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Meet The Bakers, your hosts to the Baker plantation and all surrounding areas in Resident Evil 7. They're happy to have you as a guest and you're happy to be here because this is one of the best Resident Evil games since the original trilogy. Whether this is your first survival-horror rodeo or you've played every Resident Evil to date, it doesn't hurt to have some intel to prepare for the game's many puzzles and enemies. Here are the essential tips you'll need to keep the 'YOU ARE DEAD' screens to a minimum.

Look around and look thoroughly

The most well-hidden items are almost always useful, whether it's a couple shotgun rounds or a pack of chem fluid. You'll spend the majority of your stay alone, giving you ample time to explore every gap and corner. It helps to have a crafty mindset, to look beyond what you can see when you initially enter a room. That means finding ammo powder in small bowls, herbs in bathtubs, and even ammo behind paintings leaning against walls.

It's okay to run away

Even if you are well equipped, you can still save your resources by avoiding confrontations. Despite the unwelcoming vibe of the mansion, there are many safe areas you can retreat to, particularly the save point rooms. Very few hostiles can move as swiftly as you, so making a break for these rooms is easy if you know the lay of the land. There are often many routes that lead to safety, so take advantage of the house's layout to outsmart the Bakers and their guests. This is especially recommended if an enemy seems invincible (for now).

Crouch with caution

There are a couple chase sections where it's best to move slowly. If you can anticipate that a pursuer is coming your direction but hasn't spotted you yet, hiding can be a better solution than running. Crouching behind large objects likes stacks of crates works best when trying to get around an enemy. Don't expect the same kind of protection when crouching behind a couch, despite its size.

Block to limit damage

When you do choose to take on a foe, blocking is a big help in minimizing the amount of damage you take. Even some of the sharpest looking melee weapons can be blocked. You're never completely invincible, but blocking can help you catch your breath and, in the best case, create some distance between you and your attacker. With distance comes a brief reprieve to reload and manage items.

Combine items to play to your strengths

Whenever possible, use your chem fluids. Not only can they be combined to make much needed items, consuming a fluid pack frees up one slot in your backpack. An herb is useful in healing, but it's even more potent when combined with both types of chem fluids. If you're not confident in your ability to block or avoid attacks, this is the approach you should go with. If you value ammo more, prioritize both handgun ammo types for the first few hours of the game. Flame and neuro rounds--which you can create by combining solid fuel with strong chem fluid--are helpful, but don't make the mistake of crafting them before you have the one weapon capable of firing them. Chem fluids appear fairly regularly, so there's no need to hoard a lot for later.

Make the most of psychostimulants

Psychostimulants are magic pills that reveal all nearby items, even through walls and in drawers. Creating psychostimulants might not be the best use of chem fluid (especially if you take the time to fully explore each room), but you should make use of any psychostimulants that you manage to find. On Normal difficulty, these drugs last exactly two minutes, so it's best to move as efficiently as possible. We recommend clearing hostiles out of a minimum of six connected rooms before you pop a pill. That way, you can search the area uninterrupted.

Save often and use multiple slots

Resident Evil 7 is adequately littered with save points and these should be used often. There are 28 save slots on Normal difficulty, which is more than enough room to keep save records for major events and memorable encounters. They're helpful if you anticipate that a boss fight is coming up or if you're having second thoughts about a choice you made at an earlier point in the game.

Take advantage of the unlimited storage

Another reason to visit the save rooms often is to use the storage container, which has an unlimited storage capacity and makes all your stored items accessible from any similar container you find further along It helps clear out your backpack of items you won't need in the immediate future. This includes some story items like photographs and excess consumables. For instance, one backpack slot holds three first aid meds, and it's excessive to carry more than that given how frequently you can visit the save rooms. To be honest, if you're using more than three first aid meds to defeat a boss, you're better off reloading your most recent save.

