I love how Ethan’s dialogue changes throughout the game too to reflect the player’s acclimation to the game. He goes from being genuinely terrified to more pissed off than anything and his lines gave me a lot of laughs
I felt the same in Village too. Like his one-liner after killing Moreau: “He died as he was in life: DISGUSTING!” I audibly laughed out loud when I heard that.
The absurdity makes it less scary for me. Let's be honest, they could have made almost anything that was even slightly scary after re6 and people would be calling that game great as well
@@johndodo2062 then again least they made the game infinitely more bareble supposedly I know not what the hell they did to 5 and 6 but last I remembered they didn’t make those games fun gameplay wise
A hive vagina and a duel with chainsaws is extremely ridiculous. That doesn't mean anything close to what you're saying. Don't use the word logic if you can't implement it correctly
I like how the infected Bakers are all based on a sub-genre of horror. Jack's based on slasher movie villains, which is why he's so damn unstoppable, Marguerite's body horror, which is most prevalent during her boss fight, and Lucas is the Saw movies and psychological horrors, which is why he's the least mutated one, at least in the main game. Not only that, they aren't villains for the sake of it or for some other reason. They were good people before their minds were taken. In fact, it was Jack's humanity that sealed their fates. If he had known what Evelyn was, maybe he wouldn't have brought her into his home and caused what happened. Maybe he would've anyway or Evelyn would've ruined some other family's lives. Hell, even Evelyn feels sympathetic to a point. Yes, she's done horrible things, but it's at least partially, if not mostly, because she was treated more like an experiment or a weapon instead of a human being.
Correction, Lucas was ALWAYS rotten and RESIDENT EVIL. He was ticking time bomb, even before Evelyn show up. Zoe mentions he abused her, and he himself also mentions this and you find his diary when he was just a kid and he explains how he tricked his school friend to come and locked him in attic and left him there to starve to death. Lucas was genius, however he was always the symbolic black mold that grew in the house but both Jack and Marguerite were in denial of Lucas true nature. Black mold is said to be very toxic to humans and if left unchecked it can take over the entire house and make it unlivable as it spreads toxins into the air. Also considering Lucas is genius and inventor, this is the first time we get rationale why some weapons in the game exist such as make-shit flamethrower and grenade launcher. Lucas made them.
@@AroAce-Popgoes-plushNo Lucas doesn't work for Umbrella but he works for the people who made Evelyn, The Connections, they provided him with a cure, in exchange he would keep tabs and help The Connections study Evelyn and the Mold, SuperHorrorBro has a video on RE7 and its DLCs, I don't know what happened to Blue Umbrellas' parent company, but from what I know, Blue Umbrella works with taking down Bio-Weapons which is why Chris now works for Blue Umbrella, I suspect that Blue Umbrella was created after the Raccoon City incident, and the Albert Wesker incident, we know this is after the events of RE1-6 because they have Weskers gun, okay, so I would like to correct myself, basically Umbrella Corp was dissolved, and a Private Military Company under the same name was created from their ashes dedicated to hunting and taking down Bio-Weapons and their creators, although the people who now are in Chris's old group are Bio-Weapons, and it said that his group was basically added to Blue Umbrella and, but it says that the members of his group, so I don't know if Umbrella is fully reformed or if they are still making Bio-Weapons, I have a theory that the "parasite" used to partially make the Nemesis was actually the Black Mold, because in the remake he constantly mutates, as we see both Jack and Margaret do in the game, just a theory, and you could say it was just about anything by that logic it was probably the 'Las Pragas' in RE4, I can't wait for RE9 and hopefully I'll have good computer to play it on
Re 7's safe room music has always affected me more than any of the other games. It's so hauntingly beautiful. To me it feels like the last remnants of the baker's consciousness, slowly rotting away in the place they thought would keep them safe
Also theme that plays when you highlight re7 in ps menu and press down to see information about the game. Very haunting. Also if you listen to the full theme when you return to the guest house at the end of the game and just move around downstairs before going to the attic where you inject eveline.
I tried playing this game for 5 years but every time I logged in and just heard the saferiom music just that made me ”nope”. There is nothing comfortable in the saferoom at all let alone the rest of the house. I did however finish it though eventually and holy shit what a game. Made me buy RE2, RE3, and then 8 immediately snd I finished all of them in just 1,5 week or something I believe😆 I was hooked. And now it’s RE4, so happy I actually forced myself to play 7.
It's impossible to play through Resident Evil 7 without thinking of the Evil Dead movies, the originals with Bruce Campbell. In fact, when Jack Baker says "Groovy!", that's a direct reference to those movies, in the form of the Protagonist's catch phrase. Evil Dead was also a very visceral mix between horror and humor.
I remember the part that got me with the horror humour double whammy was when I managed to get into the car in the garage, Jack jumped in and said “I’m gonna take you for a ride” My wife asked why I was laughing and I just had to explain the invincible zombie hillbilly just made a really funny reference to Marvel Vs Capcom. Great game
Honestly such a golden moment. I’m sad that it seems RE4 won’t be as silly. But to me that level of unpredictability almost makes the game scarier when it’s not funny.
THIS game actually had me on edge. i live it Texas and seeing empty whataburger cups was too close to home lol. seriously though, i’ve been in hoarded homes like this and it’s a lot like the baker residence minus the Saw-like traps
I was looking around wondering where tf they got whataburger from, It's really rare in LA! There's only a few and they're all in major cities. Dude really drove all the way to Lafayette from the coast to get some whataburger lmao
The thing that really set the tone for that horror/humor combination in RE7 was when Ethan is talking to the police officer at the front door and delivers the beautiful line, “A fuckin’ pocket knife?” Gets me every time
I always laugh at “you’ve gotta give me your gun!” Imagine being that police deputy and just hearing that from a guy who has his entire left hand stitched back on and wearing a Fitbit.
Ethan honestly had better lines in RE7 than in RE Village. Another line I like from him is "Just fucking stay dead, okay???" He sounded so done lmao. I don't know why RE fans don't like him. Just because he's not Leon?
It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that the car Jack has in the garage is Ethan's car... it's why if you manage to get in he taunts you with "Nice car, Ethan!" I guess it was just really easy for me to forget about the car since you only really see it for like 2 minutes at the start... Yea, I really have to pay more attention while playing. Only figured it out on my 5th playthrough. Anyways, Great Video! The absurdity of everything was also something that drew me in and I had a blast with this game!
It never crossed my mind that was Ethan's car. When he said "Nice car, Ethan!" I thought he was saying it for comedic effect because he was driving it. Nice observation!
@@mexxchattaway6719 There are couple of homages to Evil Dead actually, such as the very first opening shot being car driving through woods and it's exact same shot like in Evil Dead (both og and remake), Ethan losing his hand via chainsaw, and when you first encounter possessed Mia, she crawls from basement in exact same way as possessed Mia in Evil Dead remake. Evelyn's final form also resembles that possessed tree thing from Evil Dead 2. Also I swear Jack says "Groovy!" at one point.
On the subject of comedy in horror, I think it works in Biohazard because, like you said, it never removes from the horror. The comedy only accentuates the bleakness of the situation. It's never a better situation because it's funny. Jack Baker is still a horrifying monster, and him jumping in a Dodge Charger doesn't alleviate this. It's the same with Mia grabbing the chainsaw. Yeah, it's totally batshit, but not only is your situation not better because of it; It's actively worse. It almost makes it feel like your suffering is a joke. I think there's a transition that happens here from utter terror to maniacal hopelessness that's at the heart of horror comedy. There's this weird mania to horror comedy in this game and in other works I've seen that I think is the reason it works. Another example is Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original). It's not quite to the same degree, but seeing teenagers wander into a strangers home only to be brutally and shockingly murdered because of it does capture that same "Your suffering is a joke" vibe that makes comedy horror work so well.
Horror/Humor makes me think of Tim Curry’s Pennywise and why he was so much scarier than the remake version. In the remake Pennywise always seems to be trying really hard to scare his victims while Curry’s seemed to be entertaining himself which is what I found terrifying. The library scene with adult Richie is a great example of what I’m taking about.
Tim Currys pennywise was absolutely not terrifying. He was a massive joke and I laughed at his terrible acting the entire way. How tf anyone finds the it movies scary at all is obsurd 😂
@@finn2718 stuff like the OG exorcist film or games like alien Isolation. Both of those do have some uncomfortable humor that they balance out perfectly. IT is not and never was scary to me. It's more of a Tuesday night viewing when nothing else is on
I believe a film that mixes humor with terror is scream. We all laugh and giggle when ghostface is tripping and bumbling around when chasing after a victim. Yet it’s still terrifying because it’s so real, not every serial killer is stoic and perfect, so having our killer trip, get hit, and fall makes it so real and terrifying because we know an actual human is capable of the inhuman actions ghostface does
I never saw that bit with jack cutting your leg off. This is what's great about the best resident evil games. You could play some of them through 25 times and still be finding sh*t
Yeah, it's actually really hard to find. Like, it's specific conditions that triggers it. And it looks like that was originally supposed to be the tutorial to healing, given Ethan's reaction.
