Far Cry 4 Review Gamespot

[Josefa Palsgrove]

UpdateThough I originally reviewed Resident Evil 7 on PS4 and PSVR, I've since had a chance to test the game on Xbox One and PC as well. Accordingly, additional information has been added to the bottom of this review. -- SB, 1/24/2016

We didn't know it at the time, but Resident Evil 4 was the beginning of the end. Though in many ways the series' best game, it also signaled the start of Resident Evil's transformation from survival-horror into something far scarier: forgettable, derivative action. By contrast, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has been heralded as a return to form--a classic, uncompromising frightfest. And indeed, it is. In place of blockbuster pandering, the game delivers intimate horror with a tightly focused scope and all the trappings you'd expect from a survival game. No superfluous skill trees or meaningless fetch quests, just the stomach-churning tension of guiding a relatively helpless character out of a waking nightmare.

By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special.

Update: Overall, RE7 runs smoothly regardless of platform. I never experienced any major technical problems--such as frame rate drops or game freezes--on any system. However, there are some noticeable visual differences among the various platforms.

As you might expect, PC offers the highest quality visual experience, with exceptionally believable lighting effects and extra detailed textures. The game runs smoothly even at 1440p with all the most demanding visual options selected. The graphics don't look quite so splendid on PS4, but they're also not a drastic step down, especially if you're playing on a PS4 Pro with a 4K and HDR capable television. (For the record, RE7 supports HDR on PC, PS4, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One S.)

While these visual discrepancies shouldn't be enough to completely ruin the immersion for Xbox players, the differences are noticeable. We're currently working on a full graphics comparison video, but for now, I would recommend picking the game up on PS4 or PC, if you have a choice.

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