HomeReviewsResident Evil 7: biohazard Banned Footage Vol.2 DLC Review

Resident Evil 7: biohazard Banned Footage Vol.2 DLC Review

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It seems a rare thing to see a horror game given DLC. Admittedly in recent years both Outlast and Alien: Isolation received incredible content pieces to add to an already fantastic experience, but seeing two DLCs arrive just weeks after release is something entirely new. But whilst most would surely shame a developer for releasing something so soon without including it in the full release, it’s fair to say the days of receiving full content at launch are gone. That said, the first content, Banned Footage Vol.1 for Resident Evil 7 biohazard was certainly one we found to be worth the extra cost, but with such a great showing first time round, can Banned Footage Vol.2 continue to raise the bar?

Following on from the first content drop, Banned Footage Vol.2 brings two more videos and another fresh game mode to the outing. The Banned Footage Vol.2 content is probably best left till you’ve beaten the main game, so if you’re still part way through the story and don’t want spoilers to ruin things, I’d suggest holding back right now. So without giving away too many of the details, let’s get you caught up on whether the second content drop is as good as the first.

The first video comes titled 21, and as with those found in Vol.1, each seem to be rather simply named. Given the quality though, it’s hardly something to complain about.

Once again, you are taken away from main protagonist Ethan and put into the shoes of another of the TV crew from the demo and other videos in the game. This video sees the action and puzzle based settings of previous removed, and instead places you into a rather sick game of Blackjack. It’s not all as dull as a card game however, as Lucas, the infamous Baker son, has you trapped in a Saw-esque trap, making winning a must for those who wish to come away with every limb they started with.

You begin with your fingers in a machine trap, a trap that will slice them off if you lose. You can only move your head in this one, which to play a game of Blackjack is all that’s really needed. That said, this video doesn’t rely on cunning or wit. In fact, it’s a bit of a shame that it relies on nothing more than luck and a brief understanding of the rules. There are extra rules included; using tokens that give special abilities, picking specific cards, removing your opponent’s cards, or even increasing or decreasing the penalty should you lose. But this only helps to add to the random nature of the game. There are difficulties which can be unlocked, but neither are really any more taxing than the last, just possibly lasting a little longer overall.

The second video in Banned Footage Vol.2 is titled Daughters.

Daughters is the reason you’ll want to finish the story as it contains the story elements you’ll need to have followed through first. Placing you into the shoes of Zoe Baker – finally not a film crew member – it shows you exactly what happened to the Baker family. This video is one that is much needed for the rest of the experience, as short of finding all documents and reading every page in the main game, you wouldn’t really know why the Baker family are quite as messed up as they are. Of course, it’s nice to be in the shoes of Zoe for this one, but you don’t get to find anything new about the character this time out as you’re too busy trying to escape the house.

There are two endings in the Daughters video; a good one showing you how she manages to avoid the insane family members until you arrived, and the bad…and I’ll leave that one for you to discover.

During this video you’re defenceless again, even more so than the main game. Armed with a lighter to combat the darkness, you are left to fumble through the area from the beginning of Resident Evil 7: biohazard, all whilst the rest of the Baker family are turning into monsters around you. In the end, it’s only really a quick experience given the knowledge you’ll have of the house layout by this point, but the experience isn’t a bad one for it. That said, it would have been much nicer to learn a bit more about Zoe, especially given her relatively small role in the main showing previously.

And then we have Mercenaries – an almost ever present mode to the Resident Evil series. In the recent, more action inspired entries, Mercenaries has been one of the most popular showings, but this time round Capcom have taken a different approach and in doing so have created something I constantly find myself going back to in an attempt to beat my own scores.

This new game mode is Jack’s 55th Birthday, and whilst it isn’t the Mercenaries mode that everyone has become used too, it shares several similarities, with the action in this one turning into more of an arcade showing. There is the introduction of a timer, which can be stopped by killing enemies, which in turn unlocks otherwise inaccessible areas. But killing those monsters to access those areas requires weapons, all of which take up valuable inventory space that you are supposed to be filling with various foods found throughout the house – food that Jack wants you to take to him. It is his birthday after all.

This mode then is really all about risk and reward. Higher scores will be attainable by taking more food, in turn unlocking special buffs for things like speed, attack and defence. They will also give the opportunity to get hold of powerful weapons such as the golden crowbar and circular saw, which are vital for those harder enemy types. There are various different maps for this game mode, which along with the variety of enemies and things to find, make for plenty of replayability and help bring something a little lighter hearted to the horror filled reality of the rest of the game.

Whilst the videos included in Vol.2 once more offer decent content, they don’t quite compare to the first content drop in the Banned Footage Vol.1 DLC. It’s also worth noting that even though both DLCs are available as part of the Season Pass, those buying them separately will find a £4 price increase for this one. Given the slightly lacking quality over the first Banned Footage Volume, that feels rather unjust.

Of course, this may in turn pose a question mark over the price of the Season Pass, but those who decide to pick it up won’t be ungrateful for the experience, but maybe it’s worth waiting for the whole thing to drop a little in a sale first.

Carlos Santuana (Sly Boogie1993)
Carlos Santuana (Sly Boogie1993)
After 20 years of playing every game I can get my hands on, I can now be found selling my soul for anything Resident Evil, Gears of War, or Gamerscore related... all of which will be mastered after a good cuppa!
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