I was really surprised when I found out a lot of people never saw that scene, specially because when I played RE8 and the big reveal happened all I thought was yeah, it all makes sense if you think about that foot scene. To me that scene is proof of Capcom planning that for Ethan all the way since RE7 and it's missable wtf
Horror and comedy are similar in that they operate on cycles of tension and release. A knock knock joke isn’t structurally all that different from a jumpscare: expectation, subversion, release of tension. It’s a really interesting connection! Would love to see more games play with it.
I could add something to the safe room themes too, these safe rooms always do a good job of making you feel safe but never too safe, the safe rooms often have relaxing but also unsettling music, to portray you are safe in them but you have to leave eventually to survive the nightmare
"This nightmare is nowhere near over. You're still in here. So...at least try and catch your breath so you can make it past them." That's how I see it. It's trying to destress you enough so you can try and find your way out of this waking nightmare where all the agony is the maddening giddy of your hunters.
I love how you mentioned the stress of horror games being exhausting. Darkwood is not only one of the most impressive horror games, but one of the most impressive games in general to me. I love it so much, but can't play it because the sheer amount of never-ending stress makes it physically unhealthy for me to play lmao.
That's why I can't play much psychological horror honestly. Usually they have constant tension that never really releases and it just takes me a long time to get through the games since I need constant breaks lol.
@@pencilonpaper1026I thought I am the only one haha. I played through Alan Wake now and am looking forward to playing Silent hill remake. As it was cheap I downloaded RE7, but first person horror is just something else. I am not sure if I can play this game haha. The only thing that helps is the bad graphics haha. Crazy how this game and the last of us were released on the same console, considering the different graphics.
RE7 and RE8 are both super good in different ways. When you were talking about making the game feel powerful, it reminded me of when Ethan was fighting Heisenberg. I’ve never felt so strong and invincible. Also, I always thought that I was just scared of hiding in video games, but in reality I just hate being powerless. It’s why I personally can’t play Outlast. I enjoy being able to fight back
I think also why RE7 Chris dlc is less scary is because he is a veteran and you got lots of weaponry in your arsenal, and he could just punch them like boulders
@@griskykunnn1005Nice reference. Very funny you mention it because Heisenberg actually makes a reference to Chris punching a boulder in the beginning of his bossfight
I love how by the end Ethan is just pissed off and tired, so much so that when Jack shows up for the last time Ethan just says, "This is getting old, Jack"
My favorite moment in the game is by far the exchange right before the "chainsaw duel" with Jack. Jack, gleefully picking up a chainsaw: Groovy! Ethan: That's not groovy.
Jack Baker is the scariest stalker enemy in Resident Evil IMO. Mr X and the Nemesis are terrifying too, but they’re focused on killing their targets and nothing else. Getting caught by one of them will result in a brutal but swift death. Now, with Jack… Who the hell knows what his sadistic, twisted mind could come up with. That’s why I find him so terrifying. Also, side note: I love that Ethan isn’t responding to this messed up situation like an ordinary person would. He quickly starts to just go along with stuff. Makes it feel like even our protagonist is losing his mind a little.
House Beneviento was my favorite section too, the simple thought of "I can't fight this" and then later as you leave you get your revenge, you get to fight back and it's a wonderful feeling.
This is why I don't get people say re8 isn't scary and act like it's the only one that's like that, all of the games are creepy and have great jumpscares, but apart from certain sections in previous games, none of them apart from re7 are actually consistently terrifying from start to end. Re7 is the only completely scary re game to the point of people wanting to turn the game off.
Cabin In The Woods is a great example of a mashed up horror/comedy. Genuinely interesting and clever, too. Definitely worth a watch. Great videos mate.
The first example of horror and “comedy” combined together, and amplifying each other is “evil dead” from Sam Raimi, and the later remake, the antagonists there are terrifying, but at the same time they savagely taunt and laugh at their victims expense, I think the game acknowledges this similarity, and is in fact full of references, Ike “groovy”, or the chainsaw
Great vid! My biggest problem with Village was that it’s tone was so much less consistent than RE7. This isn’t even to say that a horror game needs to have a consistent tone all the way through (RE7 proves this) but Village was so separated from its different segments that it felt more like a theme park with different rides. That theme park is wildly fun, but RE7 shows such an understanding of the cycles of horror. The dread, the panic, the comfort, and the eventual turning of the tables is all done so well here.
I agree that horror and humor are not mutually excusive. If anything, the humor enhances the horror. Just take a look at the Joker from Batman. There is something so sinister about a villain who makes light of murder and has fun while committing some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Characters like Jack Baker and the Joker treat their victim's life like it's a joke. These villains are laughing because they are in control, and that's terrifying.
personally i think horror and comedy fit so well together because there is something that shifts when you realize that these villains, they’re laughing and joking because you are not in control. they’re controlling you, they think they know how this situation ends and it ends with you dying. it’s all a game to them, that’s why it’s hilarious and they’re goofy and they laugh at you. the absurdity doesn’t help either. like yes, being pinned a wall and someone turning a corner to grab a chainsaw is hilarious, but that also means now you have to deal with a chainsaw wielding maniac. it’s not the same humor as a comedy movie, it’s more maniacal and hopeless but it’s still hilarious
It's a great combination. Very hard to do right though. You need to see that the situation would 100% be terrifying for the person in the game, while at the same time understanding how absurd the situation is when looked at from outside the situation. It's a really weird feeling. Almost like laughing at a dangerous situation after the fact because, now that you're out of it, you can see the humor in it.
Resident Evil 7 is my favorite game of all time. It's a NEAR PERFECT game with a single flaw. It's just so good, I find myself coming back to it time and time again...
I like that your main point is that horror and comedy can go together. That is something I have noticed is severely lacking in today's horror films. Horror and comedy in visual media aren't different, they use the same building blocks set-up, suspense, and finally subversion of expectation. I feel like this gets lost on a lot of people especially Hollywood directors. A prime example are the evil dead movies they are hilarious while also being genuinely creepy at times, now look at a trailer for the newest movie evil dead rise. It looks like they are taking themselves WAY too seriously and all of the soul feels lost. Comedy is tragedy+time so in turn good horror should implement tragedy & timing with this formula comedy and horror can and should go hand in hand.
The Resident Evil series as a whole has always been one to kind of walk the line of horror/comedy all wrapped up as a kind of B-Movie package. To varying effectiveness per game, but I do think you're right when you say that Resi 7 is the perfection of that. I remember my first real taste of finding Resi 7 hilarious was actually with Marguerite, just when you crack open a door and she stops you, telling you to "stay the fuck out!" almost immediately I heard the VA just channelling Rita Repulsa and after that, that's all I could hear from her. Amazingly, though, it didn't detract from the horror.
It's so nice to see resi 7 get some love, really interesting and great video! I know 7 was my introduction to resident evil, and it's always stuck with me. It's the only horror media, ever, to give me nightmares, and as someone who watches a fair bit of horror and grew up on their parents watching true crime tv, I find it pretty crazy how much this game terrifies me. I'm not squamish about blood or gore, but the scene where Jack cuts of Ethans leg, and then taunts him afterwards gave me some of the scariest nightmares ever. I think another thing that helps the game be so scary is how normal everyone in the family looks. Jack and Lucas look very eerily similar to family friends, which really added to the horror for me personally. I'd love to see more vids on the Resident Evil franchise, especially on 7 and 8!
You mentioned something in this video that I've been saying for years. I'm a healthcare worker and often times bring a very dry sense of humor with me when working with patients because they are often afraid. I do this because I always have said "people think bravery is the opposite of fear but they're wrong, it's actually humor." I figure if I can make a patient laugh a little during a procedure, that goes a long ways to helping them get better through their fears.
One of the scariest things about this game for me was the filth of the environment and especially the rotting food. Im massively afraid of being ill and of things being unsanitary, specifically around food. Even when watching play throughs of RE7, I have to be in the right headspace otherwise it messes me up: Scared sure, but genuinely panicked and uneasy. Fantastic environment 10/10
I'm currently playing through this in VR for the first time and holy crap it is amazing. I haven't been scared by a video game since I was in my teens so this has been refreshing. On a personal note, having grown up in a physically violent and abusive environment I've intentionally avoided this game for several years because I knew it would bring me back due to the theme of the family. While it does bring me back to those horrible memories, I can discern reality from fantasy and snap out of it. Thanks for this video, great work!
Resident evil is good at mixing it up - at least something is gonna get to you. In 7 the most unsettling moment seeing Marguerite from a top floor - you are exposed, and know that after a break of the main house it's gonna get worse. Slasher, body horror, psychological horror, ghosts, being trapped in an enclosed space or knowing that something is out there, we all have something that scares as the most so variety is good
This game is so great. I'm glad I managed to play it on release and on Madhouse. The powerful of feeling of winning the chainsaw fight against Jack the first time was something truly mesmerizing.
