New Resident Evil 7 documentary shines a light on cut mechanics

Resident Evil 7 could have followed in the footsteps of its predecessor, a third-person shooter with very little of the series' horror DNA intact. Indeed, that's what the studio was aiming for back in 2013, before executive producer Jun Takeuchi joined the team, shifting its gears away from action and back towards survival.

That's just one of the tidbits in the first episode of this Resident Evil 7 documentary series, which promises to trace the game's development from start to finish. Also of interest, is that the game had a stealth mechanic centred around holding your breath, which was designed to make passing enemies a bit easier. Personally, I kinda wish they'd kept that.

The full first episode is embedded below. The instalment was a true return-to-form for the series, with our reviewer Andy Kelly describing it as a "tense and refined survival horror with a brilliantly bleak, grimy atmosphere".

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.