Ethan Winters is kind of a blank slate, isn't he? When Resident Evil 7: Biohazard dropped in 2017, it flipped the entire franchise on its head, moving from third-person action-horror to a claustrophobic, first-person nightmare. Most people remember the dinner scene or the chainsaw fight. But honestly, if you’re just running through the corridors of the Baker estate screaming, you’re missing half the game. There are resident evil 7 hints baked into the wallpaper, the dialogue, and even the discarded trash that tell the real story of what happened to Mia and the Bakers long before you showed up with a handgun and a prayer.
It’s about the subtle stuff. You’ve got to look closer.
The Secret Language of the Baker Estate
Most players treat the early hours of the game as a sprint to find a key. Big mistake. Capcom is famous for environmental storytelling, and Dulvey, Louisiana is basically a museum of misery if you know where to look. Take the "Ghost Hunters" tape, for instance. Most people watch it to find the secret drawer in the kitchen. Simple enough. But if you pay attention to the dialogue between Sewer Gators' Andre, Pete, and Clancy, they drop massive resident evil 7 hints about the timeline of the "disappearances" in the area.
They mention the house has been abandoned for years. However, if you look at the food on the table in the present day, it’s rotting, but not ancient. This is your first clue that someone is still living here, trying to maintain a twisted version of normalcy. It’s not just a haunted house; it’s a functional home for a family that’s lost their minds to an infection they don't even understand yet.
Then there’s the photo of the ship. You see it early on. It looks like a random piece of set dressing. It isn't. That ship is the Annabelle, and its presence in a framed photo—before you even know there's a ship in the game—is a massive narrative breadcrumb. It tells you that the source of the misery didn't come from the swamp. It came from the sea.
The Combat Mechanics Nobody Explains
Let’s talk about the blocking. Seriously. If you aren't blocking, you're doing it wrong. Most gamers are used to the "dodge" mechanics of Resident Evil 3 or the "parry" in the RE4 remake. In RE7, blocking is your god-tier skill. Even if a Molded is about to take your head off, holding up your hands reduces damage significantly. It prevents staggering. It keeps you alive when you're cornered in those tight basement hallways.
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And the "quick turn" is your best friend. Tap back and the run button. You’ll use it more than your gun.
Hidden Item Logic and Psychostimulants
You’ve probably found those little orange pills called Psychostimulants. Most players hoard them and then forget to use them. Use them. Now. Especially in the Greenhouse fight with Marguerite. These pills highlight items through walls. While you might think you’ve cleared a room, these stimulants often reveal Chem Fluid or Herb tucked under floorboards or on top of high shelves that are literally impossible to see otherwise.
Speaking of items, did you know you can dismantle things? If you find a "Separator," don't just toss it. You can take apart Enhanced Handgun Ammo to get the Chem Fluid back if you’re desperate for a First Aid Med. It’s about resource management, not just aim.
Resident Evil 7 Hints for Surviving the Madhouse
If you’re brave enough to tackle Madhouse difficulty, the game changes. It’s not just "enemies have more health." It’s a remix. Key items are in different places. The Bird Cages require more Antique Coins.
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- Save your coins for the Steroids. In Madhouse, your health pool is pathetic. The Steroids don't just heal you; they permanently increase your maximum HP. It’s the single most important upgrade in the game.
- The Scorpion Key is moved. You won't find it where you did on Normal. You’ll need to buy it from a Bird Cage in the Trailer. This changes the entire flow of the early game because you can't access certain shortcuts as early as you’d like.
- Don't kill every Molded. Seriously. Just take out their legs. A crawling Molded is much less of a threat and often prevents another one from spawning in that specific zone for a while.
The Evelyn Connection
The biggest resident evil 7 hints are tucked away in the notes written by the Baker family. Read Jack’s journal. Read Marguerite’s notes. They weren't always monsters. Jack was a Marine. He was a kind man who rescued a girl from a shipwreck. The tragedy of Resident Evil 7 is that the family's "evil" is actually a biological compulsion. They are being piloted by a fungal parasite.
When you see the "Little Girl" appearing and disappearing, she’s not a ghost. This isn't P.T. even though it feels like it. She is the E-001 bioweapon. Every time you see her, she is physically there, but she’s also projecting herself into Ethan’s mind because he’s already infected. Yeah, you’re infected from the moment Jack kicks you in the face. Why do you think you can reattach your foot with just a splash of "magic" herb juice? Normal humans can't do that.
Secret Endings and Choices
The "Choice" between Mia and Zoe is one of the most debated parts of the game. Most people choose Mia because, well, she's the wife. But choosing Zoe provides a completely different boss fight and a much grimmer ending for her. It doesn't change the "canon" outcome—the End of Zoe DLC makes it clear what actually happens—but for a first playthrough, it’s a massive tonal shift.
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If you want the best gameplay experience, choose Mia. It makes the final act feel more narratively cohesive. If you choose Zoe, the game basically punishes you for it almost immediately. It's Capcom's way of saying "wrong move, buddy."
Practical Steps for Your Next Playthrough
To truly master the game and find every secret, you need a plan. Don't just wander.
- Turn off the HUD. If you want a real challenge and want to spot those environmental resident evil 7 hints, get rid of the crosshairs and ammo counters. It forces you to listen to the sound of your gun and watch the blood splatter on the walls.
- Search for the Repair Kits. There are two broken guns in the game: the M19 Handgun and the M21 Shotgun. They are both objectively better than the working versions you find. One Repair Kit is hidden behind some corrugated metal near the Trailer; the other is under the porch of the Main House. Find them. Fix the guns.
- Collect all the Mr. Everywheres. Breaking these bobbleheads isn't just for trophies. If you get them all, you unlock the "Walking of the Woods" shoes and the "Essence of Defense" in subsequent runs, making you faster and tougher.
- Speedrun for the Circular Saw. If you beat the game in under four hours, you get the Circular Saw. It is the most broken, overpowered weapon in the game. It turns Jack Baker into mincemeat in seconds.
The beauty of this game lies in how much it rewards repeat visits. You start to see the cracks in the walls not as scary holes, but as tactical opportunities. You stop seeing the Bakers as villains and start seeing them as victims of a corporate experiment gone horribly wrong.
Go back into the basement. Look at the notes again. Check the back of the photos. The truth about Umbrella, the "Connections" organization, and the fate of the Bakers is all there, hidden in plain sight, waiting for you to stop running and start looking.