A personal favorite in terms of the blend of horror and humor is the very first Five Nights at Freddy's. The Phone Guy's instructional calls are used both to tell little jokes and imply very dark things that make you quiver and giggle. I call it quiggling. Like, he'll mention their missing persons policy, where you're laughing at the irony of it and dreading the idea of falling victim to it. While the entire franchise up to Special Delivery has this sort of semi-self-aware macabre humor, FNaF 1's phone calls provide that perfect balance of comedy and horror to give you levity between nights and prepare you to enter a new one all at once.
While it doesn’t juxtapose the humor and terror so intensely, the film Fargo stands out as giving me the widest range of dark, upsetting moments all the way to cackling so loudly I nearly forget how horrible I felt not ten minutes earlier.
I love that the writers and artists of RE7 clearly took inspiration from the early Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies that used depraved and insane humour to actually enhance the fear and feeling of losing one’s mind, even the scene where Mia pops out of the corner with the axe behind her back uses a similar flash bulb sound effect that is iconic to TCM 1974, every thing from the setting, the characters and style of horror is very similar and I love it, it’s The Louisiana Mold Massacre
Yesterday i finished 8 and now started 7 again . i like 7 so much more .... it really shows how they cared about this game . Village felt a little bit rushed even the cutscenes are weird somethimes . 7 was a masterpiece and how the game feels in combat , cutscenes etc
The Molded are nightmare fuel but their animations are goofy as hell. One of the animations that happen after shooting them in the head has them falling on their back, kicking up into the air, as if having slipped on a wet floor. I laughed out loud the first time I saw that animation, while simultaneously feeling dread and fear, and I can't recall any other game making me feel that set of emotions at the same time.
RE7 was a super scary game. I can't tell you how many times I screamed playing this game haha But you're absolutely right in that it's also a fun game. Every boss you beat made you feel powerful and I felt myself gain more confidence with each encounter. I'm playing through Village right now so I completely skipped that part of the video so I'll come back when I complete. Not as scary but still fun!
I will never understand how people don’t get that humor and horror do in fact go very well together. It taps into areas of your brain that are in very close proximity, and can have a “whiplash” effect that heightens the other as a result. Evil Dead 2 was a very good example of this, and Sam Raimi talked about this phenomena being a big inspiring factor for those movies.
Resident Evil started as a horror game then leaned on being an action game and then back to horror in Resident Evil 7. I'm so happy to be a 90s kid that was able to experience the 20+ year evolution of the Resident Evil series. Growing up with this franchise and seeing it continue and move forward is like an adventure and journey in itself.
Just played this game for the first time and wow it's fantastic. My favourite aspect honestly is the undertone of genuine tragedy that runs through the entire game. My favourite scene is when Ethan talks to Jack while he's trapped by Eveline and there's such a palpable depth added to the family that was only evident through background lore before
Just discovered you through your dead space analysis and I love your style! Keep it up man! RE7 being as funny as it is is fantastic and the game always manages to make me laugh even all these years later.
You, my friend, are one of the BEST CZcamsrs I've come across in a while. Your content is amazing:) A video about Jake Baker sounds cool. I don't know what games you like or if you even take suggestions, but I'm going to leave some ideas here if they're interesting to you -Mass Effect (something about the Reapers, or maybe "morality") -Assassin's Creed Odyssey and/or Assassin's Creed Valhalla -Grand Theft Auto V -Spider-Man (PS4) -The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Evil Dead will always be me favourite horror franchise of all time especially Evil Dead 2 as a child that film was a wild trip morphing horror and comedy moments felt with a smile on me face and others with a pillow just below my line of sight in moments of fear
The seamless flipping between horror and humour is what I really love about this game. It strikes a perfect balance between the two. It straight up gave me Evil Dead vibes when I first played it.
You gained a new subscriber this is an amazing video, and can't believe I never noticed this about my playthrough but looking back I felt those exact emotions!
I could not agree more! There’s this CZcamsr from my country I have been watching for a while, and for the longest time he vehemently refused touching anything remotely horror-ey, because he’s the sort to get genuinely scared (part of why watching him play through RE games is so enjoyable - his reactions are 100% authentic). RE7 was the first title ever he not only decided to record but ultimately finished! At the end of the third episode he says “There is a lot going on, and I’m terrified, but nothing so bad as to make me abandon the game. It’s overwhelming and weird but also funny,”, which, coming from a complete horror novice just proves the point - the game is structured incredibly well and anybody can play it, poop their pants throughout AND simultaneously enjoy themselves. Great vid! ❤️
I am BEGGING you to watch the Evil Dead trilogy. The whole reason Jack says "Groovy" during the chainsaw fight is just a giant blatant reference to Evil Dead 2. As someone who loves the blend of horror & comedy: Evil Dead 2 is my favorite horror movie of all time.
The one thing not a lot of people talk about is Lucas. Even before Evelyn,, he was already a killer. During the events of the game, he wasn’t actually under Evelyn’s control at all, the connections reached out to him and gave him a serum to free his mind. He was completely in control and sane as early as a month after infection, not only that, he managed to set up an entire laboratory in the salt mine with the connection’s scientists before Ethan even arrived. He was the lead researcher and was truly sadistic and smart, even getting the drop on umbrella AND hacking Chris’s coms to talk with him. He was by far one of the most unique antagonists in the resident evil series and I wish he got some more screen time.
That whole foot scene was great as hell, and it was also evidence of foreshadowing and planning for Resident Evil 8, and it was a freaking missable scene.
THIS. Which is why I was so baffled at Village. RE7 was a direct response to 6 being universally panned because to much action, not enough horror. Plus the games were just starting to get stale. Seven made me feel the exact same way as the first time I played ONE in 96. A sense of wonder, scary,pure fun. The game gets critical ACCLAIM. The dlc that comes out is JUST AS GOOD. Even the freakin blackjack was fantastic. Clancy! ;) Than 8 came out and I was just confused. Seemed odd to go right back to the thing that was failing them and ditch what just worked SO well.
I've been trying to remember what it was like when I first played this game and everything you said was on point. I went through the exact feelings of everything you're saying, the terror you feel is beyond anything ive ever felt. It was such a thrilling experience. I would love to experience it again for the first time.
Monster House is probably one of the best horror comedies that isnt trying to be a spoof that I can think of off the top of my head. Scream is another one. Final Destination is good at crafting kills that are terrifying but also kinda funny in a sick way because of their execution (pun not intended).
I played this game to completion for the first time recently and was also really impressed by the way it mixes humor with horror. Felt like an OG Sam Raimi movie, which makes the little shoutout to Evil Dead during the chainsaw fight even better. I feel like a lot of the best, most confident horror movies are better for it - makes the horror segments a lot more effective because you're constantly being pushed in and out of these states of relief every once in a while. very good video
The original Scream is perfect at blending horror and comedy. Ghostface is a goober that falls down a lot gets kicked in the face and thrown around. At the end of the day though he's still trying to kill people and does so in bloody and gruesome ways. He is so visibly human that it makes his actions that much more monstrous
I just finished the game. Never have I ever been so scared playing a horror game! To me the scariest moments in the game were the unscripted moments where I was forced to walk down a dark unfamiliar and creaky hallway, expecting a jump scare to occur... and nothing. The sheer terror and anxiety I would feel before opening a door was at times overwhelming. The anticipation of expecting something to jump out at me and nothing happens, would make me feel that I'm overthinking and then I would let my guard down and that's when something would jump out at me and catch me off guard. I love that they didn't just go with cheap jumpscares at every corner. Instead there were few jumpscares that were strategically placed in moments when the player may not expect it, making every jumpscare unique. The games' tone and horrifying atmosphere made this game a very memorable horror experience. I loved it!
Don't hug me I'm scared is my favorite example of blending humor and horror together, especially in the recent TV series that dropped on channel 4. It's surrealist comedy makes it one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time, and its fever-dream nightmare style of horror also makes it capable of being deeply unsettling.
Jordan Peele is the perfect example of an artist who truly understands that Horror and Comedy are so similar that it should be more widely known. As someone who has always been into horror for both the laughs and the screams, this type of media warms my cold little heart 🙈
I think another important thing to know is the protagonist. It was a very smart choice to have us play as Ethan. I wouldn't feel scared at all if I was playing as Chris or Leon. Chris is an imposing hulking brute punching boulders and eating Weskers for breakfast and Leon is nimble pretty boy who manages to keep his haircut intact and amazing while fighting bioweapons and snarks in the way of terror. I would be rolling my eyes and calling BS if the game tried to convince me that either of those two bioweapon removal machines can't tackle Bakers house and come out on top. Ethan, however, is... Just a dude. Sure, he gets some mold augmentation and weapon skills as the game progresses, but none of that is present initially. Even when Leon was a rookie cop in Racoon city he was way stronger than Ethan. And you get to experience his progress from an average dude to an incredibly resilient and persistent somewhat of a bioweapon himself. By the time you meet Chris in VII, Ethan already is pretty damn competent at murdering bioweapons
The Hilarity part of the video game is how monotone or non-chalant Ethan is after a major segment or boss fight he's just like, "WhAt ThE FuCk!?!?!" Lmao.
