Just in case you need yet another reminder of how old you’re getting, Capcom first revealed Resident Evil 7: Biohazard all the way back in June 2016 – almost a decade ago. Following its release in 2017 and a rather unsavoury cloud port on the Switch in 2021, Nintendo fans can finally experience Capcom’s soft reboot on Switch 2 natively – and it’s excellent.
RE7 brings the series back to its survival horror roots, albeit with a shift over to the first-person perspective. The result is an experience that, in my opinion, has aged like fine wine. Resident Evil has never felt quite so immersive, with stunning visuals powered by the Reach to the Moon (RE) Engine and gameplay that pays homage to the 1996 original whilst adding in a few new mechanics of its own.
So what we’ve got here is the quintessential survival horror experience. As you explore the dilapidated Baker Estate — RE7’s primary location — you’ll need to conserve your ammo, avoid direct confrontations where possible, and consistently manage your limited inventory. Dedicated save rooms offer up much-needed respite from the near-constant sense of dread and danger, and these feel more valuable than ever given just how ruthless and persistent the Baker Family can be.
Jack Baker, in particular, who I think I can safely call the primary antagonist of the game (even if he technically isn’t) shows up multiple times and stalks you in a manner not too dissimilar from Nemesis all the way back in RE3. Coming face to face with him is stressful enough on a standard playthrough, but if you crank up the difficulty to ‘Madhouse’, he can be downright terrifying. This mode also makes saves finite, linking the number of times you can record your progress to how many cassette tapes you’re carrying.
With the Gold Edition on Switch 2, you also get immediate access to all available DLC, including ‘Banned Footage Vol. 1 & 2’, ‘Not A Hero’, and more. My favourite of these is a small vignette called ‘Daughters’ contained within the Banned Footage collection. It tells the story of how the Baker Family descended into madness, and it’s equal parts tragic and disturbing. That said, I think all the DLC is worth trying out, and collectively it expands on the experience really well.
On Switch 2, the visuals remain largely consistent with the game’s initial release on PS4 and Xbox One. You’re not going to get any fancy ray-tracing here, but it’s nevertheless a gorgeous-looking game, whether you’re playing docked or handheld. Similarly, load times are kept pleasingly brisk and there were no noticeable drops in frame rate throughout, making this a wonderful way to experience one of the series’ best entries.
Ultimately, if you refused to play Capcom’s ‘Cloud Version’ of RE7 on Switch 1, then your patience has finally been rewarded. In time, I suspect this entry will be looked upon with as much reverence as the original, and I urge you to add it to your library.