Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Severed finger in ‘Resident Evil 7’ demo may have been a red herring after all

By Jon Martindale July 1, 2016

dummy finger resident evil red herring 7 biohazard 10 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Capcom is still being coy about what that dummy finger in the Resident Evil 7: Biohazard demo was all about, but rest assured that you’re not alone in your frustration. The Japanese game maker announced Friday that more than 2 million people had downloaded the demo since its release alongside the E3 showing of the game.

Hands on: Resident Evil 7: Beginning Hour for PlayStation VR

Those who are part of the Resident Evil Ambassador group received a cryptic flier Friday that seems to suggest that finger hunters may have been wasting their time, but it’s not exactly clear. The note shows a picture of a finger, with a message that reads, “The path for now is closed, but patience …,” alongside a couple of other interesting props (thanks Redditor Anfers, via Polygon).

1 of 4

dummy finger resident evil red herring resident01 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

dummy finger resident evil red herring resident02 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

dummy finger resident evil red herring resident03 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

dummy finger resident evil red herring resident04 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The mystery of the “#dummyfinger” is perhaps solved considering its new moniker. It seems most likely that it was indeed a red herring, something point-and-click fans of old will no doubt be familiar with. It can be frustrating to find items in games that have no uses, but it seems like Capcom may have been pulling a fast one when it included the innocuous little digit.

The note sent out to ambassadors does suggest that there will be a “lot more coming from Resident Evil 7,” so perhaps we’ll see some sort of finger reveal in the future, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this the last we see of it.

The best we can likely hope for is that somewhere in the game, you will need to jam a severed finger into a keyhole to make it work. That would be a nice nod to the fans.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will be released January 24.

Pre-order on Amazon

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Computing Coordinator

Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…

Gaming

All Resident Evil 4 remake Wayshrines and how to open them

An open wayshrine with a bracelet inside.

In the opening chapters of the Resident Evil 4 remake, you will come across strange shrines erected by a cult. These can be interacted with, but prompt you to use an item. Unfortunately, you won't even have the chance to open the first couple you find since the item required to open them can't be picked up until a bit later -- and only if you know where to search for it. But it's ro say that the treasures you get from them make it worth your time to backtrack and grab all the goodies inside. Here's how you can open all the Wayshrines in the Resident Evil 4 remake, and what each one holds inside.
How to get the Wayshrine Key

Surprise surprise, but Wayshrines can only be opened once you grab the Wayshrine Key. It will feel like a long time, but you can't even access the key until you reach Chapter 4 and beat Del Lago. Once you can explore the lake, head south to the Mural Cave. Deep in the caves, you will find an ornate cabinet after solving the puzzle in the cave. You can get there by going down the path from the southern dock and through the section with the two large stone hands. Thankfully, unlike Small Keys, the Wayshrine Key is reusable and can open every Wayshrine in the game.
How to 0pen Wayshrines

Gaming

Is Resident Evil 4’s Leon S. Kennedy Italian? An investigation

resident Evil 4's Leon S Kennedy has a moustache,

Whenever a new Resident Evil game comes out -- remake or otherwise -- I always like to go down a lore rabbit hole. The Resident Evil series has a wildly vast narrative that isn’t just contained in its main installments. Obscure spinoffs, CGI movies, bonus features bundled with games … there's so much rich history to dig into, and die-hard series fans have thoroughly cataloged every piece of it through exhaustively detailed fan wikis.

After I finished Capcom’s excellent Resident Evil 4 remake, I was curious to build out my knowledge of its hero, the iconic Leon S. Kennedy. I’d learned more about his backstory than I’d ever known, including how he was blackmailed into becoming a government agent in Wii spinoff Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. While there were a lot of fascinating surprises to be found, the very first line of Leon’s fan-maintained Resident Evil wiki page threw me for a loop.

Gaming

Resident Evil 4: how to solve the Cave Shrine puzzles

A series of symbols in a circle.

There are a lot more optional -- and mandatory -- moments of exploration available to plyers in the Resident Evil 4 remake. One of the best examples comes in Chapter 4 when you are given the ability to move about the lake freely on your boat. Whether you found it by accident or got stuck while going along the main path, you will eventually have to solve two Cave Shrine puzzles in order to get your hands on the Church Key you need to move the story forward. If you found the altar the key is held on, you are likely at a loss as to where to go or what to do. There aren't a ton of places around the lake you can visit, but you can save a lot of time by letting us navigate you to the correct spots and lead you through these Cave Shrine puzzles in Resident Evil 4.
How to find and solve the Small Cave Shrine

The first location you're going to is at the far northeast end of the lake and is called the Small Cave Shrine. Make your way inside and you will come across a panel with a circle of buttons with unique symbols. Your goal here is to figure out which symbols to press, and in what order, to unlock the way to the key item you need.