After watching your RE7 videos I got it and played my first RE game. Im having so much fun with this game, all I want to do now is keep playing and hunt the trophy's. I like the setting and the gameplay, I think the Louisiana bayou naturally creepy and mysic it was a great place for this game. I love the videos your putting out keep it up
The first thing I think of in horror and comedy is Ramsey Bolton in the GoT series. If you were too encounter him in the first person, every encounter is a horror movie. He relishes in the suffering he subjects others to, the people he's actually close to are more possessions than comrades, and you can't hurt him because he enjoys letting other feel powerful or clever before he lets you see that the ball was always firmly planted in his court. But his dialog is often funny because he's having so much fun.
The second horror book I ever read was Star Wars: Red Harvest. I read it in an October, and there's some freaky undeath going on but there's a few moments throughout that are blindsidingly hilarious because of how ironic or slapstick things get. I'm not much into the horror genre at all, but this book I really enjoyed.
I actually didn’t know that he jumps in the car if you do not. The player is supposed to get the keys, get in the car, and then it is you driving around hitting him repeatedly with the car until he jumps on the roof, rips the hood off, and takes you both for a little ride with his hand on your wheel. I’ll have to check this out next time I playthrough.
They intend to stop Baker from stalking you to allow for a more extensive exploration of the house until the next big action piece, the chainsaw match. So the thought process for the garage scene is to destroy Baker with Ethan's car, either with Ethan at the wheel or not. The end result is still the same: Baker stopped. It also encourages replayability since you can get two different scenes playing out if you choose differently. Honestly that was pretty thoughtful of the devs, they could just put all of that into a cutscene yet they made the whole thing playable.
Fun fact, you can one cycle him if you can bait him into the car. Iirc even in madhouse, if you dump a full mag of enhance ammo on his head while he’s settling in the car, he would immediately crash and complete the encounter
@@norasyikinali6283it’s the same with before the police officer scene if you get caught by Jack and don’t dodge his attacks he saws your leg off and you are introduced to super healing (which then turns into normal healing in 8 when Ethan gets his hand cut off) I find it funny at jack is the one who gives you the super healing pack either he just wants to torture you forever or his humanity was fighting the mold for a second
Wow, phenomenal video. As for comedy horror recommendations I HAVE to recommend the evil dead trilogy and subsequent tv series. The movies are kind of disjointed because they were all made by different studios and couldn’t talk about the previous ones BUT I went through the trouble and cut out all the unnecessary retreading in a seamless mega movie. I have it on google drive and can share the link if you’d like! I love the series soooo much, the second you talked about horror comedy it was the first thing I thought about! Another horror that has some comedy moments is John Carpenter’s The Thing (which is also one of my favorites), it’s totally worth a watch too! Thanks for the great content :)
Resident Evil 7 was already my favorite game in the series, but this video made me appreciate it even more! The power struggle explanation was exceptional! The game really did capture a brilliant balance that is extremely difficult to pull off and I love the way it's paced! 10/10 game in my opinion 👍
Really enjoying this so far. Biohazard is also my favourite horror game, and the first half with Jack and Mia is amazing. I haven’t got to the end yet, so maybe you mention this later, but Biohazard, especially Jack reminds me of deadites from the evil dead. Super sadistic, but having an absolutely great time being sadistic. Those movies have the same feeling of absurdity as Biohazard as well.
I played this game years ago when it first came out and think I was so anxious that I was unable to truly appreciate the absurd humor about it. Thanks for sharing and letting me revisit some really funny parts.
I'm not good with horror stuff. But, with the way you present the footage, I can come out the other side more knowledgeable, without being horrified merely being in my own home late at night. I found your channel before the name change when it was still about WII games. I like the old WII vids and the new essay style vids! You're funny and always leave me with a smile on my face. I consistently look forward to watching whatever videos you'll cook up next!
Fantastic video! I think horror lends itself well to blending with other genres, and funny horror is something that’s super hard to pinpoint but super cool when it succeeds. You mentioned commenting if there were examples of horror media that were also funny. The TV show Hannibal fits that bill a lot of the time. The deuteragonist, Hannibal Lecter, is a cannibal. In one scene he’s hosting a dinner party for his friend Jack. Jack asks what the meat is, and Hannibal replies that it’s rabbit meat. Jack jokes “he should’ve hopped faster.” There’s an immediate cut to a different scene of a man running through some underbrush while Hannibal hunts him for sport, that then cuts back to the dinner table after. THEN Hannibal says “yes, he should have hopped faster.”
Another good thing that makes RE7 scary is the fact that it explores all kinds of phobias and common fears, I'm personally arachnophobic and this freaking game puts a whole zone with all kinds of spiders and bugs, I also dislike long extremities, and there it is marguerite with those extremely long legs and arms, are you claustrophobic? well there you go a lot of tight hallways where you can almost get stuck, you can't see a disordered room? you may want to take a broom with you next time, are you afraid of darkness? well you gonna die from a cardiac attack with this game, its all those little fears that combine together that makes RE7 a really good horror game, sometimes I get more scared from a spider jumping to the screen or thousands of bugs flying around me than a guy with a chainsaw, cause I know its so rare to see a psycho with a chainsaw, but I can definitely see a spider if I look around my house
I found the factory bit in res8 more terrifying than the baby bit, I’m not sure why but the setting made me feel disoriented and claustrophobic, I’m awful with directions and kept getting lost with these machine men after me I also hated the monroe bit as I have a major fear of deep water, found myself having to take breaks from it
It’s not a video game but the mix of horror and humor reminds me of being on a roller coaster. You might be terrified of the drops but sometimes rather than yelling laughter comes out. It’s a form of stress relief, so when there’s an immense amount of stress it makes sense that your body turns to this type of reaction.
I love how Ethan’s dialogue changes throughout the game too to reflect the player’s acclimation to the game. He goes from being genuinely terrified to more pissed off than anything and his lines gave me a lot of laughs
I felt the same in Village too. Like his one-liner after killing Moreau: “He died as he was in life: DISGUSTING!” I audibly laughed out loud when I heard that.
i mean, even the REmakes are the same
"This is getting old, Jack!"
Reminds me of Ash from Evil Dead series. From a normal, reluctant and probably scared guy to boomstick weilding badass with a chainsaw hand.
i loved ethan in both 7 and 8. he cussed a very realistic amount
The combination of terror and humor gives you a sense of descending into madness by making you amused at such a gruesome situation.
The absurdity makes it less scary for me. Let's be honest, they could have made almost anything that was even slightly scary after re6 and people would be calling that game great as well
@@johndodo2062 then again least they made the game infinitely more bareble supposedly I know not what the hell they did to 5 and 6 but last I remembered they didn’t make those games fun gameplay wise
@@johndodo2062 By that logic you are saying that you are simply never scared of horror games because they are all inherently absurd.
A hive vagina and a duel with chainsaws is extremely ridiculous. That doesn't mean anything close to what you're saying. Don't use the word logic if you can't implement it correctly
The campiness borders on uncanny. 😂
Jack Baker is legitimately the greatest horror antagonist I've ever had the pleasure and displeasure of knowing.
He's definitely better than that goose stepping retard from the REmake of 2
Agreed. That's how monsters should be.
Idk how is he scary, but he made me laugh a lot
Specially after dlc and knowing once it was a normal family
Lucas is better.
No matter how much I’m expecting it, Jack bursting through the wall always gets me.
ikr!! this is one of my favourite games ever and i still jumped so hard when he did it
Ong
You're cruising along then all of a sudden he's just *there*
Some run throughs he doesn't even break the wall for me so I get anxious every time I go by it
I never got him to do that, weirdly enough.
I like how the infected Bakers are all based on a sub-genre of horror. Jack's based on slasher movie villains, which is why he's so damn unstoppable, Marguerite's body horror, which is most prevalent during her boss fight, and Lucas is the Saw movies and psychological horrors, which is why he's the least mutated one, at least in the main game. Not only that, they aren't villains for the sake of it or for some other reason. They were good people before their minds were taken. In fact, it was Jack's humanity that sealed their fates. If he had known what Evelyn was, maybe he wouldn't have brought her into his home and caused what happened. Maybe he would've anyway or Evelyn would've ruined some other family's lives. Hell, even Evelyn feels sympathetic to a point. Yes, she's done horrible things, but it's at least partially, if not mostly, because she was treated more like an experiment or a weapon instead of a human being.
Don’t forget Evelyn. Creepy supernatural kid, directly based on The Omen
Correction, Lucas was ALWAYS rotten and RESIDENT EVIL. He was ticking time bomb, even before Evelyn show up. Zoe mentions he abused her, and he himself also mentions this and you find his diary when he was just a kid and he explains how he tricked his school friend to come and locked him in attic and left him there to starve to death. Lucas was genius, however he was always the symbolic black mold that grew in the house but both Jack and Marguerite were in denial of Lucas true nature. Black mold is said to be very toxic to humans and if left unchecked it can take over the entire house and make it unlivable as it spreads toxins into the air.
