Resident Evil 7: biohazard Banned Footage Vol. 2
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $14.99 – Available Here
Overview
With the first set of Banned Footage already available and the second one released a bit later, Resident Evil 7: biohazard fans have had plenty available to them after the main game’s completion. While the first volume offered a variety of different game types, how does the second volume of Banned Footage fair?
Gameplay
Similar to the first collection of Banned Footage, Banned Footage Vol. 2 features a collection of two VHS tapes as well as a bonus game mode with each of these three offering a different type of experience. One is designed as something of a mini-game with a twisted form of BlackJack, another is story focused and explores the Baker family before things went south, and finally a more cheerful type of mode that is utterly ridiculous but offers the most gameplay of the three.
The first video tape is called 21 and while it plays similar to BlackJack, this version only features cards that count from 1 to 10 and considering we are stepping into the shoes of Clancy once again, things are going to be bad. Locked in one of Lucas’ Saw-like contraptions, Clancy must compete against another prisoner being held captive by the Baker family with their lives as the chips. Things start at a rather simple pace, at least as far as Lucas’ machinations go, by putting your fingers on the line with each losing hand costing a finger.
As things grow more desperate eventually the scales are raised to electroshocks that grow in intensity as you lose and even a spinning saw blade that grows ever closer to your face as you lose. In an effort to avoid these punishments Clancy must make his dealt hand 21 or as close as possible in an effort to beat out his competitor. To do this players will also be given a number of special cards that provide special abilities.
These abilities range from adding more cards to your opponent’s hand to doubling the stakes of a current hand and even making it so no more cards can be drawn. These may seem like an easy way to beat out the AI but Lucas is a well-known cheater and he is more than willing to do so to inflict punishment on Clancy. This means he will often attempt to cheat against the player and trying to avoid falling into his traps makes for an enjoyable experience that often is quite random in nature. With three different difficulty modes available players will find this mode quite replayable.
The other video tape comes in the form of Daughters. This single mode places players in the shoes of Zoe, the daughter who attempts to help Ethan out throughout the core storyline, as she experiences the events that happen before the Baker family ends up going crazy. Without delving too deep into the narrative in an effort to avoid spoiling the content, this mode does give players a unique view of the family and the Baker’s home before things started to fall apart. There are two different endings available for the player to unlock in an effort to encourage replaying the mode more than once but unfortunately the actual gameplay here is rather short in nature and you’ll easily be able to experience both endings in under an hour. This means that while it does provide some great backstory and a new look at the story, Daughters is easily the shortest and weakest part of this second volume.
Finally we have the bonus mode called Jack’s 55th Birthday. Tasked as playing as Mia, players must satisfying Jack Baker’s hunger as he celebrates his birthday while wearing a festive hat and glasses. With each stage set in a different part of the house Mia must run around the house while fighting off Molded wearing funny little hats to gather food.
Each item of food will provide Jack with a certain level of “satisfaction” and you can combine different pieces of food together to create more satisfying food to give to Jack. Players are given a time limit to work with here so it is up to your memory to remember the layout of the house and where to gather items as quick as possible to get high scores.
The reward for getting higher scores in this mode provide players with various unlocks such as weapons and stat boosts. These can give Mia an edge the next time you play through Jack’s Birthday but they do take up inventory space. This means you’ll often need to balance your boosts to speed or damage with food carrying space. This mode is a delightful addition that will keep players who like the game’s combat system intrigued with the house filled with decorative balloons and festive enemies.
Overall
The second volume of Banned Footage for Resident Evil 7: biohazard is similar to the first in that players will find the game something of a mixed bag as far as the modes go. The mini-game styled 21 is a fun distraction that feels quite rewarding at times when you outsmart Lucas but can grow to be repetitive while the Daughters mode delivers some interesting narrative but fails to give much of a lasting impression. The bonus mode of Jack’s 55th Birthday gives players the most bang for their buck in this entry but considering this second volume is priced higher than the first, it’s a bit disappointing that only one of these modes is a real blast while another is something you’ll likely only play twice and never touch again.
