There was one game that had everyone talking at this year's E3 games expo. One title that had people sprinting for a spot in the queue for a hands-on demo. One experience that upset gamers more than any other (including us) - for all the right reasons.
The reveal of Resident Evil 7 during PlayStation's news conference elicited gasps, cheers and a frenzy of Tweets. At an event that had struggled to keep a lid on many new titles, Capcom had managed to shroud one of the biggest titles of the year in secrecy.
With one of the biggest video game franchises of all time headed to the brave new world of PlayStation VR (and other platforms), we spoke to the title's producer Masachika Kawata to find out what to expect from Resident Evil 7.
When did the first ideas for Resident Evil 7 emerge? Was it a reaction to the PlayStation VR tech, or had work on it already begun?
"Actually, we had already started work on the title before we saw the PlayStation VR technology. Work started in early 2014 and then it was perfect timing for the VR conversation to come along.
"Since we already had made the decision right at the start of the project to shift from third-person to first-person, it made perfect sense to look into VR as a way to make the game even more immersive. That was what led us to develop our Kitchen tech demo, which debuted at E3 2015 and the fantastic reaction to that showed us that we were going in the right direction."
What themes will the new game encompass? Is the emphasis on exploration over action?
"The main theme is horror, so yes, since you’ll be trying to stay alive and escape, the game will have more of an emphasis on exploring the environment rather than action scenes."
What challenges did building a game for the VR headset provide?
"The things VR allows us to do in terms of immersion and experience are extremely appealing, but there are also many unknowns when it comes to developing on new hardware. The challenge is for us to bring an experience that as many people as possible can fully enjoy.
"Further VR testing is still needed, and yes, there have been some things that couldn’t be included, but we’re still working hard to make the full game work in VR. I think the exploration in the game is a perfect match for VR."
Given how immersive the experience is, will you be wanting to build all future horror games with a VR element?
"It’s such a great fit for horror as you say, but maybe doing so would make it all just too scary for people to handle!"
Which previous RESI titles do you think RESI 7 is most similar to?
"The setting and story are completely different but I think the feeling of playing the game is most similar to the original Resident Evil.
"The game content was already in place before we decided to add VR compatibility, so it wasn’t built with the assumption of VR in the first place and therefore stays very true to the Resident Evil DNA."
What experience do you hope players will take away from playing this game?
"I’d love to see player comments like 'the game is really scary' or 'it’s absolutely terrifying!'"
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will arrive on PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, PC and Xbox One on 24 January
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