Use your map

Maps are not hard to come by and, as designed, can help you navigate your way around the Dulvey Mansion and all surrounding areas. It's also easy to navigate up and down the various floors of each building. Maps are especially helpful in keeping track of the locked doors, particularly the ones requiring animal symbol keys. Save points and storage boxes are also marked whenever you discover them. Lastly, maps note all of the locked drawers you come across, which you should revisit when you find lockpicks.

Watch the tapes

If you're thorough in exploring every room and hallway, you're bound to find a number of videotapes. These aren't just supplementary pick-ups that shed light on the Bakers and their victims. These playable side missions actually offer clues on how to progress further into the game, providing previews of parts of the Dulvey property that you haven't yet explored as your main character, Ethan.

Resident Evil 7 doesn't revolve around combat, but you'll encounter enough creepy monsters and psychotic bosses that packing a little extra firepower definitely couldn't hurt. That's where the broken handgun and broken shotgun come in. As it turns out, RE7 contains two busted weapons and--not so coincidentally--two weapon repair kits.

If you manage to mend both broken firearms, you'll be rewarded with a pistol and shotgun that are both more powerful than their basic counterparts: the M19 handgun and the M21 shotgun. Problem is, where do find all these items, and how soon can you actually repair the guns? Click ahead to find out.

Broken Handgun

The first item you'll encounter is the broken handgun, which you'll find in the trailer that sits in the backyard just outside the "dog head" door. Simply walk inside, turn left towards the supply container, and look at the bed. Easy right?

First Repair Kit

Once you grab the broken handgun, you can repair it almost immediately since the first weapon repair kit is hidden nearby. When you walk back out of the trailer, you'll be facing the house. Directly between the two short staircases that lead up to the porch, you find a piece of metal siding than can be pulled back. Do that and you'll find the first repair kit, which you can immediately apply to the broken pistol.

Broken Shotgun

The broken shotgun is much more difficult to repair. When you first enter the Main Hall of the Baker mansion, you'll notice a small room on your right that contains a statue holding a shotgun. Unfortunately, when you pick up the shotgun, the door behind you slams shut.

In order to take the working shotgun, you must grab the broken shotgun out of Grandma's Room on the second floor once you acquire the Scorpion Key. Swap the broken shotgun with the working shotgun back downstairs and you're good to go. But…

Model Shotgun

Later in the game, you're going to want that broken shotgun back so you can repair it with the second kit. In order to reclaim the broken shotgun, you'll need to grab the model shotgun from the attic above the Kid's Room on the second floor of the Baker manor.

You'll the Snake Key to open the door to the room, but once you're in, head to right as you enter and check out the desk lamp. This will activate the ladder to the attic. Climb the ladder, make a U-turn around the railing to your right, and head to the back corner. You'll find the model shotgun on a shelf.

Once you have the model shotgun, head back downstairs to the room with the statue and swap the model shotgun for the broken shotgun just like you did earlier in the game.

Second Repair Kit

Now you just need one final ingredient: the other repair kit. You can find a photograph that clues you into its location, but the kit will be in the same spot whether you find the photo or not.

As you first head into Lucas's funhouse (also known as Testing Area 2F) after opening the gate with the blue and red key cards, you'll walk through a linear series of rooms. In the third room, you'll notice a cage with a mannequin head on top of it. Investigate the false head to find the very real second repair kit.

At this point, you can backtrack to the trailer, grab the broken shotgun from the storage container (assuming you don't already have the broken gun with you), and build yourself a powerful double-barrel shotgun. Enjoy!

Treasures Hidden In The Nightmare

As you explore the haunting environments of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, you'll encounter items called antique coins. While these items appear to serve no purpose other than being collectibles, you can actually use them to purchase three special upgrades. We've compiled the locations of all 18 for your convenience. Click ahead to discover how to find each antique coin in Resident Evil 7. Be wary: there are potential spoilers in the slides ahead.

And if you're looking for deeper coverage, we've compiled features detailing how the game fits into the series' universe as a whole, what you unlock when you beat the game, and how to solve the game's most elaborate puzzle. Check back often as we post more features answering the most important questions regarding Resident Evil 7.

