'Resident Evil 7: Biohazard' updates: teaser videos tease return of familiar character and gameplay elements

A promotional image for "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard"Capcom

Capcom has released several new videos for the upcoming "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard," and all four of them showcase several elements that long-time fans of the franchise will find familiar. Three of these videos focus on a returning gameplay mechanic, but one of them also hint at the return of a character from previous games.

The first video shared by Capcom emphasizes on three different telephones. The ones showcased are traditional analog phones and not a modern digital phone. When the player is shown picking up the phone, a female voice is heard, stating that the main character should never have gone there.

One of the most popular fan theories is that this is the voice of Ada Wong, a spy who had consistently switched sides between good and bad ever since she was first introduced in "Resident Evil 2." The character also had an off-and-on relationship with Leon S. Kennedy but it appears Leon will not be in "Resident Evil 7."

Picking up guns and other weapons or items from storage boxes has been a staple of the franchise ever since the very first game. The second video shows the player opening a storage box and picking up a shotgun. It also reveals that, just like in the older games, players will need to manage their inventory, and they will need to arrange their inventory in order to pack in more weapons or items.

Saving progress in many modern games has been made automatic after reaching a certain checkpoint. This will not be the case in "Resident Evil 7" as the third video shows the player walking up to a tape recorder and saving game progress. This is similar to how players had to find a typewriter and ink in the older games in order to save their progress.

The fourth video showcases the knife. Just like in the older titles, the player will be using the knife for melee combat, but the video also shows it being used for contextual interaction with the environment, such as cutting the tape around a box so that the contents can be retrieved.

"Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" will be released on the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on Jan. 24, 2017.