Also considering Lucas is genius and inventor, this is the first time we get rationale why some weapons in the game exist such as make-shit flamethrower and grenade launcher. Lucas made them.
Great comment
@@njmfffdidn’t chis story say that Lucas worked for umbrella.
@@AroAce-Popgoes-plushNo Lucas doesn't work for Umbrella but he works for the people who made Evelyn, The Connections, they provided him with a cure, in exchange he would keep tabs and help The Connections study Evelyn and the Mold, SuperHorrorBro has a video on RE7 and its DLCs, I don't know what happened to Blue Umbrellas' parent company, but from what I know, Blue Umbrella works with taking down Bio-Weapons which is why Chris now works for Blue Umbrella, I suspect that Blue Umbrella was created after the Raccoon City incident, and the Albert Wesker incident, we know this is after the events of RE1-6 because they have Weskers gun, okay, so I would like to correct myself, basically Umbrella Corp was dissolved, and a Private Military Company under the same name was created from their ashes dedicated to hunting and taking down Bio-Weapons and their creators, although the people who now are in Chris's old group are Bio-Weapons, and it said that his group was basically added to Blue Umbrella and, but it says that the members of his group, so I don't know if Umbrella is fully reformed or if they are still making Bio-Weapons, I have a theory that the "parasite" used to partially make the Nemesis was actually the Black Mold, because in the remake he constantly mutates, as we see both Jack and Margaret do in the game, just a theory, and you could say it was just about anything by that logic it was probably the 'Las Pragas' in RE4, I can't wait for RE9 and hopefully I'll have good computer to play it on
Re 7's safe room music has always affected me more than any of the other games. It's so hauntingly beautiful. To me it feels like the last remnants of the baker's consciousness, slowly rotting away in the place they thought would keep them safe
I think "bittersweet" is the correct term to describe that feeling the song gives off.
Also theme that plays when you highlight re7 in ps menu and press down to see information about the game. Very haunting. Also if you listen to the full theme when you return to the guest house at the end of the game and just move around downstairs before going to the attic where you inject eveline.
It gives that feeling of safe space.
sameee and also i feel like it does a good job of making you still feel the dread of whats outside
I tried playing this game for 5 years but every time I logged in and just heard the saferiom music just that made me ”nope”. There is nothing comfortable in the saferoom at all let alone the rest of the house. I did however finish it though eventually and holy shit what a game. Made me buy RE2, RE3, and then 8 immediately snd I finished all of them in just 1,5 week or something I believe😆 I was hooked. And now it’s RE4, so happy I actually forced myself to play 7.
It's impossible to play through Resident Evil 7 without thinking of the Evil Dead movies, the originals with Bruce Campbell. In fact, when Jack Baker says "Groovy!", that's a direct reference to those movies, in the form of the Protagonist's catch phrase. Evil Dead was also a very visceral mix between horror and humor.
Especially Evil Dead 2, I think that it had such an immaculate balance of horror, comedy, and insanity
The devs did say that Evil Dead was the primary inspiration for this game, and I can see it.
@@TheCyclicGamerEspecially with the heavy use of autumn colors which feels like a reference to the first Evil Dead.
its not impossible if ive never seen the movies
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this
I remember the part that got me with the horror humour double whammy was when I managed to get into the car in the garage, Jack jumped in and said “I’m gonna take you for a ride”
My wife asked why I was laughing and I just had to explain the invincible zombie hillbilly just made a really funny reference to Marvel Vs Capcom.
Great game
Honestly such a golden moment. I’m sad that it seems RE4 won’t be as silly. But to me that level of unpredictability almost makes the game scarier when it’s not funny.
Thanks, I JUST got that song out of my head...
Oh I remember that song!
THIS game actually had me on edge. i live it Texas and seeing empty whataburger cups was too close to home lol. seriously though, i’ve been in hoarded homes like this and it’s a lot like the baker residence minus the Saw-like traps
I live in Texas too I’m from Houston ❤ 👋
I’m from Germany and can’t imagine that feeling.
But I’m so interested to see it for my self. 🫱🏼🫲🏽
Should've checked the basement 😈
my aunt and sister both love whataburger but we live up north so we can only get it when we visit
I was looking around wondering where tf they got whataburger from, It's really rare in LA! There's only a few and they're all in major cities. Dude really drove all the way to Lafayette from the coast to get some whataburger lmao
The thing that really set the tone for that horror/humor combination in RE7 was when Ethan is talking to the police officer at the front door and delivers the beautiful line, “A fuckin’ pocket knife?” Gets me every time
"that is not groovy." made me chuckle
I always laugh at “you’ve gotta give me your gun!” Imagine being that police deputy and just hearing that from a guy who has his entire left hand stitched back on and wearing a Fitbit.
Ethan honestly had better lines in RE7 than in RE Village. Another line I like from him is "Just fucking stay dead, okay???" He sounded so done lmao.
I don't know why RE fans don't like him. Just because he's not Leon?
It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that the car Jack has in the garage is Ethan's car... it's why if you manage to get in he taunts you with "Nice car, Ethan!"
I guess it was just really easy for me to forget about the car since you only really see it for like 2 minutes at the start...
Yea, I really have to pay more attention while playing. Only figured it out on my 5th playthrough.
Anyways, Great Video! The absurdity of everything was also something that drew me in and I had a blast with this game!
It never crossed my mind that was Ethan's car. When he said "Nice car, Ethan!" I thought he was saying it for comedic effect because he was driving it. Nice observation!
It's also the car Ash uses in the evil dead
@@mexxchattaway6719 There are couple of homages to Evil Dead actually, such as the very first opening shot being car driving through woods and it's exact same shot like in Evil Dead (both og and remake), Ethan losing his hand via chainsaw, and when you first encounter possessed Mia, she crawls from basement in exact same way as possessed Mia in Evil Dead remake. Evelyn's final form also resembles that possessed tree thing from Evil Dead 2. Also I swear Jack says "Groovy!" at one point.
Damn, I forgot how badass that car was before it got obliterated in the garage
It’s also the Oldsmobile
On the subject of comedy in horror, I think it works in Biohazard because, like you said, it never removes from the horror. The comedy only accentuates the bleakness of the situation. It's never a better situation because it's funny. Jack Baker is still a horrifying monster, and him jumping in a Dodge Charger doesn't alleviate this. It's the same with Mia grabbing the chainsaw. Yeah, it's totally batshit, but not only is your situation not better because of it; It's actively worse. It almost makes it feel like your suffering is a joke. I think there's a transition that happens here from utter terror to maniacal hopelessness that's at the heart of horror comedy. There's this weird mania to horror comedy in this game and in other works I've seen that I think is the reason it works.
Another example is Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original). It's not quite to the same degree, but seeing teenagers wander into a strangers home only to be brutally and shockingly murdered because of it does capture that same "Your suffering is a joke" vibe that makes comedy horror work so well.
I think it's supposed to be a Dodge Challenger if you wanna be specific about it, but I agree with you
To me Evil Dead 2 is the epitome of that feeling
@@Eclipse.7897 was gonna say the same thing
Horror/Humor makes me think of Tim Curry’s Pennywise and why he was so much scarier than the remake version. In the remake Pennywise always seems to be trying really hard to scare his victims while Curry’s seemed to be entertaining himself which is what I found terrifying. The library scene with adult Richie is a great example of what I’m taking about.
Agreed, completely and utterly entirely agreed
Tim Currys pennywise was absolutely not terrifying. He was a massive joke and I laughed at his terrible acting the entire way. How tf anyone finds the it movies scary at all is obsurd 😂
@@Infernalshado3 what movies/ performances do you find scary?
@@finn2718 stuff like the OG exorcist film or games like alien Isolation. Both of those do have some uncomfortable humor that they balance out perfectly. IT is not and never was scary to me. It's more of a Tuesday night viewing when nothing else is on
I dont understand finding the og pennywise scary. Tim curry was a great cast and gave me genuine laughs but I cant find him even remotely scary tbh
“Cleanliness is next to godliness and your mothers getting pretty fucking close to meeting him right now” -Jack Baker 2017, drowning wife
I believe a film that mixes humor with terror is scream. We all laugh and giggle when ghostface is tripping and bumbling around when chasing after a victim. Yet it’s still terrifying because it’s so real, not every serial killer is stoic and perfect, so having our killer trip, get hit, and fall makes it so real and terrifying because we know an actual human is capable of the inhuman actions ghostface does
Evil Dead does it too...
Silly yet horrifying.
Ash cuts up his undead girlfriend in one scene...
The next he's sharing a laugh with the whole cabin.
was gonna say the same thing. the last part of scream 1 in particular is a very strange blend of humor and sheer terror
I never saw that bit with jack cutting your leg off. This is what's great about the best resident evil games. You could play some of them through 25 times and still be finding sh*t
You know you can swear in the internet right
Yeah, it's actually really hard to find. Like, it's specific conditions that triggers it. And it looks like that was originally supposed to be the tutorial to healing, given Ethan's reaction.
