
Oh, Capcom – why, oh why did you cut Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 from the main game? Banned Footage Vol. 1 served up a couple of quality VHS tapes, and its successor – launching less than a month after the core campaign – is arguably better. The DLC is cementing the survival horror as a modern classic, but it's marred by the fact that it's clearly cut content that's been sold after the fact.
Take nothing away from this slice of scares, though – it's bloody good stuff. The first cassette, 21, sees the return of luckless cameraman Clancy, who's ushered into another of Lucas' deadly games. This time he must play a torturous round of Blackjack, with his life being the chips on the line. The minigame essentially sees you attempting to ensure that your card numbers add up to, yes, 21.
The artificial intelligence is surprisingly great. Your opponent will always have a hidden card, but you can determine what it is by reading their moves. The stakes intensify with each round, culminating in your adversary being smoked and subsequently puppeteered by the Bakers' sadistic son.

What's brilliant is that Lucas cheats when he's about to lose, so you have to use your wits to outsmart him just like in the Happy Birthday room. Once you've completed the story, you'll unlock a more arcade version of the game which moves at a faster pace and is a bit more replayable. As with the Nightmare tape, there are persistent unlocks here, so it's worth coming back to.
The other cassette, Daughters, adopts a more story-based approach, as it turns back the clocks to a time before the Bakers went insane. This is essential viewing for fans of the main game, and while the pace at which things go south is a little too accelerated for our liking, it's really harrowing seeing the family turn before your very eyes; one domestic dispute between Mum and Dad makes for particularly hard viewing.
This video's less replayable than 21, although there are two different endings for you to figure out, which at least gives incentive for a couple of playthroughs. One thing that's cool about it is that it allows you to explore the Baker household before its partly destroyed, which is sure to please fans who are eminently familiar with the layout of the building.

And then you get Jack's 55th Birthday, an absolutely ridiculous mini-game that kits the patriarch out in a party hat and sees you sprinting through small sections of familiar environments, foraging for food in order to feed the greedy papa. Perks can be placed in your inventory, but equip too many and you'll have less room for snacks, which means you'll waste time sprinting backwards and forwards.
Some items can be combined in order to improve the taste of the sustenance, meaning that Mr Baker's satisfaction metre will fill faster. Your goal is to feed the fatherly figure as quickly as you can, killing hatted Molded along the way to stop the clock. It's a positively barmy mode, but with multiple levels and persistent unlocks, it's incredibly fun stuff.
Conclusion
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 is arguably an even better piece of DLC than its already excellent predecessor, but our excitement for the additions is tempered by frustration that they should have been included with the main game. We liked the core campaign as it was, but with these packs bolted on it could have scored higher. Still, what you have here is some truly inventive content that repurposes the game's main mechanics in a variety of interesting and exciting ways.
Comments 13
So how much DLC is left? I really just want that 'Not a hero' story DLC.
@Gamer83 Not A Hero is free, and there's one more story-based DLC as part of the Season Pass. I think.
@get2sammyb
So two story DLCs? That'd be cool with me. I like this banned footage stuff but I always prefer more story. Still need answers about that ending.
@Gamer83 I think so, yeah.
I'm interested in this but I still haven't finished the main game xD
Hopefully they release a GOTY edition in 2018 with all stuff on the disc.
This sounds fun! =)
These developers are really fast, you know, two DLCs in less than a month (irony). Capcom is turning into a Baker, but cutting games instead of people.
@AFCC I was in the same place as you a few days ago, then finished the campaign and thougt what the hell imma just buy the season pass now ... well... its not worth the Money sadly ... depends on which Kind of Player you are but the DLC Banned Footage 1 and 2 are kinda lacking if you ask me.
The two Episodes "Daughters" and "Bedroom" are really great but extremely short too. The "Ethan must Die" Mode will just Appeal to the most of the hardcore Gamers, the two modes "Bday" and "21 (CardGame)" are kinda forgettable and "Nightmares" is like a "light" Raid-Mode which gets repetitive after 2 Playthroughs.
Sorry, even as a Die Hard Fan of RE7 i cant recommend the season pass/DLC .. only if youre really craving more of RE7.
And - tbh - this has just been cut out of the main game .. even if you tell me otherwise its way too obvious that Capcom cut all that out .. sad but true. Id rate both DLC Packs so far a 6/10 for Fans. And only for those.... Im disappointed
The eventual GOTY version will be quite the package.
@consolfreak1982 oh wow...yeah it looks like the DLC is fun but short, maybe I'll get the season pass on a sale...
@Gamer83 the season pass consists of banned footage 1 and 2, not a hero and another story dlc TBA
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1407894045898145&substory_index=0&id=185275861493309
@Danloaded
Thanks.
"Banned Footage Vol. 2 is arguably an even better piece of DLC"
lol But yeah, I'm actually playing through the DLC now and thought this was a major letdown compared to Vol. 1. Less replay value and content for $5 more. 21 and Jack's 55 Birthday have some decent ideas, but Daughters is so boring after its strong introduction and ends so quickly. Bedroom was leagues better and more terrifying. Do agree this should've been part of the main game!
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