I see a lot of people comparing Resident Evil 7 to games like Amnesia and Outlast (usually unfavorably) and saying that RE7 is just another game about running away and hiding, but I really can't agree with this assessment for one simple reason.
Resident Evil has weapons.
Yeah, I know that's pretty obvious, but I think that's why I like RE7 better than those other games. For me, it's not about just liking to shoot guns (though I do like shooting guns). I think that having some means to fight back helps the pacing immensely. In Outlast, you are completely defenseless, which a lot of people say is scarier. I understand that, but I can't say I agree. It's scarier at first, I suppose, but the longer the game goes on, the more annoyed I get that my progress is dictated by whether or not the spooky monster is currently standing in front of whatever item or puzzle I need to move on. You can't continue the game until the monster or inmate or whatever moves away, so eventually I'll be crouching under a table or something, groaning and going "Come on! Fucking move already!" It totally breaks the flow of the game, as well as any immersion i might have had. I think the reason I enjoy RE7 so much is that it gives you the means to just barely fight back. Once you get good at the game you can probably find enough ammo to blow through most encounters, but I've seen plenty of first time players run out of ammo at a critical moment because they freaked out and starting spraying and praying. If they get their progress blocked, it's their own fault for losing their cool. I think that's a lot more interesting than hiding under a table and waiting. The way I see it, having a weapon that you empty sloppily and ineffectively into a monster because you lost your nerve can be just as intense as having no weapon at all.