@@nuclearblast91 CZcams has a nasty habit of randomly removing comments for swearing. Also I'm not "in" the internet
leg
czcams.com/users/shortsHH3llh7pqGA?feature=share
I was really surprised when I found out a lot of people never saw that scene, specially because when I played RE8 and the big reveal happened all I thought was yeah, it all makes sense if you think about that foot scene. To me that scene is proof of Capcom planning that for Ethan all the way since RE7 and it's missable wtf
“Theres only one section of RE 8 thats scary and you know which part that is”… I LIVED IN THE PAUSE MENU FOR THAT SECTION…
“ he’s not eating it jack !! “ absolutely sends me everytime 😂
Horror and comedy are similar in that they operate on cycles of tension and release. A knock knock joke isn’t structurally all that different from a jumpscare: expectation, subversion, release of tension.
It’s a really interesting connection! Would love to see more games play with it.
I could add something to the safe room themes too, these safe rooms always do a good job of making you feel safe but never too safe, the safe rooms often have relaxing but also unsettling music, to portray you are safe in them but you have to leave eventually to survive the nightmare
"This nightmare is nowhere near over. You're still in here. So...at least try and catch your breath so you can make it past them."
That's how I see it. It's trying to destress you enough so you can try and find your way out of this waking nightmare where all the agony is the maddening giddy of your hunters.
@@ZynetESLD yeah, its real good
Just like the evil within. The first game save rooms were always dark and creepy, had other patients in your ward acting terrifying.
And safe rooms in Village are open areas, so you cannot feel safe at any moment
I love how you mentioned the stress of horror games being exhausting. Darkwood is not only one of the most impressive horror games, but one of the most impressive games in general to me. I love it so much, but can't play it because the sheer amount of never-ending stress makes it physically unhealthy for me to play lmao.
So true. I love Darkwood so much it's my favorite horror game. But I cannot do back to back playthrough.
That's why I can't play much psychological horror honestly. Usually they have constant tension that never really releases and it just takes me a long time to get through the games since I need constant breaks lol.
The first playthrough was peak dark wood then it became easy and I could stockpile more bullets then I could ever need
It still gives you calm moments
@@pencilonpaper1026I thought I am the only one haha.
I played through Alan Wake now and am looking forward to playing Silent hill remake.
As it was cheap I downloaded RE7, but first person horror is just something else. I am not sure if I can play this game haha. The only thing that helps is the bad graphics haha. Crazy how this game and the last of us were released on the same console, considering the different graphics.
RE7 and RE8 are both super good in different ways. When you were talking about making the game feel powerful, it reminded me of when Ethan was fighting Heisenberg. I’ve never felt so strong and invincible. Also, I always thought that I was just scared of hiding in video games, but in reality I just hate being powerless. It’s why I personally can’t play Outlast. I enjoy being able to fight back
I think also why RE7 Chris dlc is less scary is because he is a veteran and you got lots of weaponry in your arsenal, and he could just punch them like boulders
@@griskykunnn1005Nice reference. Very funny you mention it because Heisenberg actually makes a reference to Chris punching a boulder in the beginning of his bossfight
@@ezysaoSecond half
@@rarescevei8268 You are right, my bad
@@ezysaoit's taken to another level in the re 8 mercenaries mode where Chris gets 3 brute force moves. The left hook, straight punch and stomp
I love how by the end Ethan is just pissed off and tired, so much so that when Jack shows up for the last time Ethan just says, "This is getting old, Jack"
My favorite moment in the game is by far the exchange right before the "chainsaw duel" with Jack.
Jack, gleefully picking up a chainsaw: Groovy!
Ethan: That's not groovy.
Jack Baker is the scariest stalker enemy in Resident Evil IMO. Mr X and the Nemesis are terrifying too, but they’re focused on killing their targets and nothing else. Getting caught by one of them will result in a brutal but swift death. Now, with Jack… Who the hell knows what his sadistic, twisted mind could come up with. That’s why I find him so terrifying.
Also, side note: I love that Ethan isn’t responding to this messed up situation like an ordinary person would. He quickly starts to just go along with stuff. Makes it feel like even our protagonist is losing his mind a little.
House Beneviento was my favorite section too, the simple thought of "I can't fight this" and then later as you leave you get your revenge, you get to fight back and it's a wonderful feeling.
It’s the only Resident Evil game still to this day that has actually scared me, so it will always be one of my favorites in the series.
This is why I don't get people say re8 isn't scary and act like it's the only one that's like that, all of the games are creepy and have great jumpscares, but apart from certain sections in previous games, none of them apart from re7 are actually consistently terrifying from start to end. Re7 is the only completely scary re game to the point of people wanting to turn the game off.
@@anotherhappylanding4746 have u played re2? mr. X scares the crap out of you
Cabin In The Woods is a great example of a mashed up horror/comedy. Genuinely interesting and clever, too. Definitely worth a watch. Great videos mate.
The first example of horror and “comedy” combined together, and amplifying each other is “evil dead” from Sam Raimi, and the later remake, the antagonists there are terrifying, but at the same time they savagely taunt and laugh at their victims expense, I think the game acknowledges this similarity, and is in fact full of references,
Ike “groovy”, or the chainsaw
Great vid! My biggest problem with Village was that it’s tone was so much less consistent than RE7. This isn’t even to say that a horror game needs to have a consistent tone all the way through (RE7 proves this) but Village was so separated from its different segments that it felt more like a theme park with different rides. That theme park is wildly fun, but RE7 shows such an understanding of the cycles of horror. The dread, the panic, the comfort, and the eventual turning of the tables is all done so well here.
this dude just keeps dropping bangers on my favorite game
true! i enjoy gaming video and this man delivers!!
I agree that horror and humor are not mutually excusive. If anything, the humor enhances the horror. Just take a look at the Joker from Batman. There is something so sinister about a villain who makes light of murder and has fun while committing some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Characters like Jack Baker and the Joker treat their victim's life like it's a joke. These villains are laughing because they are in control, and that's terrifying.
personally i think horror and comedy fit so well together because there is something that shifts when you realize that these villains, they’re laughing and joking because you are not in control. they’re controlling you, they think they know how this situation ends and it ends with you dying. it’s all a game to them, that’s why it’s hilarious and they’re goofy and they laugh at you.
the absurdity doesn’t help either. like yes, being pinned a wall and someone turning a corner to grab a chainsaw is hilarious, but that also means now you have to deal with a chainsaw wielding maniac. it’s not the same humor as a comedy movie, it’s more maniacal and hopeless but it’s still hilarious
It's a great combination. Very hard to do right though. You need to see that the situation would 100% be terrifying for the person in the game, while at the same time understanding how absurd the situation is when looked at from outside the situation. It's a really weird feeling.
Almost like laughing at a dangerous situation after the fact because, now that you're out of it, you can see the humor in it.
Resident Evil 7 is my favorite game of all time. It's a NEAR PERFECT game with a single flaw. It's just so good, I find myself coming back to it time and time again...
I like that your main point is that horror and comedy can go together. That is something I have noticed is severely lacking in today's horror films. Horror and comedy in visual media aren't different, they use the same building blocks set-up, suspense, and finally subversion of expectation. I feel like this gets lost on a lot of people especially Hollywood directors. A prime example are the evil dead movies they are hilarious while also being genuinely creepy at times, now look at a trailer for the newest movie evil dead rise. It looks like they are taking themselves WAY too seriously and all of the soul feels lost. Comedy is tragedy+time so in turn good horror should implement tragedy & timing with this formula comedy and horror can and should go hand in hand.
The Resident Evil series as a whole has always been one to kind of walk the line of horror/comedy all wrapped up as a kind of B-Movie package. To varying effectiveness per game, but I do think you're right when you say that Resi 7 is the perfection of that. I remember my first real taste of finding Resi 7 hilarious was actually with Marguerite, just when you crack open a door and she stops you, telling you to "stay the fuck out!" almost immediately I heard the VA just channelling Rita Repulsa and after that, that's all I could hear from her. Amazingly, though, it didn't detract from the horror.
It's so nice to see resi 7 get some love, really interesting and great video! I know 7 was my introduction to resident evil, and it's always stuck with me. It's the only horror media, ever, to give me nightmares, and as someone who watches a fair bit of horror and grew up on their parents watching true crime tv, I find it pretty crazy how much this game terrifies me. I'm not squamish about blood or gore, but the scene where Jack cuts of Ethans leg, and then taunts him afterwards gave me some of the scariest nightmares ever. I think another thing that helps the game be so scary is how normal everyone in the family looks. Jack and Lucas look very eerily similar to family friends, which really added to the horror for me personally. I'd love to see more vids on the Resident Evil franchise, especially on 7 and 8!
Re7 really was a masterpiece. Phenomenal and very eerie. Great characters as well
You mentioned something in this video that I've been saying for years. I'm a healthcare worker and often times bring a very dry sense of humor with me when working with patients because they are often afraid. I do this because I always have said "people think bravery is the opposite of fear but they're wrong, it's actually humor." I figure if I can make a patient laugh a little during a procedure, that goes a long ways to helping them get better through their fears.
