You’re standing in front of a rusted gate in the middle of a Louisiana swamp. It’s humid. You can almost smell the rot through the screen. Ethan Winters is just a guy looking for his wife, but within twenty minutes, he’s getting his hand sawed off by a possessed girl in a basement. Welcome to the family, son. If you’re looking for a Resident Evil 7 walkthrough that doesn't just list items but actually helps you survive the psychological toll of the Baker estate, you're in the right spot. This game changed everything for Capcom. It moved the camera to first-person, stripped away the action-hero vibes of RE6, and put us in a claustrophobic nightmare that feels way too real.
Honestly, the first time I played this, I spent ten minutes just staring at the back door of the Guest House. I didn't want to go in. Most people think RE7 is just about jump scares. It’s not. It’s about resource management and knowing when to run like a coward. You have very little ammo. Your knife is basically a butter knife. The Bakers? They don't die when you shoot them. Not really.
The Guest House and the first big mistake
The game starts slow. You walk through the woods, find Mia’s driver’s license, and enter the Guest House. This is basically a tutorial, but it’s a mean one. Here’s the thing: people waste their healing items way too early. When Mia starts crawling up the stairs like a scene from The Exorcist, don’t panic.
You’ll find an axe. Use it. But don't just mash buttons. You have to time your guards. Guarding is the most underrated mechanic in the entire game. If you don't learn to hold that L1 or LB button, you're going to see the "You Are Dead" screen more than the actual ending. The attic fight is the first real wall. You get a handgun, but Mia is a bullet sponge. Aim for the head, obviously, but keep your distance. If she gets close, she’ll chainsaw your health bar to zero before you can blink.
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Once you’re "welcomed" to the family dinner, the real game begins. You’re in the Main House. It’s huge, it’s creaky, and Jack Baker is hunting you. This is where a Resident Evil 7 walkthrough becomes less about "go here" and more about "don't get cornered." Jack is fast. He’s also loud. Listen for his heavy boots on the floorboards.
Escaping Jack and the Main House puzzles
The Main House is a classic Resident Evil puzzle box. You need three Dog Heads to get out the back door.
- The Blue Dog Head is in a book in the Rec Room upstairs.
- The White Dog Head is hidden in a clock in the Main Hall (you have to swap the pendulum from the clock in the Living Room).
- The Red Dog Head is the one that causes the most grief. It's in the Dissection Room.
Jack is going to be stalking you this entire time. A lot of players try to kill him. Stop. You can’t. You can stun him with a few headshots, which gives you about thirty seconds of peace, but he’ll just get back up. It’s a waste of bullets. Instead, use the kitchen table or the hallway corners to kite him. Basically, play tag with a homicidal immortal.
The Dissection Room fight is the first "boss" encounter that feels like a traditional game. You’re in a morgue. Jack has a giant pair of motorized shears. Use the hanging body bags to stun him. Kick them into him. It’s gross, but it works. Once he’s "dead" (spoiler: he isn't), you can grab that Red Dog Head and finally get some fresh air in the Yard.
The Molded and the Shadow Puzzles
Once you hit the Processing Area, the game introduces the Molded. These are the black, gooey monsters that look like they're made of oil and teeth. They are terrifying because they’re unpredictable. Sometimes they’ll lunge from across the room; other times they just shuffle.
The trick with Molded is the legs. If you're low on ammo, shoot out their legs. They’ll crawl, making them much easier to finish off with a knife or just run past. If you try to headshot every single one, you’ll be out of ammo by the time you reach the Old House.
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You’ll also encounter Shadow Puzzles. These are a series of pedestals where you have to rotate an object to match a silhouette on the wall.
- The Eagle: In the Main Hall, use the wooden statuette to open the passage to the drawing room.
- The Spider: In the Old House, you'll need the crank to get the stone statuette.
These puzzles aren't hard, but they leave you vulnerable. Always clear the room of enemies before you start messing with the lights.
Dealing with Marguerite in the Old House
The Old House is bug territory. Marguerite Baker is obsessed with insects, and she’s arguably creepier than Jack. You need the Flamethrower (Burner) here. You have to find the two parts—one is in the Gallery, the other is out on the deck. Without the burner, the swarms of bees will eat you alive.
