Resident Evil 7 Producer Explains First-Person View
By Boston Blake 29 December 2016
Resident Evil 7 producer explains why Capcom decided to change the game’s point-of-view from third-person to first-person, claiming the game will be more immersive.
Resident Evil 7 is easily one of the most highly anticipated titles for 2017, with the horror game set to bring plenty of new scares and mysteries for players to unravel. Those who have played the demo are already aware of the unique perspective Resident Evil 7 brings to the series, and are excited for what the full game has in store.
One of the most notable features in Resident Evil 7 is the switch from third-person to first-person view. The change was an intentional shift, and one that developer Capcom is hoping will give players a more immersive experience. Resident Evil 7 producer Masachika Kawata revealed the reasons behind the switch in a recent interview with Game Informer. Kawata said:
“When we decided on the direction of focusing on horror, we thought that having a first-person perspective would be the most effective way to fully immerse the player in the experience.”
Additionally, the change will give players a more personal experience with the characters in the game. Granted, the change will bring with it some drawbacks, such as a limited viewing angle, but such changes should help make the game more compelling and frightening. Kawata went on to explain the personal connection the developer wants for the players:
“By making the player the main character, we believe they’ll be able to have a more personal connection to what’s going on and experience survival horror like never before.”
This experience will undoubtedly be enhanced through virtual reality. It’s already been revealed that Resident Evil 7 will be playable via PlayStation VR, so a first-person view will make that experience more immersive.
It’ll be interesting to see how gamers react to Resident Evil 7’s first-person view. As of right now, Capcom is expecting to sell more than four million copies of the game on the first day. That would be an impressive feat considering Resident Evil 6 and 5 only sold 6.6 million and 7.1 million copies respectively. The change to first-person view may be the change the franchise needs to drive Resident Evil 7’s initial sales past predictions, and help the title outsell the previous two entries in the series.
With Resident Evil 7 bringing back exploration and classic puzzle solving, the whole experience should be positive for gamers, even those who don’t play it in virtual reality. Hopefully the full game lives up to the hype and impressive start delivered by the demo.
What do you think about Kawata’s reasoning for switching Resident Evil 7 to first-person view?
Resident Evil 7 is due out on January 24, 2017 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
