sisslethecat
This is… interesting.
The Resident Evil VII: Biohazard Beginning Hour demo is finished, there is nothing more to discover, and it will not be receiving any further updates. That said, it does not mean that there isn’t more to discover through unconventional means. While there’s been lots of talk about the wealth of leaked information discovered through data-mining the demo (including major story spoilers and lists of in-game content that had yet to be announced), there’s been very little about what’s left to find in the actual demo itself. No-clipping through solid objects is kind of PC hacking 101, and it often leads us to interesting and revealing secrets hidden away where we weren’t meant to see them. Resident Evil is no stranger to this, what with the hidden objects and items in Resident Evil 4, and all of the information hidden in Outbreak File# 2 (including one of the very few instances of a fully rendered helmet-less HUNK). So, we now have access to a few hidden areas in the Resident Evil 7 demo, which are otherwise completely hidden from us.
The thing that’s most remarkable about these areas is that, well, they aren’t just empty voids. Several of them are not only furnished, but have intractable objects within. Now this could mean that these were areas from an earlier build of the demo, that had since been decided against putting in – but the more intriguing option is that (while the demo itself will not be a part of the main game) we may be revisiting this location in the final product. That’s just speculation, of course, but it does seem odd that so much was left just out of our reach. It is worth noting that we’ve seen things in the demo area in trailers that did not happen in the demo, although that could also be cut content.
First, it should be stated that while these areas do contain a surprising amount of detail and objects, these are also very clearly placeholders, as many of them are simply recycled or are placed in random arrangements. This stuff, while neat, is also unfinished, so don’t read too much into them. They are similar to the non accessible areas from the original and then first update versions of the demo If you recall, areas like the upstairs attic room with the ladder had actually been seen through bugs that caused doors not to spawn, but the rooms were largely barren or filled with placeholder objects (the Coin Room was actually accessed in the Twilight update, but in place of the rocking chair was simply more wooden boxes).
To explain where these areas are exactly, they are the boarded up door below the stairs (the one in the straw-doll room):
Behind the boarded up door across from the bathroom, beyond the moldy door in the Midnight update. This is actually probably the most interesting one, since it has an intractable (empty) drawer, as well as a few unique objects (as far as I know anyway). It seems the most complete of the secret areas, with an actual layout and things placed in a deliberate fashion. If I’d have to venture a guess, it would appear to be a study :
Finally, a long hallway that leads nowhere, beyond the basement room where Andre is murdered in the VHS world:
It’s super interesting to see into these areas, and I expect that there is most likely some reason for these rooms being more than just nothing at all. Speaking of nothing at all, it’s also worth mentioning what wasn’t found. There’s been a lot of speculation about a spot on the kitchen wall that seems to have light coming from behind it. Fans have been discussing the possibility that it’s a secret door, while others have dismissed it as a bug with the geometry. Looks like it’s more than likely the latter, as there’s absolutely nothing beyond that wall, just video game void. No clipping also gives us the ability to follow Andre past the invisible wall that sprouts up once he leaves the kitchen. Sadly, there’s nothing more fun to see, as he walks a few feet out of our range of view, and then is teleported to the basement. He hangs out there for a bit, and then is automatically splattered on the pipe once Pete pulls the secret fireplace chain. Also interesting is that the VHS world version of the house does not have a third floor, nor areas beyond the moldy door. Makes sense, I suppose.
Whether it’s cut content or areas that will become accessible in the final game, who knows. Only time will tell. At the moment, they are very neat secrets hidden away in probably one of the most explored areas in any game demo ever. I’ve always loved this kind of stuff, and love it even more when the areas are hidden away with actual ways of accessing them, but even when it’s just unfinished stuff like this I still think it’s cool to see. You can check out more images from different angles and whatnot in the Reddit sources below.
