Resident Evil 7 is still considered one of the most "dirty" and visually repulsive parts of the series. The ruined estate of the Baker family, spoiled food, and insects everywhere cause genuine disgust in players.
But this specific style turned out not to be a fantasy of Japanese developers. Series producer Jun Takeuchi recently revealed that Capcom's goal was to create the most authentic experience possible, which required the developers to conduct unusual field research.
To achieve this level of authenticity, the team went to the United States and visited residential homes. The developers studied the life and daily routine in certain areas of the American province, trying to understand the local culture and reflect it in the game. What looks like an exaggerated image of poverty and decay in Resident Evil 7 is actually an attempt to reproduce the real images that the authors encountered during the trip.
It is this sense of authenticity that makes Resident Evil 7 so frightening. Instead of fantastic laboratories, the player is shown a disturbingly familiar picture: an old house in the wilderness, a cluttered yard, and broken family relationships. Such horror works stronger because it seems possible, like a place that "could exist on the map of the USA."