For even more on RE 7, check out GameSpot's review and see what other critics are saying.

The Upgrades

The upgrades you can purchase with the antique coins are locked in birdcages found in Zoe's trailer, which you discover a few hours into the game. You can unlock each cage by inserting a specific number of antique coins. The items and upgrades are as follows:

• Stabilizer: Increases reload speed indefinitely. (Costs 3 coins)

• Steroids: Increases max health indefinitely. (Costs 5 coins)

• 44 Mag: A powerful handgun with a lot of kickback, and a lot of power. (Costs 9 coins)

Be mindful that halfway through the game, you'll access to these upgrades; however, you'll regain access near the end of the game. Plan accordingly.

Guest House 1F: The Locked Drawer

Obtaining the antique coin in the Guest House is a two-step process. First, acquire the "Derelict House Footage" VHS tape from the second floor, then insert it into the VCR in the first floor living room. When the tape begins, immediately turn around and pick up the lockpick on the ground. When you enter the Guest House, use it to unlock the blue drawer in the kitchen.

Stop the tape (or continue playing through the footage) to return to the present. Go back to the blue drawer you unlocked in the footage; open it to reveal your first antique coin.

Main House 1F: Red Lawn Mower

After you reach the escape tunnel that you open with the Hatch Key following the family dinner, proceed ahead until you find a red lawn mower to your left. Check it to grab an antique coin.

Main House 1F: Main Hall Dresser

When you reach the Main Hall for the first time, turn left and search the dresser with a small angel statue on top of it. Open its top drawer to find an antique coin.

Main House 2F: Recreation Room

In the Recreation Room on the second floor, there's a basket near the door to Grandma Baker's room with a Mr. Everywhere bobble head inside it. Beside it is an antique coin.

Main House 2F: Bathroom

When you reach the second floor bathroom, search the toilet in the corner for an antique coin.

Main House 1F: Ashtray

After solving the first shadow puzzle, make your way to the briefing room adjacent to the living room filled with taxidermied animals. Check the ashtray on the table for an antique coin.

Main House B1: Large Room

In the large room adjacent to the Workshop on the basement floor, there's a shipping pallet leaning up against a wall next to a spattering of mold. Search between the two for an antique coin.

Yard: Gardening Pots

After exiting the Main House, turn right and go around the stairs to find a pair of gardening pots. Inside the left pot is an antique coin.

Yard: Zoe's Trailer

This antique coin is hard to miss. When you enter Zoe's trailer, you can find the coin on the table with the lamp and birdcage.

Old House 1F: Cart

The fireplace in the Old House living room leads to a secret pathway to the Cellar. Proceed forward until you reach the end of the hall. Look to your left to find a cart with an antique coin.

Old House 1F: Outhouse

In the first floor outhouse (the one you unlock with the Crow Key) at the northernmost point of the map, there's a toilet with an antique coin on top of it.

Old House 2F: Lantern Scale Room

On the second floor of the Old House, there's a room with a weighing scale with a lantern attached to it. While facing the scale, turn around to find a dresser containing an antique coin.

Testing Area 1F: Bomb Trap Room

On the first floor of the Testing Area, there's a small room at the end of a corridor filled with explosive traps. Dismantle them with your pistol and open the green desk drawer at the end of the room to find an antique coin.

Testing Area 2F: Stairwell

In the second floor Testing Area room where you deploy a set of stairs, there's an antique coin on a nearby shelf.

*IMPORTANT: After obtaining this coin, make sure to backtrack and collect any coins you've missed up until now. A point of no return occurs the more you push the story along during this section of the game.

Wrecked Ship S1: Duct

After the flashback with the two ship workers, drop down into the nearby duct. When you reach the first fork in the path, turn right until you reach a dead end. There's an antique coin to your left beside the pipe.

*IMPORTANT: This coin must be acquired before dropping down the duct to the first floor. If you drop down, you'll lose the chance to collect it.

