You may have recently watched popular Twitch streamer Carcinogen blast through 2017‘s acclaimed survival horror game Resident Evil 7: Biohazard during the Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 charity marathon. Alongside showcasing his nervy skill, Carcinogen gave casual viewers a masterclass in high-level speedrunning techniques required to brave this haunted house adventure at breakneck pace.
In just under 2 hours on a fresh Nightmare difficulty file, Carcinogen highlighted route optimization, resource conservation, opponent manipulation, and grace under fire when pushes to the very brink of defeat.
Come along as we analyze Carcinogen‘s shockingly quick run through of the Baker mansion, study the precise mechanics that make terror so swift, and hopefully inspire you to attempt surviving your own nightmare speedrun of this horror classic!
Demystifying Speedruns: How Do Players Blast Through Resident Evil So Quickly?
Casual Resident Evil fans may wonder how top players like Carcinogen can possibly complete these lengthy survival horror epics in only an hour or two. The key lies in obsessive analysis of enemy patterns, item locations, and sequence breaking tricks that long term franchise devotees have uncovered over the years.
While the Resident Evil series has tightened exploits in recent entries, a few key tips still allow veterans to demolish deceivingly beefy playtimes:
Minimize Combat Through Manipulation
Savvy runners use level layout and AI behaviors to their advantage, sneaking past or distracting enemies instead of fighting. This conserves ammo and saves health item usage for mandatory boss encounters.
Memorization Minimizes Backtracking
Any% runs focus on main critical path items. With item locations committed to memory, precious time isn‘t wasted scouring areas or revisiting cleared zones.
Menu Slowdown Stacks Up
Unlike most games, the inventory and maps of Resident Evil do not pause progression of the timer. Limiting menu usage is thus critical for fast pace.
New Game vs New Game+ Tradeoffs
Starting a fresh save allows for sequence breaking tricks but no bonus gear. Carrying over a completed save unlocks powerful weapons yet requires more standard progression.
Even exploiting these aspects to their fullest requires high execution. But just how much harder did Carcinogen make things by running on Nightmare?
Braving the Baker Residence on Nightmare Difficulty
Carcinogen decided to crank up the tension past maximum by playing on the DLC Nightmare difficulty – accessed by completing a standard run and then reloading the epilogue save. This amps all enemies to max stats:
| Enemy | HP | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Molded – Standard | 3x | 2x |
| Molded – Armored | 5x | 3x |
| Marguerite | 3x | 3x |
| Jack | 3x | 4x |
This means even basic enemies can down the player in just 2-3 hits while taking 3+ magazines of precious ammunition to take down. Resources get strained to the brink even for veterans, forcing precise play and tense resource management.
Now let‘s see how Carcinogen overcame these horrors to walk away with an impressive personal record!
Tracking Carcinogen‘s Nightmare Run Milestone by Milestone
Right from the opening cutscene, Carcinogen demonstrates immense game knowledge – quickly storming through the initial house to collect mission critical items before the first enemy even spawns. His route is uh… killer:
| Time | Section | Key Events |
|---|---|---|
| 0:02 | Tutorial | Grabs Backdoor Key, avoids first enemies by crouching past |
| 0:05 | Main House | Nabs map, chem fluid, handgun ammo, burner nozzle |
| 0:12 | Guest House | Secures axe, chem fluid, burner grip, extra ammo |
This opening efficiency sets the pace, demonstrating the importance of memorization and enemy manipulation in serious Resident Evil 7 speedruns.
Later on, a nasty run-in with a late game Chainsaw-wielding Mia leaves health items severely depleted. Lesser runners may crumble under such pressure but Carcinogen adapts – kiting her around cover to reduce damage taken.
While his evasive tactics succeed, they force deviation from the optimal route. More health threatening conflicts combined with a risky narrative sequence break soon strain ammo reserves to desperately low levels.
But clashing with the final challenging boss nearly empty handed doesn‘t phase this master – through nail biting evasion and clever diversionary attacks, Carcinogen still manages to eke out a shocking personal best time!
How Does He Compare Against the Best?
Carcinogen‘s 1:49:28 falls over 20 minutes short of the current Resident Evil 7 Any% Nightmare world record of 1:26:38 set by legendary Japanese runner Captain_Ezekiel.
However, it still lands Carcinogen comfortably in the top 100 speedrun leaderboards, firmly establishing his Nightmare run among the most impressive ever achieved.
For an off the cuff marathon performance, he cut things shockingly close!
Preparing Your Own Nightmare Survival Speedrun
Think you may have the nerve and skill to blast through Resident Evil 7: Biohazard close to Carcinogen‘s pace? Make sure to keep these key tips in mind:
- Study patrols – Plan routes accounting for enemy placements and movement patterns. Stealth and diversion are key!
- Prioritize vitals – Grab essential weapons, ammo, fluid first before branching to extras and collectibles. Survivability over 100%!
- Pre-empt attacks – Get guard timings down perfectly to land pre-emptive stuns. Prevent damage at all costs!
- Have an exit plan – When grabbing key items, always scout an escape from danger. Don‘t let enemies corner you!
While world record pace requires countless hours of grind, just attempting a clean personal best run through the Baker mansion will surely get your heart racing!
Hopefully this deep dive has helped explain just how Carcinogen pulled off such a shockingly fast Resident Evil 7 run at AGDQ. If you want to experience the thrill of speedrunning survival horror for yourself, consider using the tips above to set your own nightmare record!
Just remember – things may not go according to plan. So steel your nerves and stay frosty! The molded could swarm at any second…