The boss fight with Marguerite in the Greenhouse is a highlight of the game. She’s mutated into something with very long limbs. She climbs on the walls. She’s fast. This is a battle of attrition. Use the burner to clear her nests and the shotgun for when she gets in your face. Look for the "growth" on her underbelly—that’s her weak spot. If you don't hit that, you're just wasting lead.
The Mid-Game Twist: Lucas and the Testing Area
After you deal with Marguerite, the game shifts gears. Lucas Baker is the "inventor" of the family, and he’s set up a Saw-style gauntlet for you. This part of the Resident Evil 7 walkthrough requires a lot of backtracking to the Main House to get the Red and Blue Keycards.
Lucas’s Testing Area is full of tripwires. Don't run. If you see a wire, look for the explosive. You can shoot them from a distance or crouch under them. There’s a specific puzzle involving a birthday cake that kills you if you do it wrong. You might remember this from the "Happy Birthday" videotape you found earlier.
- Pro tip: Don't pull the winding key from the clown's stomach if you've already lit the candles. It'll leak oil and... well, you'll burn.
- Wait, actually, the real trick is knowing the code to the door beforehand because you've seen the tape. The code is "LOSER."
The Wrecked Ship: A change of pace
Just when you think you're getting a handle on Ethan, the game switches you to Mia. You’re on a rusted tanker ship. This is the most controversial part of the game because you lose all your gear. It feels like a reset.
You have to find Ethan. The ship is crawling with Molded, including the "Fat Molded" that puke acid. My advice? Run. You have very little firepower as Mia initially. Find the Corrosive to melt the locks and get to the higher floors. Eventually, you’ll get a machine gun, which makes things a lot easier, but the ship is a maze of vents and ladders. It’s easy to get lost.
The most important thing on the ship is the "Old Videotape" sequence. This explains the origin of Eveline and why everything went south in Louisiana. It’s a lot of story, but pay attention to the layout of the ship during the flashback. It’s identical to the "present day" version, so use it to map out your exit.
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The Salt Mine and the final push
The final stretch takes place in a Salt Mine. This is where RE7 stops being a horror game and starts being an action game. You’ll have a mountain of ammo and explosives by now. Don't save them. Use the Grenade Launcher on groups. Use the Magnum on the two Fat Molded at the end of the tunnel.
There isn't much strategy here other than "don't die." It’s a linear path to the finish line. You’ll eventually find a lab where you can craft the E-Necrotoxin. This is the "kill switch" for the big bad.
The final boss: Eveline
The final fight isn't really a fight. It’s a scripted event. You inject Eveline, she turns into a giant wall of faces and limbs, and you shoot her until the game tells you to stop.
The real challenge is the very last phase when you're knocked on your back. A crate drops from a helicopter containing the "Albert-01" pistol. Pick it up. Aim for the face. Pull the trigger. Roll credits.
Actionable steps for your first run
If you want to survive the Baker house with your dignity intact, keep these specific strategies in mind. They make the difference between a fun experience and a frustrating one.
- Prioritize the Backpacks: There are three inventory expansions in the game. One is in the Old House (Safe Room), one is in the Master Bedroom in the Main House, and one is on the Wrecked Ship. If you skip these, you will spend half the game running back and forth to your storage box.
- The Repair Kits are Gold: You’ll find "Broken" weapons like the M19 Handgun and the M21 Shotgun. They are significantly better than the standard versions. Don't use your Repair Kits on the handgun if you can help it; save at least one for the shotgun. The M21 has a smaller capacity but hits like a truck.
- Steroids and Stabilizers: These aren't just for healing. Steroids permanently increase your maximum health, and Stabilizers speed up your reload time. You can find them by solving the "Treasure Photos" or buying them with Antique Coins at the birdcages in the Yard.
- Psychostimulants are your best friend: Use these whenever you enter a new area. They highlight every hidden item on your HUD for a few minutes. You’ll find way more ammo and herbs this way, which keeps your resources high for boss fights.
- Learn the Guard/Turn: Get used to the "Quick Turn" (Back + Circle/B). If Jack is chasing you, don't just back away. Turn, sprint, and then turn back. Combined with a well-timed guard to reduce damage, you'll be much harder to kill.
Resident Evil 7 is a masterpiece of tension, but it’s fair. If you treat it like a puzzle and respect the enemies, you’ll see the sunrise. If you try to play it like Call of Duty, the Bakers are going to have a very long, very messy dinner with you.