Wrecked Ship 1F: Flooded Room

As you first begin to explore the Wrecked Ship, you'll encounter a ladder leading down to a room that's slightly flooded. Climb down and move left until you encounter a pipe near some overgrown weeds; search this area for an antique coin.

*IMPORTANT: This must be acquired before you go up the flight of stairs with the little girl standing alone. If you proceed further, you'll lose the chance to collect it.

Wrecked Ship 3F: Locked Toolbox

In the Control Room on the third floor is a locked toolbox containing an antique coin. To unlock it, get the lockpick from the small box located in the third floor Shaft.

Wrecked Ship S2: Lockbox

There's an antique coin hidden inside a wall lockbox located in a hallway just ahead of the No. 1 Engine Room. Use a corrosive fluid to access it.

The Royal Rumble--one of the most exciting WWE events of the year--is coming to PPV and the WWE Network on Sunday, January 29. While many of WWE's titles will be on the line, what people are most looking forward to is the 30-man, over-the-top Royal Rumble match. However, this PPV is more than just that match. This year's Rumble is stacked with matches from both the Raw and Smackdown brands. Let's take a look at who is on the card for the January 29 event and our predictions.

Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax (Kickoff Show)

This year's Kickoff Show will run for two hours prior to the start of the actual PPV event, and it will boast multiple matches. For the past month, a rivalry has been building between Sasha Banks and Nia Jax. A huge moment happened last week, when Jax attacked Banks while her knee was being assessed by doctors for her hurt knee.

Jax has been extremely dominant since she's moved to the main roster, but Banks will not give up without a fight. We're giving this one to Banks, so we can continue to see this rivalry continue. Also, Jax has been so dominant that a loss to her would really light a fire under her.

Our Prediction: Sasha Banks wins clean.

Cesaro & Sheamus (c) vs Gallows & Anderson (Kickoff Show)

(For the Raw Tag Team Championship)

Strangely enough, the Kickoff Show will have a title match for the Raw Tag Team Championships. A rivalry has been brewing between the tag team champs and Gallows and Anderson, and it's coming to a head at the Royal Rumble.

Gallows and Anderson have tried time and time again to win the titles, against the New Day, and they've come up empty-handed. In order to give these two some legitimacy, they have to win here. This wouldn't hurt Cesaro and Sheamus, though, as they need to have a rival team with New Day completely out of the title-hunt for now.

Our Prediction: Gallows and Anderson win dirty.

Naomi, Nikki Bella, & Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss, Natalya, & Mickie James

One of Smackdown's two matches during the Rumble will be a six-woman tag match featuring the faces and heels of the women's division. The show has been building on a rivalry between Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss--who had help from a masked wrestler over the past few weeks. The luchadora revealed herself to be former WWE star Mickie James. Now, it's time for Lynch and her friends to take on James, Bliss, and Natalya in a match that seems slopped together during a quick announcement on the January 24 episode of Smackdown.

In order to give James a bit of legitimacy in this new era of women's wrestling, the team she is on has to win. A loss could turn into a great rivalry between Bliss and James, but we're thinking Lynch's team is going to win this to continue the storyline. Sadly, there really aren't a lot of stakes in this match, and it feels like this should be traded out with Jax/Banks from the Kickoff Show.

Prediction: Team Bliss wins dirty.

Rich Swann (c) vs. Neville

(For the Cruiserweight Championship)

205 Live has been entertaining to watch, but it feels like it's lacking a bit of personality, minus the antics of Jack Gallagher. Neville's return as a heel has breathed some new life into the division, and he is now going after Rich Swann's title.

The cruiserweight division and 205 Live needs a leader, someone who is great in the ring and on the mic. Neville, as a heel, is the man they need to bring viewers in. Neville needs a win here. As much as we enjoy Swann as a performer, Neville has the "it" factor. We're predicting a Neville win, which will hopefully allow more personalities to build on 205 Live, like Mustafi Ali.

Our Prediction: Neville wins clean.

