Resident Evil 7's most distressing horror technique is not a well placed jump scare or dangerous boss encounter. It’s the teeth. Those terrifying, perfect teeth. Thanks to series producer Masachika Kawata, we finally know what the deal is with everyone’s stellar dental work.
I had the opportunity to conduct an email interview with Kawata and will have an extended interview tomorrow. For now, there’s important information that the world must know. Here’s an excerpt from our correspondence:
Heather: One thing we noticed playing the game is that everyone has very good teeth. Do the Bakers brush and floss?
Masachika Kawata: We used a method called photogrammetry which involves 3D scan technology and real models to create a photorealistic effect to the graphics. In the case of the characters, I guess we can thank the actors we utilized for having great teeth!
Photogrammetry is used to detect specific points from images into order estimate and approximate those points in 3-D space. It has been used in other graphically impressive games like Star Wars Battlefront in order to produce intensely detailed environments.
For Resident Evil 7, this means (among other things) keeping track of everyone’s inhumanly perfect teeth. Are there most secrets in Resident Evil 7? How did the team craft its horror? You can look forward to more answers tomorrow.
For now, please remember to brush at least twice a day.