I think a lot of games lack an individual vision, and sincerity. I don't know how to put it. So many of them are just boring and faceless to me. The same game with a different skin on top of it. At least with RE they still have endearing characters. To each their own, I'm not the best with words necessarily, but I think most franchises that started out with a true creative flair and passion have their best days behind them. And there isn't much "new" that has the same passion. For me anyway. I can't think of many next gen games that have characters as memorable as Link, Sonic, or Leon Kennedy for example.
Oh I get it now, well... that is how you see it, that is personal. Everyone has a different opinion, but I try to separate my opinions and what I think and believe from reality, or lets say... "facts"
There are developers and put everything they have in a game to the point its not just work.. its completely personal and they try their best to make it happen. If videogame developers put passion is something thats not going to change, but our opinions of what they do can change, maybe if RE7 reminds you of the old games and make you feel the same way you'll love it blindly despite what people say, thats can still happen.
I don't wanna go off topic with this but I want to explain why I think like this: I can't think of any series that changed as much as Resident Evil, but survival horror was dying, it was time for a change Resident Evil 0 proved once and for all that the series could no longer rely on the tried and true format. Sales dropped again, despite it being an original game, and the puzzles were becoming tired and lazy. Although new features were praised, the character swapping was criticised for being overly involved and this made the puzzles, already practically taken from other games, even more convoluted. Funnily enough – the release of the RE:Remake earlier that year seemed to just show how little the series had evolved and critics were openly saying zombies were on the way out.
0 was still a well-received game, but people were not as likely to suspend their disbelief as they were on the PS1. Why can’t I just shoot through this wooden door? If I can’t see where I’m supposed to be going, how can I shoot enemies? Although the RE:Remake was incredibly received, people seemed to think the story in 0 was an unnecessary re-trek over old territory. Worse, the inventory system was STILL broken. By 2002, all of these problems had been solved time and time again, and where it was once an innovator, Resident Evil was falling behind the times.
The RE:remake did everything the fans wanted and managed to be a sleeper hit. I think its fair to say that the sales talk louder than gameplay elements in this case. 0 took a step in the wrong direction while at the same time trying to stay put and ended up as a beautiful mess on the floor, but ultimately it was the final nail in the coffin of Resident Evil as we knew it. Nemesis, Code Veronica and now 0 had proven that critical acclaim wasn’t enough, and that the series just wasn’t attracting new fans. In fact, it was losing some of them and I have to say I was one of those.. I didn't pay attetion to 0 and Remake, I think I kept playing RE series because of RE4 thats why I can't say the older games are better, even If I love them, they were already dated at the time of their release.
RE4,5 and 6 are original in many ways and at least some people involved in the development used everything they had to make the best game possible
[I love Heavy Rain!!!]
Whoppers are the most annoying bastards ever! I had a lucky moment like that yesterday well not as great as yours but I was playing as Helena a stupid zombie bited me and I entered into dying state and 3 Bloodshots tried to jump at me at the same time, they crashed with each other and I managed to revive 
and I go back to play and hour or maybe less 
