Capcom Was Wary Of Making Resident Evil 7 Too Scary In VR

Have you had the chance to play Resident Evil 7‘s Beginning Hour demo? If you have, you’ll no doubt have come away from the experience feeling more than just a little on edge due to its unsettling and tense atmosphere, but imagine doing the same thing again but with a VR headset plonked on your head.

The added immersion that virtual reality brings with it is, game director Kōshi Nakanishi says, something that Capcom took care to be aware of during development to make sure they didn’t “push it too far.”

When quizzed about the matter in an interview on Capcom’s Unity blog (via VideoGamer) Nakanishi, amused, said:

You take responsibility if you choose to play in PSVR Mode. Whether you think you’re ready for it or not is up to you to decide. We certainly did have feelings at some points where we thought it was possible to push it too far in VR with horror.

Despite the mild trepidation Capcom had about using VR though, Resident Evil 7 producer Masachika Kawata says he believes “VR is a really good match for horror,” adding that:

When we first got it implemented we were all so excited to try it out, put on the headset, and get into the horror experience. You have to try it out for yourself to figure out how immersive it is and how you feel like you’re right there in the room.

We’ll just have to take your word for it, Mr. Kawata. Resident Evil 7 hits PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on January 24, 2017. The survival horror’s standalone demo – Beginning Hour – is available to download now for free (PS Plus required) exclusively on PlayStation 4.