Resident Evil 7: biohazard may have released a few months back, but unlike most titles, the DLC made an appearance just a few days later. It takes a brave man to jump into the new-found experience that once defined horror gaming, just a few days after scaring himself first time round, so having left it a little while I decided to finally jump in and see if Capcom could keep up the thrill ride with the extra content too.
Banned Footage Vol.1 is the first of three DLC packs that will be available for Resident Evil 7: biohazard, with Banned Footage Vol.2 also now available and an extra story mission promised for later on in the year.
Whilst I like my extra content to be chock full of things to do, and add a lengthy experience to any base game, it doesn’t mean anything less is necessarily a bad thing. Some could say that I’m just a bit greedy and have to accept the fact that not everything has to be hours long to be good. In reality, they would be right. But when a Season Pass comes in above the twenty-quid mark, you’ve got to at least expect something to sink your teeth into right? Well, that’s where Resident Evil 7: biohazard surprised me.
During the main game, there are several video tapes to collect, and placing them into the VCR will open a playable video scene in which you are given more of the story behind what happened to the individuals involved, but through their eyes. Each experience can be as short as five minutes, or as long as half an hour, but it’s fair to say they were unique experiences that brought something new to the series. Banned Footage Vol.1 brings two more of these to the game, as well as a new game mode to play through, and whilst they may not be the most lengthy of experiences, depending on ability, they are still a welcome addition to the game, adding nicely to the backstory of Resident Evil 7: biohazard.
Although both videos are a part of the main game, access to them comes from the main menu. Much like the story videos, each found in the DLC places you into the uncomfortable shoes of someone other than the main game’s protagonist Ethan. This time round you find yourself playing as the calm natured camera man Clancy, whom we met in one of the initial videos. In a familiar fashion, things start off with Clancy tied up in one of the bedrooms – Bedroom being the rather simple name for the video – after being captured by the Bakers. Maugerite is once again keen for you to try her molded dish of disgusting remains, and is certain you will enjoy it. With Clancy shackled to a chair you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s a dead man walking, but that’s not the case. Shaking the shackles is easy enough, but escaping the room? That’s the real puzzle here.
Resident Evil has always been a series with strong ties to puzzles and whilst they may have disappeared slightly from Resident Evil 5 and 6, Resident Evil 7 brought them back, bigger and better than before. That’s essentially what this first video is; a big puzzle based around the room you’re in and just how you’re going to escape.
What’s great about this video is that whilst you can move around in the room to figure things out, Maugerite is just next door, and given the caring nature of her, she comes back frequently to check on you. This is where things get interesting. You see, Maugerite has put you in bed, so if you’re caught out of it, she won’t be happy, and the slightest noise can see her storm back in with a vengeance. Of course, moving quietly is the key here, but moving things around comes with price to pay too, as Maugerite knows where everything should be, so if something is out of place, she’ll know you have been messing around.
The little changes can be saved at times with a well-chosen dialogue choice, but with such a need to have everything where it should be, you can often find panic setting in as you hear her coming back and you’re halfway across the room with everything in the wrong place. Much like the rest of the game, the gameplay is fantastic, with the only negative to speak of being just how short it is, and the lack of replayability after you’ve finally figured it out.
The second video is that of Nightmare – an entirely different approach to that of Bedroom. Instead of seeing you tied down and helpless, Nightmare puts you in to a Horde-based survival type mode in which you take on the role of a different TV crew member. Your goal is rather simple…survive till morning. But there’s a catch; and that comes in the form of the never ending molded monsters coming at you from every direction. This isn’t a one room video fortunately and instead you’re given the vast expanse of the basement to check out.
Given the circumstances, you aren’t left empty handed. In fact, utilising the various machines will supply a slow but sure collection of scrap metal. These scraps can then be used to create items, weapons and ammo that you will need to manage carefully to survive. However, even series veterans will struggle, as it doesn’t take long to be facing an entire room full of the disgusting creatures, forcing you to fight for your life.
In an attempt to give you a chance, your new character can create traps and turrets, which, even if an almost direct copy of Gears of War’s Horde mode, sees Nightmare works well. Those that beat this video are also in for a treat as you’ll unlock Night Terror – the newer, harder and more unforgiving version.
The final offering in the Banned Footage Vol.1 DLC is that of Ethan Must Die. Given the name, I expected a challenge before I even started – but never did I expect that challenge to leave me red faced at the very first enemy time and time again.
Even as a long-time Resident Evil fan, and a man who has tried every outing on their hardest difficulties, Ethan Must Die is one game mode I will never find myself finishing. Describing it as impossible is merely a simplistic description of what I have only come to expect from a Dark Souls game. Yet Ethan Must Die is just that. There is even a bit of Dark Souls inspiration on offer with the fact the game allows you to keep some of your items if you head back to the exact spot in which you died, but doing that will be challenging with one-hit kills and random item drops to deal with along the way.
It’s fair to say I didn’t get very far with the Ethan Must Die game mode, but those with a keen interest on besting this fantastic experience will certainly have a blast.
Overall and it’s fair to criticise Capcom for not including the extra content into the main game, especially with it being available just a few days later, but the content on offer is certainly enough to have me feeling happy with my Season Pass. A couple of videos and an insane difficulty level may not be what everyone values as £25 well spent, but the content on offer is thoroughly enjoyable and certainly ties in well with everything found in the earlier biohazard experience.
