The last update (Version 1.02) for the Resident Evil 7 Beginning Hour Demo has arrived! Called the Midnight Version, players will replay the same demo, but have a chance to explore more of the house that was inaccessible previously. In Twilight Version (Version 1.01), there was a phone call from an unknown woman who mentions, “All doors can be opened. If they couldn’t, they wouldn’t be doors. But some doors must remain closed-for now.” The only possible door that seemed to have change from Version 1.00 and 1.01 was the “moldy” door. In the Twilight Version, when players approached the door, snarling could be heard and the door would begin to violently shake if the player watched the door long enough. So what is behind the “moldy” door?
Midnight Version
All events/endings that happened previously in the demo will still occur so it’s possible to completely miss the new content from the update. This article will focus mainly on how to access the new content in the demo so if you are unfamiliar with the demo, explore the house and interact with everything. To access the new content, you will need to obtain the fuse found in the wall (accessed by pulling the chain under the fireplace) to unlock the attic area. In the attic, there will a basement key needed to enter a door in the new explorable area. While you’re in the attic, pay attention to the ladder leading to a locked window as you will need to return to this window to finish the demo.
Head down to the “moldy” door and explore the area, which consists of a hallway, bloody bathroom, and a rusty iron door. While exploring you’ll find some handgun ammo and an optional puzzle in the bathroom to acquire the handgun in the toilet. Finding the key item to solve the puzzle will require opening the rusty iron door and exploring the basement.
Once you’re in the basement, you’ll find the valve needed to solve the bathroom puzzle. If you keep exploring the area, you’ll find the attic key to finish the level. Each demo version has had its own unique jump scares, so where’s the horror factor from this update?
After walking around in the basement, a moldy-looking monster will appear. If you were looking for horror, he will find you (but thankfully, doesn’t chase you outside of the room he spawns in). The best tactic for facing this monster is to run immediately out of the room. There is a possibility that Jack Baker will prevent you from opening the door so you will have to kick the door open a couple of times (or use the ax if you decided to get additional items prior to exploring the basement). If the monster gets too close, you can always use the body bags to stun the monster temporarily while you try to escape.
If you escape the basement with the attic window key you can finish the demo simply by exiting the house through the window. There will be two endings depending on if you escaped unscathed from the mold monster or were attacked. The Infected Ending will be triggered if you were attacked by the monster, which will show your character’s skin turning black from possibly being infected by the mold and ultimately falling from the ladder as you try to escape. The True Ending is triggered if you are able to obtain the attic window key without getting attacked.
Conclusion
Previously, I predicted a final update coming to the demo because it makes the most sense to let players try out a more explorable environment and have a flavor of combat tactics a little over a month before the game releases. Capcom understands that there still are skeptical players uncertain about the future of RE 7, but with the overall progression of explorable and interactive content with each demo update, it’s hard not to say that RE 7 will be promising.
This new content had me on the edge of my seat. I was hungry for hidden items, monsters (or the Bakers), and puzzles. Thankfully, the update delivered. There has been talk about how this demo does not feel like Resident Evil but feels more like a marriage between Silent Hill and Condemned. In a sense, I would have to agree with this statement, however, we have to remember how much the franchise has deviated from its roots as a survival horror game. Capcom knows what needs to be done to return to its roots, but in doing so has borrowed from the success of other horror games. Knowing what horror gaming elements fans like, Capcom can produce a game that not only returns to its roots but can re-establish the franchise in terms of survival horror.
This article mainly focused on accessing the newest content, but there is still actually more to do. When Version 1.00 was released, the internet was in an uproar about the use of the mannequin finger. In this update, there is finally a use for the finger and it’s the most extensive puzzle in the demo, which is reminiscent of finding clues and backtracking in the first RE. A video is provided below for those who would like to see the finger in action in solving a murder mystery. This additional puzzle has no impact on the ending, but is congratulatory to players who solve the puzzle.
Resident Evil 7 is available on PlayStation 4, XbonOne, and PC on January 24th, 2017.