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley

(For the WWE Raw Women's Championship)

During PPVs, Charlotte has gone undefeated while defending her title. Overall, she came out on top against Sasha Banks, but now, a new challenger has stepped up, Bayley. The journey of Bayley through NXT and onto the main roster is a compelling one. She's the ultimate underdog, but she has the drive and will to become a champion.

Bayley is wonderful, and we are huge fans of her; however, we don't think she's going to win the title at the Royal Rumble. We're giving the win to Charlotte, in hopes that Bayley gets a rematch, on a much larger stage, at Wrestlemania, winning the title there.

Our Prediction: Charlotte wins dirty.

Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns

(For the WWE Universal Championship)

The friendship of Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho has been the most enjoyable part of Raw, week after week. When it was announced that during the Owens and Reigns Universal championship match, Jericho would be suspended in a shark cage above the ring, we couldn't stop giggling at how ridiculous/awesome this gimmick match would be.

We don't see Reigns coming out of this as champion, but maybe it's because we're blind fanboys for Owens and Jericho. Obviously, this match isn't going to go as planned, and somehow, Jericho is going to end up helping Owens with the win. Sure, it could go the other way, but we think Owens will win this one. In addition, a win for him helps my Royal Rumble match prediction.

Our Prediction: Kevin Owens wins, with the help of Jericho.

AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena

(For the WWE Championship)

Smackdown has a lot going for it, but by far, the most entertaining thing about it is AJ Styles as the WWE Champion. The feud between Styles and 15-time World Champion John Cena has been one of the reasons Smackdown is beating Raw in the ratings. Now, they'll square-off, once again, for the WWE Championship.

Listen, we love AJ Styles. The guy is awesome, but this match really seems like it's been booked to legitimize the legacy of John Cena before he leaves the company and moves on to to other things. If John Cena wins, he becomes the 16-time WWE Champion, which beats Ric Flair's record. We're thinking Cena will win here, and Styles will win it back at Wrestlemania.

Our Prediction: John Cena wins clean.

Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble match itself can be a tough match to predict. There are quite a few possible winners for this match, so we asked some of the wrestling fans working at GameSpot who they thought will come out on top.

Chris Jericho

Prediction by Mat Elfring

As much as I'm pulling for Finn Balor to come in and win this thing, I think Chris Jericho--who has surprisingly never won before--is going to take it. With a win, Jericho would go on to main event Wrestlemania against his best friend, Kevin Owens, for the Universal Championship. That's a match I'd love to see, especially if they're still on good terms: Two heels that want to win but don't want to hurt each other. Obviously, this all only works if Owens wins his match as well.

Finn Balor

Prediction by Gajan Kulasingham

Finn Balor made an appearance at the WWE UK tournament and seems ready to go. I think they're waiting for an opportunity for his comeback, and if he doesn't appear in the Rumble, which he should, then we'll likely see a Wrestlemania appearance.

Kofi Kingston

Prediction by Greg Thomas

OK, hear me out... What if Kofi is knocked out of the ring but never hits the floor (like he's done in past Rumbles). He hops around the outside of the ring while Goldberg, Lesnar, and the Undertaker beat the hell out of each other. Then when the time is right, BAM, Kofi jumps back in the ring when the carnage is all over.

Finn Balor

Prediction by Chris Pereira

Coming off a year in which Triple H--Triple H!--won the Rumble, WWE again demonstrated its inclination to cling to its old stars. But even someone as cynical about the subject as me can't see this going to someone like him, The Undertaker, or Randy Orton for a second year in a row. Not when it can be used to help give someone else a meaningful career bump. Combined with a surprise return--who doesn't love those?--Finn Balor seems like the prime choice to come out on top.

Donald Trump

Prediction by Randolph Ramsay

WWE Hall of Famer and current leader of the free world comes in at a surprise number 30, and immediately throws Goldberg and Lesnar over the top rope. He goes on to challenge for the Universal Championship on the platform of "Make Raw Great Again."