Resident Evil 7: Biohazard came out last Tuesday and has already received an excellent set of reviews, including an overall 8-point rating on GameSpot and 7.7/10 on IGN. The game is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The latter two are non-VR versions.
RE7 follows the story of Ethan Winters, who travels to an abandoned house in Louisiana to find his missing wife, Mia. In there, we will encounter a group of characters that seem possessed by a strange force, much in the vein of Resident Evil 4.
Following the game’s release, some people have reported feelings of dizziness or nausea after playing it for some time. This VR ‘sickness’ is not exclusive to horror games, however, and is already well-documented on various gaming websites. RE7 costs $59.99 on all platforms.
System requirements for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
An RE7 ready PC must have Windows 7 or above in 64-bit, a 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-4460 (or its equivalent), a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760, and a minimum 8GB of RAM. Steam recommends a 3.4 GHz i7-3770 for better performance.
The computer must also have a minimum 24GB of storage space available for a clean install and be able to display on 1080p at 30fps. The PS4 and Xbox One versions require about 20GB.
An excellent VR choice for horror fans
Most reviews are already calling it one the ‘most terrifying’ games currently available for a VR system, though RE7 does not have much competition in that particular market. On the other hand, reviews for its non-VR variant are just as good, if not better.
The game provides a similar environment to the one found in Leon’s adventure through Spain in Resident Evil 4, hailed as one of the best horror games of all time. However, RE7 has a scarier advantage from its critically-acclaimed predecessor, a first person perspective.
James Davenport of PCGamer writes that the game’s first half hour feels ‘built’ for VR. The dreadful characters “stop feeling like video game enemies the moment your brain interprets that hunched man power-walking your way as a genuine threat.”
Most sources report that the game is a refreshing experience after Resident Evil 6, which received mostly mixed reviews and left fans wondering if the franchise’s developers were losing their touch.
RE7 might cause VR sickness, but this is pretty standard in other games
VR sickness happens to some people after they immerse themselves in a virtual reality environment for some time. The symptoms can include nausea, sweating, disorientation, headaches, and vomiting.
VR sickness, according to some, might just be an offset of regular motion sickness. This condition refers to what people some experience whenever they get on a plane or a boat.
Players who are prone to these types of symptoms might want to take more breaks when playing Resident Evil 7, as the scare jumps and violent scenes might exacerbate them.
Source: PC Gamer