Could you give some examples of your dry humour?
you are a hero, we need more people like you. the amount of unempathetic people in healthcare never ceases to amaze me. keep up the good work!
One of the scariest things about this game for me was the filth of the environment and especially the rotting food. Im massively afraid of being ill and of things being unsanitary, specifically around food. Even when watching play throughs of RE7, I have to be in the right headspace otherwise it messes me up: Scared sure, but genuinely panicked and uneasy. Fantastic environment 10/10
I'm currently playing through this in VR for the first time and holy crap it is amazing. I haven't been scared by a video game since I was in my teens so this has been refreshing. On a personal note, having grown up in a physically violent and abusive environment I've intentionally avoided this game for several years because I knew it would bring me back due to the theme of the family. While it does bring me back to those horrible memories, I can discern reality from fantasy and snap out of it. Thanks for this video, great work!
Resident evil is good at mixing it up - at least something is gonna get to you.
In 7 the most unsettling moment seeing Marguerite from a top floor - you are exposed, and know that after a break of the main house it's gonna get worse.
Slasher, body horror, psychological horror, ghosts, being trapped in an enclosed space or knowing that something is out there, we all have something that scares as the most so variety is good
This game is so great. I'm glad I managed to play it on release and on Madhouse. The powerful of feeling of winning the chainsaw fight against Jack the first time was something truly mesmerizing.
A personal favorite in terms of the blend of horror and humor is the very first Five Nights at Freddy's. The Phone Guy's instructional calls are used both to tell little jokes and imply very dark things that make you quiver and giggle. I call it quiggling. Like, he'll mention their missing persons policy, where you're laughing at the irony of it and dreading the idea of falling victim to it. While the entire franchise up to Special Delivery has this sort of semi-self-aware macabre humor, FNaF 1's phone calls provide that perfect balance of comedy and horror to give you levity between nights and prepare you to enter a new one all at once.
While it doesn’t juxtapose the humor and terror so intensely, the film Fargo stands out as giving me the widest range of dark, upsetting moments all the way to cackling so loudly I nearly forget how horrible I felt not ten minutes earlier.
I love that the writers and artists of RE7 clearly took inspiration from the early Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies that used depraved and insane humour to actually enhance the fear and feeling of losing one’s mind, even the scene where Mia pops out of the corner with the axe behind her back uses a similar flash bulb sound effect that is iconic to TCM 1974, every thing from the setting, the characters and style of horror is very similar and I love it, it’s The Louisiana Mold Massacre
The whole winters series is so crazy and awesome that can only be matched by the evil dead it’s just so good
Yesterday i finished 8 and now started 7 again . i like 7 so much more .... it really shows how they cared about this game . Village felt a little bit rushed even the cutscenes are weird somethimes . 7 was a masterpiece and how the game feels in combat , cutscenes etc
The Molded are nightmare fuel but their animations are goofy as hell. One of the animations that happen after shooting them in the head has them falling on their back, kicking up into the air, as if having slipped on a wet floor. I laughed out loud the first time I saw that animation, while simultaneously feeling dread and fear, and I can't recall any other game making me feel that set of emotions at the same time.
RE7 was a super scary game. I can't tell you how many times I screamed playing this game haha But you're absolutely right in that it's also a fun game. Every boss you beat made you feel powerful and I felt myself gain more confidence with each encounter. I'm playing through Village right now so I completely skipped that part of the video so I'll come back when I complete. Not as scary but still fun!
I will never understand how people don’t get that humor and horror do in fact go very well together. It taps into areas of your brain that are in very close proximity, and can have a “whiplash” effect that heightens the other as a result. Evil Dead 2 was a very good example of this, and Sam Raimi talked about this phenomena being a big inspiring factor for those movies.
This game is so scary it literally made me jump at my own shadow.
Resident Evil started as a horror game then leaned on being an action game and then back to horror in Resident Evil 7. I'm so happy to be a 90s kid that was able to experience the 20+ year evolution of the Resident Evil series. Growing up with this franchise and seeing it continue and move forward is like an adventure and journey in itself.
Just played this game for the first time and wow it's fantastic. My favourite aspect honestly is the undertone of genuine tragedy that runs through the entire game. My favourite scene is when Ethan talks to Jack while he's trapped by Eveline and there's such a palpable depth added to the family that was only evident through background lore before
Just discovered you through your dead space analysis and I love your style! Keep it up man! RE7 being as funny as it is is fantastic and the game always manages to make me laugh even all these years later.
You, my friend, are one of the BEST CZcamsrs I've come across in a while. Your content is amazing:)
A video about Jake Baker sounds cool. I don't know what games you like or if you even take suggestions, but I'm going to leave some ideas here if they're interesting to you
-Mass Effect (something about the Reapers, or maybe "morality")
-Assassin's Creed Odyssey and/or Assassin's Creed Valhalla
-Grand Theft Auto V
-Spider-Man (PS4)
-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Only discovered your channel last week but you've already become one of my favorites. Keep up the great work
Evil Dead will always be me favourite horror franchise of all time especially Evil Dead 2 as a child that film was a wild trip morphing horror and comedy moments felt with a smile on me face and others with a pillow just below my line of sight in moments of fear
The seamless flipping between horror and humour is what I really love about this game. It strikes a perfect balance between the two.
It straight up gave me Evil Dead vibes when I first played it.
"Ok, you little bitch, where the fuck are you?"
- Ethan to a psycho demon mold child.
You gained a new subscriber this is an amazing video, and can't believe I never noticed this about my playthrough but looking back I felt those exact emotions!
I could not agree more! There’s this CZcamsr from my country I have been watching for a while, and for the longest time he vehemently refused touching anything remotely horror-ey, because he’s the sort to get genuinely scared (part of why watching him play through RE games is so enjoyable - his reactions are 100% authentic). RE7 was the first title ever he not only decided to record but ultimately finished! At the end of the third episode he says “There is a lot going on, and I’m terrified, but nothing so bad as to make me abandon the game. It’s overwhelming and weird but also funny,”, which, coming from a complete horror novice just proves the point - the game is structured incredibly well and anybody can play it, poop their pants throughout AND simultaneously enjoy themselves.
Great vid! ❤️
I am BEGGING you to watch the Evil Dead trilogy. The whole reason Jack says "Groovy" during the chainsaw fight is just a giant blatant reference to Evil Dead 2. As someone who loves the blend of horror & comedy: Evil Dead 2 is my favorite horror movie of all time.
The one thing not a lot of people talk about is Lucas.
Even before Evelyn,, he was already a killer. During the events of the game, he wasn’t actually under Evelyn’s control at all, the connections reached out to him and gave him a serum to free his mind. He was completely in control and sane as early as a month after infection, not only that, he managed to set up an entire laboratory in the salt mine with the connection’s scientists before Ethan even arrived.
He was the lead researcher and was truly sadistic and smart, even getting the drop on umbrella AND hacking Chris’s coms to talk with him. He was by far one of the most unique antagonists in the resident evil series and I wish he got some more screen time.
That whole foot scene was great as hell, and it was also evidence of foreshadowing and planning for Resident Evil 8, and it was a freaking missable scene.
THIS. Which is why I was so baffled at Village. RE7 was a direct response to 6 being universally panned because to much action, not enough horror. Plus the games were just starting to get stale. Seven made me feel the exact same way as the first time I played ONE in 96. A sense of wonder, scary,pure fun. The game gets critical ACCLAIM. The dlc that comes out is JUST AS GOOD. Even the freakin blackjack was fantastic. Clancy! ;) Than 8 came out and I was just confused. Seemed odd to go right back to the thing that was failing them and ditch what just worked SO well.
Totally agree. Sad, it's always gonna be the way it is tho. Action makes money because people don't like being scared...
I agree, Capcom didn't learn their lesson. I was so disappointed with 8
You said she pinned his hand to the wall with a knife. That really made me giggle as I just saw her do the exact same thing using a screwdriver.
I've been trying to remember what it was like when I first played this game and everything you said was on point. I went through the exact feelings of everything you're saying, the terror you feel is beyond anything ive ever felt. It was such a thrilling experience. I would love to experience it again for the first time.
Please give Jack his own video. He deserves it.
Monster House is probably one of the best horror comedies that isnt trying to be a spoof that I can think of off the top of my head. Scream is another one. Final Destination is good at crafting kills that are terrifying but also kinda funny in a sick way because of their execution (pun not intended).
I played this game to completion for the first time recently and was also really impressed by the way it mixes humor with horror. Felt like an OG Sam Raimi movie, which makes the little shoutout to Evil Dead during the chainsaw fight even better. I feel like a lot of the best, most confident horror movies are better for it - makes the horror segments a lot more effective because you're constantly being pushed in and out of these states of relief every once in a while. very good video
Kinda sad when you mention how cruel and sadistic Jack is when the he’s actually a really nice person when not under Eveies influence.
