Harrison Abbott reviews Resident Evil 7: Not a Hero…
Whereas End of Zoe had a somewhat hefty price tag associated with it, Not a Hero has no such barrier to entry. This means that if you already own a copy of Resident Evil 7, then you are entitled to this substantial epilogue piece, which sees Chris Redfield fight his way through the South Dulvey Salt Mines, in pursuit of Lucas Baker (the only remaining antagonist from the original game). The expansion ultimately promises to tie up a few loose ends, all whilst delivering the same terrific gameplay that ran through RE:7 itself.
On that note, you may remember that Not a Hero was originally slated to come out in Spring 2017, yet here we are, on the cusp of the new year and it has only just been released. This delay was reportedly due to a producer mandate, dictating that the DLC needed ”to match the high quality of the main game”, which is an admirable enough motivation. After all, it’s only a free add-on and so Capcom could have easily squatted out any old shit and faced little backlash.
Nevertheless, I’m a pedantic little prick, so I’m going to hold it accountable all the same. With that in mind and irrespective of its noble intentions, let’s take a look at whether Not a Hero is any damn good.
First of all, let’s address those aforementioned loose ends. Obviously the primary focus of this DLC is to give a finite conclusion to the Baker family story, by shedding some light on exactly what happened to Lucas, the sadistic, Jigsaw-esque lunatic who escaped during Biohazard’s rather hectic climax. The somewhat obvious resolution to this plot-point is delivered over the course of an engaging, albeit fairly predictable and box-ticky, manhunt.
You can likely predict exactly where it’s going from minute one and there aren’t any surprises to speak of. Which would be fine in theory, were it not for the fact that Lucas’ core appeal was always his penchant for crafty rug-pulls and tricky misdirection. The lack of twists and turns accordingly feels like a missed opportunity, especially since there’s nothing here remotely as ingenious as the main game’s ”Happy Birthday” escape room or even the fun 21 mini-game. Indeed, there’s potential here for something far cleverer, both in terms of narrative and gameplay (The only puzzles on offer are very light and vanilla). Still, Lucas remains to be a charismatic villain and navigating his death traps here is enjoyable, if a little too easy.
The add-on also promises to explore another intriguing plot point, that being the sudden reemergence of Umbrella and Chris’ new role in the once-malevolent organisation. This narrative twist has been the subject of intensive theorising and fan speculation since the game’s release in January, but you get the impression that Capcom weren’t really aware of this, as the mystery is basically brushed aside with a throwaway line of dialogue.
Essentially, Chris is working for a restructured Umbrella, one that is comprised of a blend of old and new employees. The newbies among the group are trying to amend the corporation’s public image via humanitarian work, which entails clearing up viral messes that are left around the country. So that’s it really, Umbrella are just good guys now and Chris has been recruited thanks to his experience with BOWs. If you were anticipating more elucidation or even a shocking reveal, then you might want to adjust your expectations.
So from a story perspective, Not a Hero does its job well enough by providing some form of closure, even if its answers are a little obvious. But what about the gameplay? Well that’s where things get interesting. At first, it seems like this is going to be a cookie-cutter continuation of RE:7’s action-oriented final hour. Indeed, that’s the impression you get right off the bat, as you return to the Salt Mines and are quickly thrust into gunning down modled left-right-and-centre.
However, as the expansion goes on, things begin to unfold in a much more interesting way. Once you get past a certain door (which was previously locked in the base-game), you find yourself in a brand new section of the mine. From here, the DLC opens up layer by layer, bringing with it the same metroidvania exploration that made the Baker plantation such a joy to navigate.
Except here, instead of looking for keys and emblems to unlock more of the map, you are tasked with finding new attachments for Chris’ breathing apparatus. For example, you need a stronger oxygen filter to enter environments that are flooding with toxic vapours, meanwhile a night vision component is required to brave dark caverns. Just like in the main game, piecing together the layout of this intricate labyrinth is a highly gratifying process and it’s hard not to marvel at how precisely constructed it all is. As nerdy as it sounds, RE: 7 continues to make geography and orientation really fun.
Additionally, there are a number of set-pieces that succeed in getting your heart pumping. One minute you may be trying to rescue a friend from a room rigged with C4, the next you’ll be racing against time to remove an explosive collar from your neck. Elsewhere, there’s a bit where you have to figure out how to escape from a roaring furnace, a stressful dash through a maze-like structure and even a great boss fight to wrap things up. In total, there’s more memorable moments packed into this 2 hour episode than there are in most full games.
However, as you may have noticed, all of the above highlights take the form of either traps and/or light-puzzles. That’s because Not a Hero is at its best when you are dealing with the (admittedly toned down) machinations of Lucas, rather than contending with hordes upon hordes of Molded. Unfortunately, that latter task will take up more time than it should, especially if you’re already sick to the back teeth of fighting these creatures.
It’s not that combat is especially arduous or anything. In fact, the mechanics themselves are sound and can still be entertaining in moderation. But the action is dragged way down by the severe lack of enemy variety and wheeling out the molded once again only serves to highlight this flaw. These off-brand zombies are simply not suited to being staple enemies for an entire DLC’s worth of combat. They don’t have the requisite personality and they’re too visually drab, coming across as mindless drones that all look and act the same.
As with End of Zoe, the DLC does at least attempt to spice things up with some new variants, none of which look or feel particularly different. The combat is also expanded upon with new weapons and abilities (Chris can punch stunned Molded and curb-stomp them when they’re downed, helping you conserve ammunition). Nevertheless, facing off against these tired enemies has become gratingly repetitive. If this is the last add-on for Biohazard, then we can only hope that the next game either abandons them altogether, or at least adds in more diversity with its monsters.
Pros:
+ For a freebie, this is rather generously sized
+ Features excellent level-design and exploration mechanics
+ Working through Lucas’ sadistic traps is always a delight
+ New weapon and gear additions are surprisingly extensive
+ Yet another killer boss fight
Cons:
– Story could do with being more fleshed out
– Missed opportunity for more inventive puzzles, ala ”Happy Birthday”
– Enough with the fucking molded!
Rating: 7.5/10
Harrison Abbott
