, and while I finished two of these three games, it never became second nature as all good games should. I had all but written the series off as “not for me” and moved on.

I had been told by our very own Young Sammich that I desperately needed to give the remastered version of the original (which came out last year) a try, and that it was way better than what I knew the series to be. Time passed, and it sat idly on my “to buy” list for months. Come E3, I was expecting any other name than Resident Evil to claim ownership of such a glorious and terrifying demo. Speaking of the demo, let’s get down to it.

I have played the teaser about three times now, and seen each of the three endings I am aware of at the time of writing this article. I have played it with the brightness almost all the way down, and all the way up (to get a better visual of the surroundings, and to look for certain things that can pop up in the darkness which can be easily missed…You’ll see when you play yourself.)

You wake up in a dark, abandoned house, and your only objective is to get out. Simple, right? No, it’s not so simple, or easy. You must wander the house and find items that will allow you to escape, all while hearing ominous thuds and creaks. I swear I heard something worse at one point. The whole demo can be played in about 20 minutes, max, but that’s only if you take your time to look around. The playtime will be greatly extended if you take pause breaks like I had to. I wish I was kidding, but I turned into a total pansy. The game seems to creep into your mind and make you wonder if you’re imagining things that aren’t there. It’s such a subtle experience that your mind races. What am I going to see, or not see? I had flashes of Texas Chainsaw in my mind, and then I kept waiting to see Leatherface. Will this go in a more supernatural direction, or is the expected zombie just going to run out at any time? Your mind races with questions as the tension builds. Waiting… waiting… As I played, I found myself looking over my shoulder and into the dark dining room behind the couch I sat on. I don’t want to give away any of the good stuff, but I must mention what I felt like was the scariest bit of all (without giving details).

At one point, you find an old VHS tape, and pop it into the player to see what information it holds. This tape shows a crew that is exploring and filming the house you are currently trying to get out of, and you get to take control of one of them. The house, while still decrepit, looks better than its current state, and yet still screams “don’t come in here.” You know this can’t end well, and yet you press on. One of the three characters disappears out of nowhere, and now the two of you set out to locate him. This leads to one of the biggest “Nope!” moments of my gaming history. I froze while playing. I saw what was in front of me and I jammed the pause button and sat back. I messaged my friends to tell them I simply couldn’t do it, and a string of expletives filled their inboxes. I flipped all the lights back on. I took deep breaths like I was going into labor. Let’s make this simple: I was terrified to keep playing. I have no shame in admitting this. But I pressed on, finally, cringing and doing my best to look away while I approached certain doom.

Happily, I own a PS4, which is the only place you can currently download the demo. They also revealed that the full game will be compatible with PS VR, yet you have the option to play it normally as well. I can’t imagine what that must be like. VR is something I have had my eye on, and definitely plan on trying once I can afford it, and there are a few more games that support it. I have leaned heavily towards the Oculus Rift as my number one choice, but after seeing this demo in action, I am seriously considering PS VR instead. It must make for the most unnerving experience. When playing with a controller, or mouse and keyboard, with a screen in front of you, no matter how scary a game gets you can pause and simply look to your side or behind you. You can ground yourself back to reality by looking at the creature comforts of your own home. It reminds you that you are separated from the game, and it’s a safe distance away. With VR, your only escape is to rip expensive machinery off of your head. While that will always be an option, it must still create a hyper-sensitive feeling of not being able to escape.

It’s important to note that according to this official announcement, Resident Evil VII will also be released for PC and Xbox One users. There has also been news stating that this demo will not in fact be in the game, but will completely represent the style and type of game we are in for. I am beyond excited for this game to come out, and truly hadn’t felt this scared in years, from any form of media. Is it January 24th yet?

Stay scared,
Dark Princess