I was beaten, harassed, and captured by a man that looks like Walter White if Walter decided to try his own product.

Resident Evil 7 is hands down one of the best horror games out there. Right from the start, it pulls you into this dark, messed-up world and keeps you on edge the whole time — but in a good way. That constant tension? It works. You’re always wondering what’s around the next corner, and the game does a great job of keeping things unpredictable.

The switch to first-person was a smart move. It makes everything feel way more intense and personal. You’re not just watching the horror unfold — you are in it.

And let’s talk about the story. It’s surprisingly solid. The mystery behind the Baker family, the creepy experiments, the whole Eveline plot — it’s all super well-paced and keeps you hooked. It’s got that classic Resident Evil vibe, but feels fresh and modern at the same time.

Visually and sound-wise, the game nails the atmosphere. The house is eerie as hell, and the audio design adds so much to the experience — every creak and whisper keeps you alert.

Bottom line? If you're into horror games with a strong story, great pacing, and a heavy dose of tension, Resident Evil 7 is a must-play. Creepy, intense, and straight-up awesome.

Resident Evil 7 marks a return to survival horror after the action-focused RE5 and RE6, but I still think it could have been much better. As the first mainline FPS entry in the series, that shift is obvious from the start. The level and environmental design feels a bit too restrictive for my taste. I get that the game aims to create a claustrophobic, immersive experience by adopting a first-person perspective, but I believe it sacrifices some of the most beloved aspects of the Resident Evil formula.

The puzzles are among the simplest in the series. You never feel the fear of getting lost or find yourself scratching your head over a solution. It's all very straightforward and focused—which isn't necessarily a bad thing—but in my view, good survival horror demands more from the player.

On a new save, the game offers just two difficulty options: easy and normal. Games that cap at normal difficulty are often challenging, finely tuned for that magical first playthrough. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for RE7. It quickly becomes too easy to navigate its shallow level and enemy design, and that’s my biggest criticism of the game by far.

Overall, RE7 is a very different experience from the holy trinity of RE2, RE3, and RE4—and not in a particularly good way. Many consider it the scariest entry in the series, but due to its lack of intricacy, challenge, and depth, it didn’t strike me the way those survival horror masterpieces did. For some, the first-person perspective and photorealism are enough to evoke fear, but for me, that effect is a fine line that only a few survival horror games have managed to walk in the last decade.

That said, RE7 is still a good game. Holding it to a high standard may make it seem underwhelming, but it manages to scratch the survival horror itch with passing grades. Maybe they fully realized the new formula with RE Village, and what we see here are just growing pains. I’ll be solving that puzzle very soon.