The original Scream is perfect at blending horror and comedy. Ghostface is a goober that falls down a lot gets kicked in the face and thrown around. At the end of the day though he's still trying to kill people and does so in bloody and gruesome ways. He is so visibly human that it makes his actions that much more monstrous
I just finished the game. Never have I ever been so scared playing a horror game! To me the scariest moments in the game were the unscripted moments where I was forced to walk down a dark unfamiliar and creaky hallway, expecting a jump scare to occur... and nothing. The sheer terror and anxiety I would feel before opening a door was at times overwhelming. The anticipation of expecting something to jump out at me and nothing happens, would make me feel that I'm overthinking and then I would let my guard down and that's when something would jump out at me and catch me off guard. I love that they didn't just go with cheap jumpscares at every corner. Instead there were few jumpscares that were strategically placed in moments when the player may not expect it, making every jumpscare unique. The games' tone and horrifying atmosphere made this game a very memorable horror experience. I loved it!
great observation i felt the same way. the scarcity of the real jumpscares made them so much better!
Don't hug me I'm scared is my favorite example of blending humor and horror together, especially in the recent TV series that dropped on channel 4. It's surrealist comedy makes it one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time, and its fever-dream nightmare style of horror also makes it capable of being deeply unsettling.
Jordan Peele is the perfect example of an artist who truly understands that Horror and Comedy are so similar that it should be more widely known. As someone who has always been into horror for both the laughs and the screams, this type of media warms my cold little heart 🙈
Shame he's an open bigot
I think another important thing to know is the protagonist. It was a very smart choice to have us play as Ethan. I wouldn't feel scared at all if I was playing as Chris or Leon. Chris is an imposing hulking brute punching boulders and eating Weskers for breakfast and Leon is nimble pretty boy who manages to keep his haircut intact and amazing while fighting bioweapons and snarks in the way of terror. I would be rolling my eyes and calling BS if the game tried to convince me that either of those two bioweapon removal machines can't tackle Bakers house and come out on top. Ethan, however, is... Just a dude. Sure, he gets some mold augmentation and weapon skills as the game progresses, but none of that is present initially. Even when Leon was a rookie cop in Racoon city he was way stronger than Ethan. And you get to experience his progress from an average dude to an incredibly resilient and persistent somewhat of a bioweapon himself. By the time you meet Chris in VII, Ethan already is pretty damn competent at murdering bioweapons
The fact that a lot of these scenes played out differently for you and me really shows how good this game is.
A new video just in time for my lunch break: thank you Brett ☺️
The Hilarity part of the video game is how monotone or non-chalant Ethan is after a major segment or boss fight he's just like, "WhAt ThE FuCk!?!?!" Lmao.
how do you constantly keep putting out great videos so often????? damn!!!
After watching your RE7 videos I got it and played my first RE game. Im having so much fun with this game, all I want to do now is keep playing and hunt the trophy's. I like the setting and the gameplay, I think the Louisiana bayou naturally creepy and mysic it was a great place for this game. I love the videos your putting out keep it up
The first thing I think of in horror and comedy is Ramsey Bolton in the GoT series. If you were too encounter him in the first person, every encounter is a horror movie. He relishes in the suffering he subjects others to, the people he's actually close to are more possessions than comrades, and you can't hurt him because he enjoys letting other feel powerful or clever before he lets you see that the ball was always firmly planted in his court. But his dialog is often funny because he's having so much fun.
The second horror book I ever read was Star Wars: Red Harvest. I read it in an October, and there's some freaky undeath going on but there's a few moments throughout that are blindsidingly hilarious because of how ironic or slapstick things get. I'm not much into the horror genre at all, but this book I really enjoyed.
I actually didn’t know that he jumps in the car if you do not. The player is supposed to get the keys, get in the car, and then it is you driving around hitting him repeatedly with the car until he jumps on the roof, rips the hood off, and takes you both for a little ride with his hand on your wheel. I’ll have to check this out next time I playthrough.
They intend to stop Baker from stalking you to allow for a more extensive exploration of the house until the next big action piece, the chainsaw match. So the thought process for the garage scene is to destroy Baker with Ethan's car, either with Ethan at the wheel or not. The end result is still the same: Baker stopped.
It also encourages replayability since you can get two different scenes playing out if you choose differently. Honestly that was pretty thoughtful of the devs, they could just put all of that into a cutscene yet they made the whole thing playable.
Fun fact, you can one cycle him if you can bait him into the car. Iirc even in madhouse, if you dump a full mag of enhance ammo on his head while he’s settling in the car, he would immediately crash and complete the encounter
@@norasyikinali6283it’s the same with before the police officer scene if you get caught by Jack and don’t dodge his attacks he saws your leg off and you are introduced to super healing (which then turns into normal healing in 8 when Ethan gets his hand cut off) I find it funny at jack is the one who gives you the super healing pack either he just wants to torture you forever or his humanity was fighting the mold for a second
The terror and humor are linked together by the theme of unpredictability. And it’s so well done. I loved this game.
Wow, phenomenal video. As for comedy horror recommendations I HAVE to recommend the evil dead trilogy and subsequent tv series. The movies are kind of disjointed because they were all made by different studios and couldn’t talk about the previous ones BUT I went through the trouble and cut out all the unnecessary retreading in a seamless mega movie. I have it on google drive and can share the link if you’d like! I love the series soooo much, the second you talked about horror comedy it was the first thing I thought about! Another horror that has some comedy moments is John Carpenter’s The Thing (which is also one of my favorites), it’s totally worth a watch too! Thanks for the great content :)
Played the game on launch. I was so excited for the new gameplay style and damn if it didnt Terrify me the first time through
I loved the actual horror aspect. Shame a lot of the other players didn't and capcom toned the horror down in Re8.
Resident Evil 7 was already my favorite game in the series, but this video made me appreciate it even more! The power struggle explanation was exceptional! The game really did capture a brilliant balance that is extremely difficult to pull off and I love the way it's paced! 10/10 game in my opinion 👍
Really enjoying this so far. Biohazard is also my favourite horror game, and the first half with Jack and Mia is amazing. I haven’t got to the end yet, so maybe you mention this later, but Biohazard, especially Jack reminds me of deadites from the evil dead. Super sadistic, but having an absolutely great time being sadistic. Those movies have the same feeling of absurdity as Biohazard as well.
What excellent timing I just finished up another playthrough of this haha
BOOO I'M THE BASEMENT SECTION GET SCARED!!
It's so sad that they keep going back to making RE an action series
Another scary thing is when your name is Ethan and jack starts saying Ethan super long and creepy, sent shivers down my spine
I played this game years ago when it first came out and think I was so anxious that I was unable to truly appreciate the absurd humor about it. Thanks for sharing and letting me revisit some really funny parts.
I'm not good with horror stuff. But, with the way you present the footage, I can come out the other side more knowledgeable, without being horrified merely being in my own home late at night.
I found your channel before the name change when it was still about WII games. I like the old WII vids and the new essay style vids! You're funny and always leave me with a smile on my face. I consistently look forward to watching whatever videos you'll cook up next!
Fantastic video! I think horror lends itself well to blending with other genres, and funny horror is something that’s super hard to pinpoint but super cool when it succeeds.
You mentioned commenting if there were examples of horror media that were also funny. The TV show Hannibal fits that bill a lot of the time. The deuteragonist, Hannibal Lecter, is a cannibal. In one scene he’s hosting a dinner party for his friend Jack. Jack asks what the meat is, and Hannibal replies that it’s rabbit meat. Jack jokes “he should’ve hopped faster.” There’s an immediate cut to a different scene of a man running through some underbrush while Hannibal hunts him for sport, that then cuts back to the dinner table after. THEN Hannibal says “yes, he should have hopped faster.”
Another good thing that makes RE7 scary is the fact that it explores all kinds of phobias and common fears, I'm personally arachnophobic and this freaking game puts a whole zone with all kinds of spiders and bugs, I also dislike long extremities, and there it is marguerite with those extremely long legs and arms, are you claustrophobic? well there you go a lot of tight hallways where you can almost get stuck, you can't see a disordered room? you may want to take a broom with you next time, are you afraid of darkness? well you gonna die from a cardiac attack with this game, its all those little fears that combine together that makes RE7 a really good horror game, sometimes I get more scared from a spider jumping to the screen or thousands of bugs flying around me than a guy with a chainsaw, cause I know its so rare to see a psycho with a chainsaw, but I can definitely see a spider if I look around my house
I found the factory bit in res8 more terrifying than the baby bit, I’m not sure why but the setting made me feel disoriented and claustrophobic, I’m awful with directions and kept getting lost with these machine men after me
I also hated the monroe bit as I have a major fear of deep water, found myself having to take breaks from it
This game has some serious replay value. Re4 style. How do they do it? Sublime horror too. And the gunplay is so satisfying to me.
It’s not a video game but the mix of horror and humor reminds me of being on a roller coaster. You might be terrified of the drops but sometimes rather than yelling laughter comes out. It’s a form of stress relief, so when there’s an immense amount of stress it makes sense that your body turns to this type of reaction.