8Bit/Digi

By Stan Rezaee

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will not only take the series to a new frointer but it could also redefine the horror genre. However there is so much that fans don’t know while Capcom has said very little about the story.

This is a speculation on the plot and setting based on the clues found in the demo along with comparing it to other works of pop-cultures that could have been a source of inspiration.

Resident Evil has been a unique series as the horrors featured are not of a paranormal or outer world origin but the creations of unchecked scientific progress. Hence, it makes sense for Capcom to continue this setting in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.

It’s known that the game will feature a new character while the setting has been confirmed to include a derelict plantation in rural America. The demo also featured an abandoned farmhouse that has its own horror to share.

It could be speculated that the horror will involve a small community that has gone mad due to old experiments performed by the Umbrella Cooperation (based on the helicopter photo found in the demo) or the illegal dumping of medical waste. Most people would say “zombie” but this would be a fictional illness that allows the victims to maintain their basic motor functions but are driven insane by the illness (similar to rabies or mad cow disease).

This is going to be a unique horror experience while Capcom wants to focus on returning the series to its roots, hence the set up will focus on making the player feel vulnerable. Part of this is not making the game combat focused but more attention given to the survival aspects.

It’s safe to assume that Resident Evil 7 was inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, The Colour Out of Space, along with elements form the George A. Romero classic, The Crazies.

To recap both these classics; The Colour Out of Space is the story of a meteor with a life draining alien that lands on a farm which results in the owners going insane because of the illness it brings. The Crazies follows the residents of a small town trying to survive a military quarantine after a plane carrying an untested bio-weapon crashes in the area.

So how did these two classic works could influence Resident Evil 7?

First look at the setting of Beginning Hour, which appears to be heavily influenced by The Colour Out of Space. Both are set in an abandon farm that is devoid of all life while the original family either went insane or disappeared. In the Lovecraft story, its stated that the family went insane while it’s obvious in Resident Evil 7 that something has driven the Baker family mad.

Adding to this speculation is a hidden attic featured in the game that is used for an unknown purpose. Meanwhile, the Lovecraft story also featured an attic that was used for a sinister purpose. Finally both stories feature a documentary team exploring the farm sometime after everyone has died or gone missing.

Next we look at how The Crazies could be an influence on the game. Resident Evil has been heavily influenced by the works of George A. Romero, so it makes sense that the game will be influenced by another one of his classic works.

The first hint at this is upstairs in the attic, players will find a picture of an Umbrella helicopter spraying chemicals (as stated in the note written on the back). What is happening could be the result of an old Umbrella experiment that turns its victims insane overtime.

At the end; players have an encounter with the patriarch of the Baker family, saying “Welcome to the family, son!“. Looking at him closer will show he shares several physical traits of the the infected that were featured in the 2010 remake.

Also; Capcom has included “Biohazard” (the games name in Japan) in the title with the reason given by the development team is that it’s a clue about the story. Adding more to my theory that The Crazies will be a great influence on the game.

Everything in this article is based on speculation and my pop-culture knowledge.

Capcom should be unveiling more details about Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in the coming months. So it would be interesting to see how much of my theories were correct and which ones were way off.

The only thing guaranteed is that Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is going to be an amazing horror game.

What do you think Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will be about and what influenced the games story? Share your thoughts or theories in the comment section below. 

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that highlights the video game community and industry of the San Francisco Bay Area.