Resident Evil 7 ESRB Rating Teases Plot Spoilers
By Rory Young 09 September 2016
Resident Evil 7‘s rating by the ESRB gives it a solid “M” for “Mature” and teases a handful of brutal plot spoilers in the text for the rating summary.
What’s known about Resident Evil 7‘s story and plot is likely what’s made the game so intriguing so far. It’s known that there’s a mansion, there’s a haunting, and the development team wants the game to be a throwback to the horror of the original entry in the series. It’s that lack of information, that mystery surrounding the game, that adds that intrigue. Naturally, we have to ruin that as quickly as possible. Today, Resident Evil 7 received its ESRB rating, including a summary full of plot teases and spoilers.
Let’s mention that one more time — spoilers. For those wanting to remain in the dark on all things Resident Evil 7, for those enjoying the mystery of the anticipation, feel free to stop reading here.
Titled the “Rating Summary,” the ESRB provides a single large paragraph that starts with an initial description of the game, and then goes into detail regarding the various content within that makes it deserve its rating. Starting with the short, single sentence paragraph, more is revealed than Capcom’s previously been able to show:
“This is a survival-horror game in which players assume the role of Ethan, a man searching for his missing wife in a derelict mansion.”
The haunted mansion and a male protagonist was about all that was known about Resident Evil 7 prior. In this one sentence we’re introduced to an as yet unrevealed main character, Ethan, as well as the initial conflict that likely starts the game. Ethan’s wife is missing and has been led to believe she’s located in a derelict mansion. Obviously, Ethan then goes into said mansion, which is almost certainly either a gaping portal into hell or a nightmare evil science lab equatable to such misery. That’s a pretty solid premise for a horror game. Nothing too spoilery here, but the ESRB has more, as seen below.
Moving on from the initial description of Resident Evil 7, the ESRB then starts breaking down many of the mechanics that make the game “Mature.” Here’s where players might start getting a view of the game that they may otherwise not have expected. Within Resident Evil 7, players will, “explore the environment,” wielding weapons that include pistols, flamethrowers, explosives, and chainsaws. They will use these weapons to kill none other than “mutant creatures.” It looks like the average zombie isn’t on the Resident Evil 7 menu.
Specific call outs are then made to individual cutscenes within the game that include visceral violence. Those referenced cutscenes include: “a character’s arm dismembered by a chainsaw,” “a man’s leg taken off at the knee with a shovel,” and, “a character impaled through the face with a shovel.” All things considered, the list is rather short, but perhaps the lack of cutscene gore is made up through gameplay.
Taken altogether, it’s clear that Resident Evil 7 will be much more of an action game than Capcom has previously shown. Feel free to make assumptions regarding the nature of Ethan’s quest and the mansion he ventures into based off the “mutant creatures” and available weapons. Perhaps Capcom was being very literal regarding Resident Evil 7 being a throwback to the original game. Now, the question is, do these details make folks more or less excited for the game? Has the mystery evaporated, or only grown deeper and darker?
Resident Evil 7 will be available on January 24th, 2017 for PC, PS4, PlayStation VR, and Xbox One.
Source: Wario64
