Capcom brought the Resident Evil franchise back to its roots as a horror game with Resident Evil 7, a move that has earned the latest game in the series rave reviews.
As players race through the Baker house to try to survive against the craziness of its inhabitants, one question may have popped up: Why do the members of the Baker family have perfect white teeth?
Why Do The Bakers Have Perfect Teeth?
Gamers of Resident Evil 7 may have noticed that, despite the downright disgusting living conditions of the Baker family, the members all have perfect white teeth.
In an email interview with Kotaku, Resident Evil series producer Masachika Kawata was asked if the Bakers brush and floss their teeth, as gamers have noticed how well their dental hygiene is.
According to Kawata, to create the Bakers of Resident Evil 7, Capcom used a method known as photogrammetry. The technique utilizes 3D scanning technology on real-life models to be able to apply a photorealistic effect to the game's graphics, particularly on the Bakers. Photogrammetry basically detected the locations of specific points on the subjects, and then approximated their locations in digital 3D space.
"I guess we can thank the actors we utilized for having great teeth!" Kawata said, as the photogrammetry process also replicated the teeth of the models into those of the Baker family.
White Teeth Add To Resident Evil 7's Horror
Whether or not the white teeth of the Bakers were intentional or not, that particular element is arguably one of the scariest things that players have experienced up close in Resident Evil 7.
The game contains lots of disturbing and grotesque imagery, with decay and gore seemingly waiting for players at every corner of the Baker house. As such, whenever Jack or Marguerite Baker comes face-to-face with players with their perfect white teeth in display, the teeth provide a stark contrast to the rest of the game's design, making them appear even more unsettling.
Jack Baker chomping down with perfect white teeth would be an even scarier experience for players who stepped into the world of Resident Evil 7 through Sony's PlayStation VR.
Resident Evil 7 Success
The white teeth of the Bakers is just one of the many elements that have made Resident Evil 7 a successful game for Capcom, which recently reported that it has shipped 3 million copies of the title over its first three weeks.
While the figure is only for shipped copies to retailers and does not take into account how many units were actually purchased, 3 million units shipped is a significant amount. Resident Evil 7 failed to meet the milestone of 4.5 million copies sold for Resident Evil 6 during its launch week though.
Capcom, however, is not concerned. With Resident Evil 7 having no multiplayer component, the budget used for the game is lower compared with its predecessor. In addition, figures on digital sales for the game have still not been revealed, and combined with sales of physical copies, could already have surpassed Capcom's target sales of 4 million copies by the end of March.
